Lada Kalina heater fan does not work

The car's heating system must be in good working order regardless of the time of year. But many people think about this only when cold weather sets in. The efficient operation of the Lada Kalina heater ensures a comfortable stay in the cabin. The heating system does not fail so often, but timely maintenance is also important for it.

How to check the operation of the Lada Kalina stove

We carry out all actions with the engine running. Before checking the heater, study the diagram and structure of the Lada Kalina stove.

Checking the ventilation and heating system fan:

We set the air temperature regulator knob on the control unit to the extreme position of the blue sector.
We alternately switch the fan speed knob, starting with the first speed and ending with the fourth.
We check the intensity of the air flow coming from the air ducts. It should get stronger with each switch.

If the heater does not work on the Lada Kalina, check the integrity of fuse F5, as well as its power circuit. If the fan does not operate in all modes, or the air flow intensity does not change linearly, check the additional resistor and switch. If the air flow is weak, replace the cabin air filter.

Checking the stove dampers:

Set the temperature regulator to the extreme position of the blue sector, and the fan speed to maximum.
We turn the damper control knob on the block and at the same time monitor changes in the directions of air flows.

Unchangeable air flows indicate a malfunction of the mechanical heater control unit (the draft has flown off, or does not screw onto the roller due to its breakdown), or the damper is jammed. If the car uses climate control, then check the damper micromotor and the ventilation, heater and air conditioning control unit.

Warm up the engine to operating temperature.
Turn the air temperature regulator to the extreme position of the red sector.
Warm or hot air should come out of the air ducts

If the air temperature has not changed, check the serviceability of the mechanical heater control unit (the rod has come off, or does not screw onto the roller due to its breakdown), or the damper is jammed. If the car uses climate control, then check the damper micromotor and the ventilation, heater and air conditioning control unit. Make sure the engine cooling system is working properly.

Checking the interior temperature sensor:

The interior temperature sensor is installed in the lampshade on cars equipped with a climate control system. Most often, a sensor malfunction can be determined by the operating mode of the stove. If only hot or cold air blows from the panel nozzles, regardless of the position of the handle on the heater control unit, then most likely the ceiling air sensor has failed.

Coolant

As you know, the cabin heater has its own radiator. It is filled with coolant. This design is part of the main cooling system. If the stove on the Lada Kalina does not heat well, the reasons may lie in the low level of antifreeze. Open the hood and check the level in the expansion tank. It should be between the minimum and maximum marks.

A couple of useful tips

Have you noticed that the heater on the Lada Kalina blows cold? Proceed according to the scheme “from simple to complex”, first check the simplest elements of the heating and ventilation system, for example, the air filter and the presence of coolant. Then gradually move on to more complex design details.

Another good way to find out which part has failed is to replace it with a known working part and check the operation of the system. And you don’t have to buy a new spare part if you borrow it from a friend. You can also try to negotiate with the seller in the store, take a new part for testing, leaving a deposit.

What to do before removing the plug.

First of all, you need to understand why an air lock forms, for this:

We check for coolant leaks in the connections of the pipes, if there are any, we tighten the clamps or replace them.
We check the coolant level in the expansion tank; for viburnums, it is advisable to keep the level at or slightly above the maximum.
We check the correct operation of the expansion tank plug; if the air inlet plug does not work or with noticeable difficulty, then it is better to replace it; below I will explain in more detail about the plug.
It is also advisable to check whether the interior heater radiator is leaking; this can be done from inside the cabin by removing the right lower side of the panel under your feet and feeling the floors and the heater block itself.

Statistics of malfunctions of the Lada Kalina stove

According to the results of the survey “ Why does the stove heat poorly on the Lada Kalina? » the main causes of the malfunction were identified:

32% voted for problems with the heater damper.
14% of votes were given for a faulty heater fan.
The same number of votes (13%) were given for a failed ventilation and heating system control unit and a faulty heater radiator (replacement).
For 9% of survey participants, the fault in the heater’s malfunction was the damper’s micromotor reducer.

The remaining votes were given for other problems with the Lada Kalina stove: a faulty additional resistor for the stove, a cabin temperature sensor and a dirty cabin filter.

Let us remind you that you can find various modifications to the car systems in the Lada Kalina tuning section.

The car's heater is used very actively, especially in cold weather. Very often, after a long mileage, when you turn on the heater, an annoying whistle is heard, which disappears after turning off the fan, so it becomes clear that the problem is not in the stove itself, but only in the fan.

