Problems in the interior heating system of a VAZ-21099 car and how to fix them

The heater of any vehicle must function properly with the onset of the cold season. In addition to the extreme cold in the cabin due to a faulty heater, there is another significant problem: fogging and icing of the windshield, when it is impossible to see the road. Perspiration quickly accumulates on cold glass and freezes instantly. If in the summer all these problems are not significant, and none of the drivers pay attention to the VAZ-21099 heater, then in the winter they simply block the vehicle.

Operating principle of the furnace system

As soon as the temperature outside the window drops below zero degrees, coolant in the car begins to flow directly through the furnace tap. After the engine warms up to the optimal temperature (about ninety degrees), antifreeze will begin to flow into the radiator.

Inside the car there is a special lever on the panel that is responsible for turning on the ventilation system. In the VAZ 21099 it is equipped with three power modes. You can also select the direction of the air flow. The air is directed using shock absorbers located at different points in the car.

Stove design

Stove structure: 1 – elastic bushing; 2 – spring nut; 3 – left fan casing; 4 – electric motor; 5 – impeller; 6 – right fan casing; 7 – windshield heating flap; 8 – damper for the foot airflow channel; 9 – heater control damper; 10 – right heater casing; 11 – bracket for fastening the heater casings; 12 – gasket; 13 – radiator; 14 – clamp; 15 – supply hose; 16 – outlet hose; 17 – tap; 18 – left heater casing; 19 – sealing cover; 20 – resistor; 21 – support for the heater control damper axis.

Structurally, the VAZ 2109 stove consists of several parts:

1. The outer casing is made of several complex configurations of plastic parts that fit tightly together and have seals.
2. Air ducts are large-diameter corrugated tubes through which air is delivered to the nozzles in the cabin (at the windshield, on the driver and passenger sides). The amount of flow is regulated by valves.
3. Control valves - they are located both inside the dashboard and on it. The former are adjusted through traction cables, and the latter directly manually.
4. The radiator is made of aluminum and plastic. Tubes and plates are metal. Plastic - storage tank.
5. Fan - runs on electricity and is powered from the on-board network (12 V)
6. Rubber tubes - connect the expansion tank, radiator, pump. Coolant is supplied and discharged through them.
7. The pump is also electric, pumps antifreeze and provides more intense heat exchange.
8. Thermal sensor - installed inside the radiator and controls the operation of the pump and fan.
9. The tap is controlled by a special lever and allows you to completely shut off the coolant flow in the system.
10. Control levers and rod system - displayed on the dashboard and transmit influence to internal dampers and switches
11. The vernier for turning on and adjusting the fan speed is also located on the front panel next to the levers.
12. Electrical unit - power wiring and loading resistors.

Part of the system that provides interior heating includes an expansion tank with antifreeze. It is into this that the antifreeze that has released heat from the radiator enters.

Important! A VAZ 2109 may have a high or low panel, when the stove does not heat well, its repair is identical in both cases.

Features of the heater on the VAZ-2109

The stove on a VAZ is an ordinary heat exchanger. The heating system is connected to the engine cooling system through a heater valve. When the stove starts, this unit opens and antifreeze enters the radiator of the heating system.

Coolant temperature under normal conditions ranges from 70 to 90 degrees.

As the antifreeze circulates through the radiator pipes, it cools, which leads to the release of heat.

An important component of the heating system on the “nine” is the fan, which operates in one of three modes. This element directs the heated air mass into the nozzles, and the driver regulates the flow distribution using deflectors. In exactly the same way, air enters the car windows.

How to avoid engine overheating

So, we figured out why the engine gets hot, looked at the reasons, and touched on the consequences. And we came to the conclusion that at the first signs of engine overheating, you need to contact a car service center. But how to find a good car service, especially if you are in another area? For example, let’s go to the sea in July and travel in your own car.

Now a service such as Uremont.com has been opened at your service. This is a special aggregator of car services, whose offers include thousands of service stations throughout the country. No matter where you are in our country, all you need is a smartphone with Internet access. You need to go to Uremont.com and leave a request indicating your problem. In our case, engine repair and diagnostics. And the service will automatically detect your location and immediately show you where the nearest auto repair shops are located that provide this type of service. Using Uremont.com is absolutely free.

Main stove malfunctions

As we have already mentioned, the stove is connected to the internal combustion engine cooling system. Accordingly, heating problems may arise for the following reasons:

1. Insufficient amount of coolant in the system.
2. Clogging of radiator tubes.
3. There are air pockets in the system. To eliminate them, you will need to unscrew the cap of the radiator or expansion tank and let the engine idle for a while.

There are a number of cooling system malfunctions that can also affect the performance of the VAZ-2109 heating system. We look at the most common ones.

The weak point of the heating system is the valve through which antifreeze enters the heater radiator. This unit may leak. In this case, it must be replaced with a new one.

