hey guys, when I turn my heat up cold air just keeps comming out... its like the **** from cold to hot is grabbing on right and it just stays on cold. Sometimes it will get warm, but sometimes it feels like A/C any suggestions or thoughts, or fixes?

 

heater is weak and takes a while (and some revs) to get hot. the first few minutes it's cold air for me.

 

The heater and A/C work the same - leave it on max and it just about works like a normal car. Any other setting and you freeze/boil. The electric seat warmers are a must. (up here in Canada)

 

Just takes some time for it to warm up, unfortunately (the car's cooling system works REALLY well). If you can, let the car idle for a little longer than normal, set the fan to 2 or higher, and put it on recirculate.

 

Is your defogger on? Try directing air to top and bottom or top only, without the front defogger. The defogger uses A/C as what I have observed in my car.

 

^ Yeah, if the car has just started from a cold start, then obviously your fans will blow cool air. If it has been awhile, I can't see how it would still blow cool air unless it's air from the A/C.

One of the things that I like about the rotary is that it heats up quickly, so you don't have to freeze in the car while driving.

 

I've never heard anyone complain of being cold in the RX8.

 

true first timefor me too. i say you got a **** problem

 

My 8 had this problem, turned out to be a faulty heater control unit. A few other people have had the issue as well.

From my issue (and another persons issue)

CUSTOMER STATES WHEN ADJUSTING THE AIR MIXTURE ONLY SWITCHES TO BOTH EXTREMES-SOP HERE HEATER CONTROL INTERNAL FAULT IN CONTROL HEAD.
REPLACE HEATER CONTROL HEAD.
U0207ARX .6 61/9W

To see if it's the same problem, find the air-mix actuator on the drivers side center console.. basically look at the center tunnel area near the gas pedal but "up" a bit....

with the car running (and the heater fan on).. move the temp ****. The air mix actuator should move following any change you make to the temp. In this particular fault. The actuator will go all the way cold.. and all the way hot.. in the middle it MIGHT jitter a bit.. but only does extremes. (And the dealer diagnostic procedures tell them to check the extremes.. but don't have rules for checking the intermediate range.) So you pretty much have to show them the actuator isn't working right to get it diagnosed.

 

Mine will be hot and nice and warm and then all of a sudden cold air starts coming out...I have had the dealer check twice for loose connections in the dash as my hazards and dash lights won't work 1/2 the time either...it has been fixed before and now it is happening again...hopefully they will get it this time around!

 

Similar problem with mine. With the heat at max and the blower going at 2 or 3 my feet are still cold after 30 minutes of highway driving, and I usually barely turn the heat on in my other cars. If I try to turn off defrosters and set the air to re-circulate the windows fog up.

I'll follow Fray's directions tonight and see what happens.

 

Mine is cooled for about 20 minutes of highway driving before the car gets warm (the inside). I also noticed during cold mornings 10 degrees F the temperature of the engine cools somewhat when the heat is turned all the way up. I just figure that the small mass of the engine cool much more efficiently with the radiator leaving less heat available for the interior of the car. I could be wrong.

 

so an update: basically it was a faulty temp control. the dealer at 1st said there was nothing wrong with it but I kep insisting there was ... because at times it didnt get hot or atleast warm. They kept it over night and the next day they agreed to replace it because it was acting up. * under warranty *

 

With the engine fully warm, there is heat available in the cabin alright. But I find that in any setting with air directed to the floor (the down arrow), cold air comes out under the seat. Heated air comes out under the dash, but not from the under-seat rear ducts. What might be going on there? Has anyone else experienced the same?

 

I have also found that the air blown down to your feet is weak at best even after 20 minutes of driving. What gives?!? With all the heat the rotary generates I would think the heating system would be great. Also any setting of the blower fan after the first sounds like a wind tunnel. This is the loudest blow fan I have heard in some time.

 

The heat issue is the same part we all remember with cracked defrost buttons. If you tap on the hot/cold **** it will cycle to heat.
The part is a direct exchange part from United Radio.

 

Bump because this happened to me as of this morning; calling the mazda dealer in about 30 minutes.

 

I'm bumping this because my heater only works about 5% of the time now.

I just moved to Colorado from Texas (never used my heater in the previous year I've owned my car) and It's F-in cold in the mornings when I go to work. It takes me 35 minutes and 20 redlights to get to work and I'm still blowing frost out of my mouth when I pull into work (I see people looking at me crazy at the lights from other cars when my windshield is still iced and I'm blowing snow flakes every time I breath, I know they're thinking "why don't he just turn on the heat, surely it's not broken in an '05 model car").

My car fully warms up (per the temp gauge) in a matter of minutes. If I park, for a brief moment, after it has been fully warmed up and then start the car again, still no heat. I have been sticking my hands in the cupholders when not shifting to keep them warm.

Every once in a while (the 5%) the air will be hot for a few seconds then I hear noises like the air shuffling around and it goes cold again. This only happens later in the day (or when the outside temp has heated up and I don't need the heat). I've tapped on the temp dial - no difference. At first I could turn it all the way cold then hot again and the heat would kick on for a few seconds like mentioned before. It seems it slowly got worse until nothing (or 5% of the time). The thing that pisses me off the most is, like someone mentioned above, you can tell there is all kinds of heat generated by the engine in the engine compartment but I can't get it into the cabin.

I plan on taking to the dealership but I just started a new job and don't want to take off work yet to take it down there. Plus I know when I explain the problem the heater will probably work fine for them and they will think I'm crazy. I will try when I get a chance to check what fray said by checking the actuator.

I just want to see if anyone else figured out what was going on or had this problem. I do plan on taking it to Mazda service when I get a chance and I would like to tell them the potential problem so I can get it fixed the first time...

Thanks all!

 

Dealer fixed mine - was it something like a 'heater-control' module? I'll try to find the paperwork...

 

I notice that the heater is better at making noise than anything else. (wtf?) Its ability to direct heated air at my feet is poor. It's ironic for an unusually hot engine that my feet are often cold in the winter.

 

Check this out it might help you repair this problem

pretty common

http://www.finishlineperformance.com...03-03-1239.pdf

 

Mine is the same it takes approx 10-15mins before it heats up to a warm temperature. Dreading the real cold weather and the snow!

 

my cars hot all the time, have'nt had time 2 do the heat shield recall mod yet... and the a/c doesnt cool much... so u guys r saying ur aircon's r cold i just thought the 8's aircons r weak... i'll check it out when it goes 4 the next service. thanx.