sodly

Being new to Pcars, could someone relate how well the heater and air conditioners work in these cars relative to water-cooled vehicles-- esp. 993s? Is the heat weak? Do they take longer to blow hot air? Or do they ever blow "hot" air? Heated seats were optional, right? Thanks.

Fred R. C4S

A 993 will cook you in winter, and chill you in summer. You will have heat, and plenty of it, in an air cooled 993 long before you have it any water cooled car of any variety. Previous 911's were weak in the A/C department, but properly charged, a 993 will chill you pretty good.

Cheers,

Fred R.

sodly

Great! Would someone mind enlightening the uninitiated about how Porsche air-cooled heater systems work? I believe they've changed somewhat from the early years, correct? Is it just air blown over an oil-cooler, or something else? Does running the heater cause much variation in the engine operating temp.?

bet

You get heat via the heat exchangers which uses the hot exhaust.

tom_993

This is one thing that hasn’t changed much. Sure, the parts look a little different, but the principle is the same. Air is blown across the exhaust manifold and into the cabin. This causes a characteristic smell to the heated air. In my experience, it doesn’t seem to effect engine temperature much, if at all.

I’ve always wondered why they don’t blow air over an air cooler. They’d have to make a branch in the oil line from its usual position along the passenger side to a cooler in the dash some place. This would not be a substitute for the oil cooler in the fender. It would be like a heater core in a water cooled car, which is not a substitute for the radiator. I think the heater would operate more efficiently, it wouldn’t smell, and it could conceivably have more effect on engine temperature.

Just my thoughts…

Tom
’95 993

sodly

So you're saying that the heated air in a 993 (or any 911) smells of exhaust to some degree? That's hard to believe!

tom_993

No, not of exhaust! It smells of the outside of the exhaust manifold. It's hard to describe the smell. If you smell exhaust, that's a bad thing.

sodly

Seems that it's a long way for the heat to have to travel, all the way from the rear of the car. I'm somewhat surprised that there isn't a better, more efficient way. Of course, I guess this isn't an issue on 996s. In defense of the 993 design, though, at least I can now understand how the air could heat quicker than in a water-cooled car. Too bad about the smell. Is it bad? Does it get in your clothes, for instance? Being in the Midwest, these things concern me!

Speedraser

Using an oil cooler as a heat exchanger would result in a MUCH longer waiting time to get heat. 911s of all types have a large quantity of oil that takes a long time to warm up -- you wouldn't have heat until the oil is hot. The exhaust manifolds get hot almost instantly, so you get heat almost instantly -- very efficient. BTW, the smell is just a "hot" smell, if that makes any sense. It's not objectionable, it doesn't last long, and it's not the kind of thing that gets on your clothes.

PWC

Didn't anyone ever drive a Beetle?

Jack Ennuste

This smell is Porsche-smell.

Another observation. Porsche tends to steam windshield after car-wash, when heating is on. Hope that I'm not the only one who has this proble. It is quite short, only 5 mins or so.

Fred R. C4S

Smell?

I think either some of you are:

1. Imagining things.
2. Have had oil or something contaminate the exterior of you exhaust manifolds.
3. Or my olfactory sense is on the fritz.

The only thing you should possibly be able to smell is any odor emitted by the hot engine parts.

BTW

Although the principle is the same as an old Beetle, the heating system performance definitely is not. Have you ever heard anyone needing to put a gasoline powered heater in a 993? This was not at all uncommon on Volkswagens, particularly the minibus.

I had a Beetle, a 964, and now a 993. Each successive generation of 911's improved the HVAC system. The pre 964 cars were probably the last ones with heating "issues". Trust me, the 993 puts out hot air long before my 2002 540i will.

993 HVAC performance.......forgetta bout it!

DamonsCarrera

Yeah, it's a 'hot' smell. Not objectionable. That's the "Porsche" smell!

Every kind of car has it's smell.

I've always kinda liked Volkswagen smell.
Love that Ferrari smell.
Don't care for the Honda smell.
Mitsubishi smell gives me a headache!

-Damon
'94 325i
'95 993

STLPCA

sodly
I would describe the smell as similar to that from an electric space heater when it's first turned on. I think it's surface contaminants, like dust, getting burned off. Not objectionable, not long lasting, not going to get on clothes, but noticeable.

Terry Adams

To answer sodly's original question, the 993 heat/AC is a huge improvement over my previous '87 3.2 Carrera Cab. I bought a Beetle new in '67, and the statute of limitations has long passed on any smell in that car.