Poor quality coolant causes damage to rubber pipes due to its aggressive chemical composition.

Check the condition of the pump, which is responsible for pumping antifreeze and circulating it in the cooling system.

Poor operation of the stove can be caused by incorrect operation of the electric motor that drives the heating system fan.

If you notice extraneous sounds in the operation of this motor, this is a signal for a number of problems:

1. Possible overheating due to fuse failure.
2. When operating at low speeds, warm air does not flow - the electric motor has failed or there has been a break in the electrical circuit of the heating system.

Replacement instructions

In most cases, the reason lies precisely in the radiator device, so below we will talk about how to replace the VAZ 2109 heater radiator.

How to change the unit on cars with a high or low panel, read on:

1. The device itself is located at the passenger’s feet, under the glove compartment. The replacement procedure will be identical for cars with a high and low panel, only in the first case you will have to remove the passenger seat. After removing the chair, you can see the screws on the right that secure the panel; they need to be unscrewed. The panel itself needs to be slightly pulled towards itself; insert some kind of spacer, for example, a wooden beam, into the gap that appears.
2. Fully tighten the tap, and place a rag under possible coolant leaks.
3. Then open the engine compartment and unscrew the cap on the radiator unit. The last unit is located between the glove box, as well as the lower shelf below it. The steps you need to follow next must be completed as quickly as possible, otherwise the coolant may spill. The lines that come from the radiator device must be closed; this will require plugs. Reach your hand through the detached center console, disconnect the lower line and plug the hole with a plug as quickly as possible.
4. Repeat similar steps with the upper hose.
5. The radiator is removed after all consumables have been drained. A new device is being installed.

Some car owners believe that if the backlight on the center console in the heater area disappears, this is due to the operation of the stove. Remember that the backlight of the stove has nothing to do with the operation of the unit as a whole, so if the backlight has disappeared, you need to find an open circuit and repair it.

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It is no secret that its service life and reliability of operation largely depend on how an item is handled. This is perfect for a car heater. The more correctly you operate it, the better and longer the stove will be able to work.

There are a few simple rules that, if followed, will extend the life of this unit.

1. During cold weather, control the stove in two modes. First, start the car, set the control to “All on glass”, and while driving, switch to directing the heat to your feet.
2. Do not block the air supply nozzles.
3. Carpeted interior floors will require you to aim the nozzles higher.
4. Try to always keep the glass clean.
5. Use air conditioning in damp weather.

Possible breakdowns of the heating system

The main reasons why the VAZ 2109 stove does not heat well are interruptions or breakdowns of three components of the heating system:

1. Damage to the air duct assembly. The air ducts consist of plastic casings and large-diameter corrugated tubes. The flow of air through them is regulated by dampers. Seals protect against leakage of warm air or penetration of cold air. Problems in the operation of this unit most often arise when it becomes clogged with foreign particles of debris and dust. In this case, after inspection, the air ducts simply need to be cleaned of dirt. Another vulnerable part is the duct seals and dampers. The former can dry out and wear out - this leads to loss of tightness and leaks of warm air. The dampers often do not close completely. As a result, cold air penetrates the system and heating also does not occur.
2. Fan assembly failure. The rotary-type blower fan on the VAZ 2109 is powered by electricity from the on-board electrical network through a ballast resistor. The switching itself and the rotation speed are regulated by the vernier on the control panel - it is located on the left side of the valve levers. Most often, the fan itself or the resistor burns out. If this is detected, they need to be replaced.
   

   Advice! In a home garage, failure of these electrical parts can be detected by testing them with a multimeter.

3. Radiator unit failure. This unit includes, first of all, the radiator itself, a temperature sensor (located between its plates), pipelines, and a motor pump (pumps antifreeze into the radiator and discharges it into the expansion tank).

• Failures related to this unit, and leading to the fact that the stove does not heat well on the VAZ 2109, come down to two groups:

1. clogging of the internal volumes of pipelines with antifreeze deposits and other pollutants
2. mechanical wear of rubber tubes, the radiator itself and the pump motor.

• Their determination is possible after disassembling the system and inspecting its individual parts:

1. Are there any problems with fluid flow?
2. are there any cracks or chips?
3. Is the pump pumping liquid?

Why did the stove stop working on the VAZ 2109, 21099, 2114?

In harsh Russian winters, the stove saves the driver. But often in the most severe frosts it fails. What happened? Why doesn’t the stove work on the VAZ 2109, 21099, 2114? What to do? The age-old question.

Most likely, the stove failed due to a breakdown in the thermostat, which is why the antifreeze is not circulated along the usual route, large and small circles, but only in a large circle. To get the stove working properly, you will have to replace the thermostat, because repairing this part is very problematic and expensive.