You will learn what to do if the heater fan on your Lada Kalina whistles in our article. In most cases, when a whistle appears, the breakdown can be fixed, and in more than half of the cases this can be done independently.

The heater does not heat at idle, there is a murmur under the panel

In cold weather, owners of viburnum often begin to have problems with the operation of the stove at idle speed. For example, when you warm up the car, the engine temperature is already rising, and cold air is still blowing from the heater; when the gas is turned on, the heater begins to blow warm or hot air with the characteristic murmur of water under the instrument panel. These symptoms indicate that there is air in the engine cooling system.

Air enters the system mainly due to leaky connections of the pipes, as well as incorrect operation of the expansion tank plug.

Major breakdowns

Noise and whistling are already a breakdown; it is worth noting that the stove either works or it doesn’t. If there is no airflow from it at all, then most likely the motor is jammed or the brushes are worn out. And if there was noise and then at one point it disappeared and the heater stopped working altogether, this means that the motor has stopped and the bearing or bushings need to be checked.

By the way, the appearance of a noise or whistle is not always a signal that the engine is failing; it may also be that a large amount of dirt has accumulated in it and just needs to be cleaned.

Therefore, first of all, when noise appears, disassemble the heater and try to clean and lubricate it, in most cases this helps.

Sensor

If the stove on the Kalina does not heat, this may be the reason. The fact is that on Kalinas there is a sensor installed in the ceiling (near the lampshade) that senses the interior temperature. It may affect the operation of the heater. The electronics compares the received data on air heating with those set by the driver, and thus adjusts the position of the dampers.

Disassemble and clean the fan

The main thing is that before starting work, do not forget to disconnect the terminals from the car’s battery so that a short circuit does not occur.

There are two options for developing actions:

Just clean it: to understand what the problem is, you will need to spin the already removed engine; if it turns over with difficulty, sometimes even familiar noisy sounds appear, then in this case you will need to vacuum the engine and lubricate the bearings and other rotating parts. You can lubricate with any silicone grease or WD-40. Also be sure to clean all dirt from the shaft. In 65% of cases, these actions are enough to get rid of extraneous sounds from the stove and will last for a long time.
Repair or replace shaft bearings: To determine whether any work needs to be done on the shaft bearings, you first need to look at their condition. If they don't turn at all, then you will have to disassemble the motor. Bearings may fall apart or become jammed from prolonged operation. Of course, you can just buy a new motor and not have to worry about repairs, but a new part costs a lot and if you try really hard, you can still fix the old one yourself.

Dependence of the appearance of an air lock in the cooling system on the expansion tank cap

When the liquid in the cooling system is heated, it expands and pressure in the system increases. In order to prevent the system from rupturing, the cap of the expansion tank must release excess air when the pressure rises to 1.3 atmospheres. When cooling, the liquid and air compress and a vacuum appears in the system. To prevent air from being sucked in from under the pipes, the cover must freely allow air into the expansion tank.

Often these covers are of poor quality or simply oxidize and stop normally letting air in and out from outside, which causes air to be sucked in at weak points and, accordingly, the system is re-aired. It also happens that the cover valves freeze when the engine cools down.

To troubleshoot the lid, try sucking air out of it from the back side; if air does not flow in or it comes in with obvious force, then it’s time to change the cover. The presence of freezing is checked in the following way: leave the heated car until it cools completely, then unscrew the lid and look at the valves; if they are completely covered in ice, then the problem is condensation. In case of freezing, you can try treating the lid with silicone grease or VD-shkoy.

How to remove the fan on Lada Kalina

If the stove on Kalina is humming, it is already clear from what has been described above that it is simply necessary to repair or replace the fan motor. Therefore, we begin dismantling by removing the outer plastic grille and removing the cabin filter.

Then remove all debris from the seat so that it does not fall on your head while removing the fan.
To proceed further, you will have to remove the front passenger seat, otherwise you will need to take an acrobatic pose inside the Kalina's cabin.
The fan runners are held on by four nuts that need to be unscrewed. Then open the glove compartment and empty it of its contents, unscrew the four screws on its back wall and don’t forget about one more on the outside, under the airflow grille.
Remove the decorative trim from the front right pillar; under it there are two more screws that secure the plastic panel and the blower unit. You need to unscrew them, remove the blower unit and lift the plastic panel, which is held on by Velcro. Underneath you will find two nuts; you will need to loosen them using a socket wrench. Then move the torpedo as far as possible and lock it in this position.
Sit comfortably on the floor of the Lada Kalina and remove the heater fan, while disconnecting the electrical connector. You will need to replace its turbine with a new motor or repair the old one and put it back. Then install the unit in its place and reassemble everything in reverse order.

