Cabin heater not working?

[2manyhobbies]

The weather looks to be amazing to run topless for the next week in middle Tennessee, so I dropped he top earlier. Went for a quick ride through the country at dusk, and the temp dropped to 70. Turned on the cabin heater, and had Luke warm air for about a minute - and then ambient temperature air. I cycled the AC off and on, ran the temp down to LO and then Jon to HI. Cycled through dash, floor, defrost. No change in the heat.

Anyone experience the same? I looked in the hybrid supplement and didn’t see any exceptions or call outs for heater operation.

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[1quick1]

If you're on auto you would just need to turn the temperature up warm enough for it to kick on the heat or you can manually control the fan and turn the temp up. Point being that's all there is to it so unfortunately it sounds like there may be an issue with yours as I doubt you're doing anything wrong.

 

[2manyhobbies]

I tried auto and manual. I sync’d the driver and passenger controls. I kicked the engine on by putting the transmission in manual mode. I even watched the hybrid energy flow, and didn’t see any energy being consumed by the heating/cooling system (I can’t recall what the Jeep calls it).

I’ve got the loose castle nut clicking, and have been delaying a trip to the stealer. I guess I will have two things for them to look at.

 

[LittleDog]

@2manyhobbies

If the engine has been running for over a minute, and the HVAC is only blowing "lukewarm" at full heat, there is definitely something wrong.

The heater core in the JL has a direct link to earth's own molten core. I often fear for the life of the little electric fan trying to move that knuckle-scorching air mass. You can actually smell the melting plastic ducting at full power.

I'd go get some sensors checked.

 

[2manyhobbies]

@2manyhobbies

If the engine has been running for over a minute, and the HVAC is only blowing "lukewarm" at full heat, there is definitely something wrong.

The heater core in the JL has a direct link to earth's own molten core. I often fear for the life of the little electric fan trying to move that knuckle-scorching air mass. You can actually smell the melting plastic ducting at full power.

I'd go get some sensors checked.

That was my experience with the 2 JKs that I owned. This is the hybrid 4xe, and my understanding is that the heat is not sourced from the engine coolant, but rather an electric heater.

 

[LittleDog]

That was my experience with the 2 JKs that I owned. This is the hybrid 4xe, and my understanding is that the heat is not sourced from the engine coolant, but rather an electric heater.

Wait, really?

That seems crazy, especially since the 4xe has the 2.0T, which (I know) quickly produces incredible amounts of excess heat. Enough to need its own cooling loop.

Electric heating coils don't make much sense when there are literally constant explosions and heat dissapating structures nearby, along with waste-heat reclaimers within inches.

But then again, I'm not a bureaucrat or shareholder. We now live in a world where consuming vast amounts of energy, to convert directly into incredible amounts of excess heat, to dump directly into the atmosphere, is a profitable means to create/inflate a fiat currency.

I'll wait to see what the much more knowledgable members here think.

 

[Jocko]

Wait, really?

That seems crazy, especially since the 4xe has the 2.0T, which (I know) quickly produces incredible amounts of excess heat. Enough to need its own cooling loop.

Electric heating coils don't make much sense when there are literally constant explosions and heat dissapating structures nearby, along with waste-heat reclaimers within inches.

But then again, I'm not a bureaucrat or shareholder. We now live in a world where consuming vast amounts of energy, to convert directly into incredible amounts of excess heat, to dump directly into the atmosphere, is a profitable means to create/inflate a fiat currency.

I'll wait to see what the much more knowledgable members here think.

The presence of electric heating and cooling was needed to allow for the battery's temperature to be maintained without the engine being on. So that's why the 4xe has such a system. I do agree though that one would expect the heat at least could be supplemented by the engine when it is on for extended periods of time (such as on the highway). Around town driving, the engine might actually never be on enough to warm up to the point of providing heat.

 

[2manyhobbies]

I was able to find an example or two on a Pacifica forum last night of another hybrid owner reporting the same issue. He basically power cycled the van, and the heater started working properly. I Pla. To go for a drive tonight, and I’ll see if it repeats the issue from last night.

 

[Echo4papa]

I'd test on mine, but I'm in FL and running the heat would still be cooler than outside! lol

 

[LittleDog]

The presence of electric heating and cooling was needed to allow for the battery's temperature to be maintained without the engine being on. So that's why the 4xe has such a system. I do agree though that one would expect the heat at least could be supplemented by the engine when it is on for extended periods of time (such as on the highway). Around town driving, the engine might actually never be on enough to warm up to the point of providing heat.

Makes sense. Thanks for the clarification.

Maybe there will be an aftermarket bolt on part to replace the coil with a video card, so you can mine crypto currency in the winter.

 

[Echo4papa]

Makes sense. Thanks for the clarification.

Maybe there will be an aftermarket bolt on part to replace the coil with a video card, so you can mine crypto currency in the winter.

That might generate too much heat!

 

[2manyhobbies]

Thought I had figured a way to force heat by running in e-save, but that doesn’t work. On a drive to get dessert tonight, had a CEL come on. Even after leaving the Jeep parked for 45 minutes, it was on when we came home.

The local dealer doesn’t have any service availability until 8/16. So hopefully the CEL goes away. I can live with no heat, and the clicking ball joints.

 

[LittleDog]

Thought I had figured a way to force heat by running in e-save, but that doesn’t work. On a drive to get dessert tonight, had a CEL come on. Even after leaving the Jeep parked for 45 minutes, it was on when we came home.

The local dealer doesn’t have any service availability until 8/16. So hopefully the CEL goes away. I can live with no heat, and the clicking ball joints.

It might add an additional hobby for you, but look into getting an OBD2 scanner. There are really cheap ones available nowadays; they even have Bluetooth ones that interface to an app on your phone, which looks up the codes for you.

This can help you decide if the problem is bad enough to drive the jeep less, or even stop driving entirely until youcan take it in, or maybe just clear the code and see what happens. Works on other vehicles as well, and can score you many brownie points.

(A scanner would probably fall into a subset of the jeep hobby anyway)

 

[2manyhobbies]

I stopped by the dealer to have them pull the code. I didn’t catch the full description, but it basically was an engine coolant temperature sensor intermittent failure. They said ok to drive 1 just watch the engine temp if it starts climbing. Sounds like it may be somehow related to my cabin heat issue.

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