The second, most common cause of failure is an air lock. This happens because, after active driving, while the engine is cooling, air accumulates in the radiator, which, under the influence of heat and steam, turns into a thermostat. And, if you start the engine a few hours after such transformations, this accumulated air is pumped into the radiator and, as a consequence of all this, an air lock occurs. You can solve the problem in the following way: you need to remove the pipe and slowly add antifreeze to the stove to the maximum level.

Another cause of stove failure may be the faucet. It is easy to determine the malfunction: if the faucet cannot be unscrewed to the limit, then the whole essence of the problem lies precisely in it. The problem is solved this way: we lift the crane cable, tightening it with pliers. If even pliers and your efforts are not able to move the faucet from its place, it means that oxidation has occurred in it. Then there is no point in repairing the part and you will have to replace it with a new one.

If the radiator is clogged, this can also lead to a breakdown. To diagnose, you just need to pull out the radiator and clean it thoroughly, using a vacuum cleaner. If after such a general cleaning the stove still does not work, then we are looking for the reason further.

Air lock formation

The stove on the VAZ 21099 may not heat up due to the formation of an air lock. This happens when the engine cools down after a long trip. Air accumulates in the radiator system, which subsequently goes to the thermostat. After restarting the engine after a few hours, this accumulated air enters the radiator and forms an air lock.

To get rid of excess air, you first need to unfasten the heating pipe from the carburetor, since airiness forms in it. Next, we free the system from the air lock: remove the cap from the expansion tank and blow it out. Air flow should come out from the previously detached hose, and then coolant should flow. When liquid starts flowing, attach the hose in place.

Checking the functionality of the heater elements

The first step is to test the fan. To do this, you need to turn on the ignition, and then start the fan by setting its switch to the first speed position. If it is working properly, the sound of its operation should be clearly heard. If the cabin is quiet, open the hood and listen to the sounds of the fan in the engine compartment. If the heater fan is “silent,” it means that you will have to remove it from the car and have it checked by an auto electrician, or, if you have the appropriate knowledge, check it yourself.

If during the inspection no faults were found with the fan, it is installed in place, and air still does not blow from the stove, the cause of the problem should be looked for in the wiring. It is necessary to determine why there is no voltage supplied to the terminals of the fan motor and to fix the problem. When the VAZ-21099 stove does not heat, even if the fan is working, the reason for this should be looked for in other elements of the heater.

The next step in troubleshooting is to check how well the heater air ducts are working. It is necessary to open them all, and, one by one, raise your hand to check the air flow on the windows, into the feet of the driver and passenger, and into the car interior. The air flow should be felt well. If all the heater air ducts are open and there is no airflow from them, you will need to disassemble the stove itself and look for the causes of the problems there.

What can break?

The problem that the VAZ 2109 stove does not heat well is by no means new and occurs in every third driver. We need to find out what exactly happened inside the VAZ 2109 stove:

1. The fuse has blown. Eliminated by replacing the failed part.
2. Damage to wires. At the initial stage, it is necessary to check how efficient the heating system is and, if necessary, eliminate the break or clean the charred contacts with a special tool.
3. The fan of the VAZ stove does not work. Eliminated by replacing the failed component. Of course, a low panel will somewhat complicate the process of removing this element for an inexperienced driver, while a high panel, on the contrary, will open up an additional field for activity.
4. Open circuit resistor. It is necessary to check the serviceability of the components, and then find out where exactly the break occurred. This issue is best dealt with by a professional electrician, while a non-specialist can look for a problem for a very long time. Even a stove diagram that literally breaks the system down into components won’t help.
5. The heating switch has failed. The most common cause is burnt contacts or direct sticking of the pusher. In some cases, it can be eliminated only after the switch is replaced.

Another classic and no less common reason that the heater in a car does not heat is a malfunction of the radiator. The easiest way is to clean it, which gives a positive result in the vast majority of cases. Of course, in order to get to the radiator, it will be necessary to remove the dashboard and the heater housing, but all these manipulations will take no more than an hour.

After the radiator is removed and cleaned, you can put it back in place and check how the heating system now functions, whether the problems that caused the work have been resolved.

If the stove still blows cold air, the radiator will definitely have to be replaced.

Repair and scheduled maintenance of the stove for VAZ 2109

Speaking about repairing the stove on a VAZ 2109, it should be noted first of all that most of the problems with this unit can be avoided by carrying out scheduled maintenance. It is its absence that causes sudden breakdowns at the most inconvenient moment (cold season).

