All the air that comes out of the heater, defrosters and dash vents is outside air, the Vanagons airbox has no recirculation capablility. There is no vent that will directly close off the outside air; it would be nice if there was, the air conditioning would work a lot better, especially in Campers.

Theoretically, if you position all the levers a certain way (top two fully left, bottom two fully right)and close the vents on the front of the dash, no outside air should enter the vehicle through the ventilation system, but the foam seals on the flaps tend to deteriorate and allow outside air into the van.

I've been trying to make a damper that will close off the flow of outside air that I could install inside the airbox and control from the dash, but haven't come up with anything that has worked so far. For now I block the defroster ducts and heater ducts with foam rubber plugs during most of the year. When I need heat, I pop the heater duct cover off and pull the plugs out of the heater ducts. For defrosting (defogging here in Florida) the windshield, I use the air conditioning for a couple of seconds.

Good luck,

Tim

Warren Chapman <vwsyncroguy@YAHOO.COM> wrote:
I live in CA where it rarely gets really cold but.........

I always get cool or cold air coming through my heater duct...even when I
have everthing in the "off" position. Normally not a problem but Not what
I usually want during winter. whenever I do want heat....it seems my heater
has to "overcome" the cool air to deliver any heat..

Seems that the heater box should have a "flap" that closes off the fresh
air vent.... ?? But I have two vans and both seem to get the cool air
flow....regardless of the position of the dash controls.

Are my fresh air controls defective? On both vans....or is this more "VW
engineering"....I don't understand.

Warren

TJ Hannink
Goldibox - 1987 Vanagon Camper, Wolfsburg Edition
1981 Bluebird Wanderlodge, FC-33
Winter Park, Florida
http://home.earthlink.net/~tjhannink/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wolfsburg_campers
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wanderlodge
FAVOR website:  http://home.earthlink.net/~clubvanagon

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