First off-- The fresh air fan/vents (outboard edge of dash, & along the
roof in the cabin) are  separate and not in any way related-to/connected
to the heating system. In the winter, turn that fan off, close the vents
on the dash, and move the fresh air levers (the bottom 2) fully to the
RIGHT until spring.

Secondly, I haven't a clue where your heat is going. With the levers as
you describe them, about 90% of the heat *should* be blasting toward the
back seats from the outlet between abaft the front seats. With the heat
distribution lever (the TOP lever) in the middle of it arc, you should
have about 60/40 front to rear heat distribution.  With the lever fully
right, it should be 90% defrost and about 10% front floor.

Debunking my earlier assertion that the two systems (fres/heat) are not
connected: futzing with the fresh air distribution lever when the heat
distribution lever is in the middle or in the defrost setting *can* mix
fresh air with the heated air stream through the front floor and defrost
vents only. Don't ask me how.

Check to see that you didn't leave a rag, or a squirrel in the ducting,
and that all the cables move their indented mechanisms. If you can't get
it working right, sell the van...I like the Ford Aerostar myself...

G. Matthew Bulley
Divine Creator and Grand Emporer of the
VW Heat, Rust, Noise Web Page
http://www.bulley-hewlett.com/VWindex/
Owner of too many VW's to mention
Mount Olive, NC

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM] On Behalf
Of Myron Lind
Sent: Saturday, February 23, 2002 9:43 AM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: air cooled without heat

OK all you guys with awesome air cooled heat.

I have gale force heat coming up out of the heater pipe (I unhooked it
right
where it goes into the heater control area). But I have a barely
noticeable
dribble coming out of the vents. I had the dash out earlier and had
connected
all the cables up to their original location--or so thought. The top
lever is to
the left, the other three are to the right. I can see that the vent
doors to
allow heat to come out toward the floor are open. The fresh air fan
seems to be
just that--fresh, cold, air.

Any ideas where all this hard earned heat is going once it goes into the
"heater
distribution maze"?

Myron Lind
81 Westy
82 Diesel getting mechanical TDI