The most important points are as follows:

1. Regularly inspect air ducts and dampers - remove accumulated debris, clean the cabin filter, check the functionality of the dampers.
2. If the seals on the dampers are worn out, they need to be replaced as soon as possible.
3. When the dampers do not close tightly, you need to tighten the control traction cables.
4. Antifreeze needs to be replaced regularly. The specific period depends on the brand and here you need to follow the manufacturers’ instructions.
5. The tubes and the radiator itself need to be cleaned only with special branded liquids. Any amateur activity, for example using a sewer cleaner, will lead to failure of both the rubber tubes and the metal radiator (it will simply dissolve).
6. The easiest way to remove a leaking faucet or not allowing antifreeze to pass through at all is to remove it from the system or replace it with a more wear-resistant tap. But in this case, it will become impossible to control it from the cabin through the rod and lever.
7. The antifreeze level in the expansion tank must always be maintained at the proper level and when it drops, add what is missing.
   

   Important! You only need to add additional antifreeze of the same brand that is used in the system. If you pour in another antifreeze, the system may become clogged with the resulting sediment.

Diagnosis of the reasons why the stove heats poorly on a VAZ 2109 should be carried out at medium engine speeds. The air temperature from the stove nozzles should reach 80-90 degrees Celsius in 5-10 minutes. Warming up the interior to +5 degrees from -10 degrees occurs in 10 minutes of operation of the stove.

Advice! If the stove does not heat well on a VAZ 2109 and it breaks down on the road, and there is no way to repair it, then the windshield will inevitably fog up. This can only be avoided by opening the side windows - this way, cold air from outside will prevent condensation from occurring.

Signs of trouble

A leaking faucet on a VAZ-2109 indicates that it is time to replace it. This type of breakdown is indicated by the persistent smell of antifreeze in the car interior or a puddle of liquid on the floor. If one of the signs makes itself felt, then the first thing you need to do is check the stove. It is worth noting that this is a very important move, since in the initial stages of a breakdown the part can still be reanimated, but in a neglected state, you will have to replace the valve of the VAZ-2109 stove, which most likely will only be possible to do in a car service center.

The inspection is carried out under the hood of the car from the internal combustion engine side. Liquid leakage occurs in different places of the cooling system, so you need to check it completely. For a detailed inspection, it is better to use a flashlight. Fluid may leak from the radiator or from the pipes, as well as from the places where the hoses are connected.

Replacing the VAZ-2109 heater valve is most likely inevitable and this needs to be done as soon as possible. In winter, there is no point in delaying repairs at all.

Basic malfunctions and methods for their elimination

There can be many reasons for the malfunction, here are the most common ones.

Warm air does not flow well into the cabin or does not flow at all

Malfunction of the fan or switch handle - one of the common reasons is a breakdown of the electric motor of the fan, wiring, or switch handle.

Test methods - to check this fault it is necessary; turn on the vehicle ignition, turn the control lever to the first position, listen.

The sound of the fan should be audible in the cabin, if not, then you need to open the hood and listen there. If the sound of the fan is not heard, the reason is in it or the switch.

Troubleshooting - remove the fan motor, check it, if it is fixed, check the serviceability of the wiring and the switch handle and fix the problem.

Malfunction of the air ducts - if the fan is working, but the air does not enter the cabin.

Switches under the steering wheel

The left switch on the nine is used to turn on the turn signals, as well as to turn on or blink the high beams. In order to turn on the left turn signal, the lever must be moved to the lower position, and in order for the right one to turn on, the lever must be placed in the upper position. The high beam headlights turn on, so you need to press the left switch as if from yourself. And to blink the main beam you need to pull the lever towards yourself.

The right switch under the steering wheel is used to control the wipers and washer. By moving the lever up, you turn on the intermittent wiper mode. In this case, the lever is not fixed and, when you release it, returns to its original position. If you need to fix the lever in the position of intermittent wiper operation, move it further up. This mode is convenient to use in light rain.

By moving the lever up to the fixed position, you turn on the low speed windshield wiper. By moving the lever even higher to the next fixed position, you turn on the high speed wiper. If you need to turn on the windshield washer, pull the lever towards you. In this position the lever is not fixed. The windshield wiper will turn on at the same time as the washer. If your car is equipped with headlight wipers, then when the headlights are turned on in this position of the lever, the headlight cleaners also turn on.

If you want to turn on the rear window wiper, push the lever away from you. This position of the lever is fixed. If you need to turn on the rear window washer, move the lever further away from you to the non-fixed position. In this position of the lever, the rear wiper continues to operate.

Prevention and care of the VAZ-2109 stove

To avoid problems with the stove in cold weather, it is recommended to periodically maintain the system. Use the following recommendations:

1. Clean the radiator from internal contaminants that may accumulate during long-term use.
2. Use only high quality coolant. You should not save on such consumables. Low quality products can clog the system or damage the rubber pipes. Accordingly, it is better to use a good antifreeze than to subsequently incur additional expenses on repairing the cooling or heating system.
3. Check the thermostat's operation regularly. This device is designed to maintain a certain temperature in the system. If the unit jams, the liquid will not flow into the stove radiator, and the motor will begin to overheat.
4. Pay attention to the condition of the fan bearing. From time to time it is recommended to lubricate this element.