Cabin filter

In addition to the air filter, Kalina also has a cabin filter. It is responsible for cleaning the air entering the cabin. The element must be changed every 10 thousand kilometers (in extreme conditions - every 5). If the stove on the Kalina does not heat, this may be the reason. In this case, the intensity of the flow itself will drop significantly. Air will blow weakly from the nozzles. The way out of the situation is to install a new cabin filter. It costs about 300 rubles. To replace, you need to open the hood and partially remove the “jabot” under the windshield wipers. Next, open the lid and remove the contaminated element.

We install a new one in its place and close everything with a plastic cover. It is worth noting that both regular paper and carbon filters are available for sale. In addition to dust, the latter also trap bad odors. As reviews note, this filter is much more effective than the standard one. But it doesn’t get dirty any earlier than a normal one. Externally it can be distinguished by color. It is slightly darker (graphite tint predominates).

Procedure for resuscitation of the Lada Kalina stove fan motor

Before removing the clamp, mark the location of the impeller relative to the shaft and remove the impeller.
After you gain access to the two bolts, you need to unscrew them and open the motor.
Unhook the anchor lock at the top, remove the washers and pull out the anchor.
This will give you access to the bushings.
Clean and lubricate parts.
At anchor, wipe and sand the contact plates with the finest grain sandpaper.
You also need to clean the contact pads and wipe them down.
Do not lubricate the contact surfaces under any circumstances! Everything should be sterile clean and shiny.
Use graphite lubricant only to lubricate high friction surfaces. But under no circumstances use oil or grease for these purposes, as they will leak in the future.

Important! Do not drill holes or pour oil onto the shaft or spray WD while removing the cooling hose. This is not recommended, although you can find many recommendations on this matter on the Internet. Such actions are dangerous for the motor and can lead to its failure.

Reassemble the motor in reverse order. Now it will not buzz and will spin without squeaks or noises.
Reassemble all other parts in reverse order.

As you can see, the steps are not at all complicated, the main thing is not to get confused about what to screw on during assembly. If you have problems with heater fan noise, try to solve the problem yourself as much as possible. If repairing the problematic part is impossible, then replace it with a new one, and if you still doubt your abilities, seek the help of specialists.

With the onset of the cold season, the correct and uninterrupted operation of the stove in the car becomes especially important. After all, comfortable and safe movement depends on the correct functioning of this element of the car’s heating system. The stove maintains a certain temperature in the cabin. But, a cabin heater is also necessary to prevent the windows from fogging up. Unfortunately, for many drivers this device brings a lot of inconvenience.

Heating system modifications

Every owner of a Lada Kalina is faced with the need to modify the stove. The upgrade usually involves installing a new 6-hole thermostat, a coolant filter element, and a different heater valve. Many, given the mediocre performance of the pump, install an additional water pump. There are many ways of minor tuning that can be used to achieve improvements for greater comfort.

Increase in operating temperature

This method is suitable for Lada Kalina with an electronic gas pedal. Previously, the throttle valve, which was heated by a common cooling system, was controlled by a cable drive. After installing the electronics, the hose that went for heating was looped into the cooling system.

To upgrade, you will need a tee, an additional hose and clamps. The second air duct is mounted as close as possible to the thermostat - the tee is installed in the coolant supply pipe to the radiator. The other end of the air duct is connected to the outlet of excess steam near the expansion tank fitting. Thanks to such a simple modernization, it is possible to increase the operating temperature to 92-95 ° C when the stove warms up from 50 ° C and above.

Installation of a hydraulic fence for drainage

A regular medical dropper is inserted into the channel of the steam outlet tube, which is immersed in antifreeze to the bottom of the expansion tank. As the liquid cools, obeying the law of physics about communicating vessels, it will begin to be drawn into the steam outlet, preventing the possible formation of air plugs - airing. Thanks to this simple method, the stove will begin to heat much more efficiently, which means the interior will be warmer.

You can also change the clamps to more reliable ones - self-tightening ones, and ordinary rubber hoses - to silicone ones. To reduce heat losses, it is worth taping all the joints of the air ducts, but to do this you will have to dismantle the panel again. The most convenient way to do this is when troubleshooting a problem.

