Inadequate Heating

[Ttibsen]

I just bought this 2015 Corolla LE with the Technology Package. Where I live it's already starting to get cold in the mornings so I need the heat on. On my wife's Honda, when you set the thermostat (and I am assuming that what I have here is a thermostat) for 22 you are toasty warm and the air coming out of the vents is hot. With this Toyota the air from the vents is barely above the ambient temperature which is pretty cool at 7AM. Cranking it up to the max level of 32 does do the trick but even then the air from the vents isn't nearly as hot as what we get from the Honda when it's set to the max warm setting. This isn't much of a problem now but I'm worried that in the winter when we get a lot of -30C days the car will be an icebox. I'm curious to know whether any of my other Corolla LE compatriots find the heating in their cars inadequate. By the way, why would the thermostat setting even go as high as 32C since this is a ridiculously hot setting that everyone would find intolerable?

Cheers, John

 

[jolly]

I find the Corolla slower than other cars I've owned to heat (hurray for heated seats). Plenty of hot air afterward. I think it has to do with heating come cvt components when the car is cold.
Also many users/reviewers report that they have to set the temp higher than what is desired.

 

[trdriky91]

Mmm it wouldn't explain for the people that have a manual transmission. But this car take a while to warm up but ones it does it gets nice and quickly.
Idk make a difference I have a S model Premium 6 spd

 

[Ttibsen]

What the heck does the transmission have to do with the heating system? And I repeat, why have the thermostat go to 32C ?

 

[Bcrewcaptain]

32*C is roughly 90*F, a normal setting on a lot of difference vehicle manufacturers.
I'm assuming you're coming from a vehicle that did not have an auto climate control.
This is the same thing you hear people complain about when they first get a heat pump installed in the house. "I'm not getting HOT air, I'm not getting COLD air, like I get with my furnace or window air conditioner"
This is normal, the system blows cool and warm air with the design being to maintain a set temperature, you will NOT see the blast of arctic air like you will with the standard/basic system. I have a base model, and trust me, the ac is frigid and the heat is hot. In my truck with the auto controls, its like many of you are describing, and I'm constantly fixing it from when my wife sets it to max thinking it's going to change something.

 

[jolly]

In my truck with the auto controls, its like many of you are describing, and I'm constantly fixing it from when my wife sets it to max thinking it's going to change something

True ! As in houses, setting the thermostat to a higher level changes nothing to the temperature of the air coming out of the appliance. It just makes it blow longer and at a higher speed to reach the set temperature.
I always leave mine at 22° on "Auto!" (which, by the way, doesn't seem to be "on" on the picture). For a couple of minutes, it kind of restrain itself until the car is hotter or the AC cooler than blow at full speed for a period depending on the outside temperature then slow.
The transmission itself has nothing to do with the heating system, but I read somewhere that the cooling (heating) circuit of the engine is also used to manage the temperature of the oil for the hydraulic pressure in the CVT. That would be some more load on the system. Of course that doesn't explain the case of manual transmission... Anyway, again, those cars have a reputation for slower heating. Remember you have heated seats !

 

[Ttibsen]

" I always leave mine at 22° on "Auto!" (which, by the way, doesn't seem to be "on" on the picture). "

I am shocked - the Auto system is On in the picture as far as I know - why would you say it's not? Thanks for those very good explanations Brewcaptain and Jolly - they were very helpful.

 

[jolly]

" I always leave mine at 22° on "Auto!" (which, by the way, doesn't seem to be "on" on the picture). "

the Auto system is On in the picture as far as I know - why would you say it's not?

Might be the picture : I don't see the green light above the "Auto button" while I see those, albeit faded, above "recirc" and AC. Also it might be a reflection but the "rear defroster" seems "on" to.

 

[mytoy]

Picture shows system NOT in Auto mode Plus the fan speed(which must be selected by rotating knob)
since not in Auto mode shows very slow fan speed selected. So regardless of the temp setting the warmup
will be slow since fan speed in low.selection. Press the Auto button and you'll be fine.

 

[Donabed Kopoian]

As what everyone else said, you aren't in Auto

When Auto is off, the temperature readout is more or less decoration than an actual setting (like the blue and red gradients on manual systems).

I keep mine set to 67 winter or summer unless my fiance is in the car, then I get nagged to bump it up to 72.