Regular removal and installation of the dashboard will lead to its loosening, squeaks, knocks and other extraneous sounds will appear coming from under the panel while driving.

Reasons why the stove fan stopped working

In order to understand why the stove fan stopped working, why the heater does not heat, you need to understand the structure of this system. In most cases, a car heater consists of: an automatic control system controller, a cabin air temperature sensor, and a micromotor gearbox. Often, heater repair does not require specific knowledge and skills. Most often, the cause of breakdown is dust, but if cleaning the mechanism does not help, then the cause of the breakdown can be quite unpleasant.

Common problems that cause the stove fan to not work:

The fuse has blown. Fuse F7 with a current of 30A is attached not only to the heater, but also to the glove compartment light and the headlight washer motor. The cause of a blown fuse may be a short circuit. Therefore, if the problem lies precisely in this, then it is necessary to go through the entire circuit and look for the source of the short circuit;
A common reason why the heater fan does not work is the radiator. Over time, scale forms in it;
An air lock can also negatively affect the operation of the heater. In order to get rid of this trouble, you need to warm up the engine, then loosen the clamp on the hose, and then remove it so that the air can escape;
If the stove only works when warm, then most likely the problem is in the ignition relay. In this case, the relay requires replacement. It is located under the instrument panel in the center console;
There are situations when the heating is turned on only if the stove switch is in position 3. The way out of this situation is to replace the additional resistor. The current to the fan in position 3 goes directly, and in positions 1 and 2 through a resistor;

Thermostat

This is another reason why the stove on Kalina does not heat well. The problem is that the flow of antifreeze is directed to the cabin heater only after the coolant has warmed up in a small circle. A thermostat is a kind of valve that controls the flow of fluid in the system. As soon as the temperature of the antifreeze in the small circle exceeds 72 degrees (or 82, depending on the brand), it opens and circulates in the large circle.

With dismantling. In this case, the element is removed from the car (the antifreeze is first drained into a clean container). Next, it is placed in a small saucepan filled with water and heated on the stove. At this time, monitor the movement of the valve. If the water begins to bubble and the thermostat has not yet opened, it means that it has become unusable. The element may simply jam. This doesn’t happen often, but it is because of this part that the car suffers from overheating and problems with the cabin heater.
On the spot. In this situation, you should warm up the engine to operating temperatures. Next you need to find the upper and lower radiator hoses. Wearing gloves, you should touch each of them in turn. If the pipe is cold on a warm engine, it means that the antifreeze circulates only in a small circle. The thermostat cannot be repaired and must be replaced entirely. Fortunately, its cost is low - about 200 rubles.

Fan replacement

If the stove fan stops working, or it makes strange sounds, then it is necessary to dismantle it, clean it or replace it. However, you should not rush to replace it; first you need to make sure that the brushes of the mechanism are intact, in which case replacement will not be required. Getting to this part is not so easy, but for cars with the Lada “tenth” family design, there is a time-tested reliable way to get to the fan:

Release the right side of the instrument panel by unscrewing the eight screws, then the panel must be lifted.
Afterwards it is necessary to remove the standard sound insulation of the engine shield.
Next, you will need to take a position in the cabin so that your shoulders rest on the mat; this is the easiest way to reach the fan.

Removing the fan is quite simple. All you need is the necessary tools and a little time. By unscrewing the three screws of the casing cover and removing the frame of the radiator pipe seal, you can remove the device. But before changing a part, you need to determine whether it works or not.

After all, it often happens that a dismantled fan spins and functions normally, but as soon as it is put back in place, it immediately ceases to fulfill its direct duties. The reason for this is most often accumulated small particles that prevent normal contact in the mechanism.

Radiator

Every car has this element. In addition to the main one, a cabin radiator is also required. It is a little smaller, but the efficiency of the stove depends on its condition. So, this element may simply become clogged.

And both outside and inside. Most often, its insides become contaminated. This happens due to ignoring the regulations for replacing the coolant. Let us remind you that antifreeze is changed every 2 years or 60 thousand kilometers, and antifreeze - every 5 years or 150 thousand. If the liquid is not changed in time, it will lose its properties. The additives will no longer work and corrosion will form in the system. The liquid itself will contain characteristic flakes. They clog the small channels of the cooling system and heat exchangers.

The element may also become dirty from the outside. So, honeycombs often suffer from fluff and dry leaves. The way out of the situation is to externally wash the element. Performed on a removed radiator.