Vintage Air Surefit IV Questions / Problem (1 Viewer)

[DangerNoodle]

I just got my vintage air installed into the build today. Everything seems to work mechanically, but for those of you that have one of these installed, I have a question about the defrost and heat function. From the basic testing that I have done to ensure functionality, I cannot seem to get the heat and defrost to come on at the same time. If I turn the temperature control knob to "heat" with it on defrost, it changes to blow out the front, and will not defrost on heat. It will only defrost once the temperature control knob is turned to the colder side, to turn the compressor on. Is this the way it supposed to work? If it is, this is a major problem for me. I live in Colorado and will be driving this in the winter. When the windshield ices up, I need to defrost with heat, not with cool air. This is great if you only have a foggy windshield to work with, but it will not work with ice.

So, does anyone with this system know if I plugged stuff in wrong, and it is not supposed to work like this, or is this how the vintage air is supposed to work?

Thanks,

-Noodle.

 

[Michael B]

By design defrost is an AC function in all modern climate control systems.

 

[White Stripe]

I would just talk to vintage air and ask them.

 

[DangerNoodle]

By design defrost is an AC function in all modern climate control systems.

Right, but it is an extremely stupid use case overlook. In my town in Colorado, humiditiy is basically 0 throughout the entire year. I do not need to dry my air before blowing it onto the windshield. I could live with it wanting to turn the compressor on for defrost, but this will not let it blow hot air out of the defrost vents. The temp control knob has to be below 1/2 or "cold" or the stupid thing automatically changes the vents to blow out the front. That is what I am concerned about. I cannot blow truly "hot" air out to the front windshield, as it shuts the coolant flow below 1/2 on the temp control knob to allow it to blow cold air for a/c. This is a massive saftey problem for me, because I will not be able to de-ice a windshield. And with the absolutley amazing wiper system on 40s I will not be able to keep up with anything.

 

[GreaseMonkey]

Oh wow, I want to know how this turns out, because that would be a deal breaker for me too. Defrost is hot air, that's how it works, sounds like Vintage Air didn't get the memo LOL. I've always hated that the modern defrost turns on the AC compressor, it's never seemed necessary to me. And yeah, what about icy windows? There's about 2 3 days a year down here in Texas that I need to de-ice the windows... I've always thought that if we could just come up with an evaporator that goes where the plastic tube is between the blower and the heater core, that that would be the ultimate 40 AC setup.

 

[Jetlander]

I finished putting mine Vintage in the day before yesterday. My defrost works great with both heat and cool. You might need to double or triple check the steps you took. The only thing I have to change is the electrical source in the fuse panel. My blower will work without the key in the ignition, which could lead to lots of dead battles.

 

[DangerNoodle]

I finished putting mine Vintage in the day before yesterday. My defrost works great with both heat and cool. You might need to double or triple check the steps you took. The only thing I have to change is the electrical source in the fuse panel. My blower will work without the key in the ignition, which could lead to lots of dead battles.

Good to know. I think I may have switched the temperature knob and vent knob wiring around.



I was really tired when installing that last night, looking at it this morning that what it seems to be the problem.

 

[DangerNoodle]

Yep. I'm just an idiot. Typical.

 

[GreaseMonkey]

All's well that ends well and good to know that it will defrost with heat!

 

[Jetlander]

Yep. I'm just an idiot. Typical.

Which fuse did you attach to? The instructions said to connect to the ignition fuse, but I don’t have one labeled that. I hooked it to the fuse labeled “Stop” ( second from the top). Obviously it’s a hot circuit all the time.

 

[DangerNoodle]

Which fuse did you attach to? The instructions said to connect to the ignition fuse, but I don’t have one labeled that. I hooked it to the fuse labeled “Stop” ( second from the top). Obviously it’s a hot circuit all the time.

I hooked up to my switched ignition busbar for all of the power. I hate the look of tapping into the fuse block, and it was about 6" away.

 

[Jdc1]

Remember there are 2 male tabs on the back of the fuse block on 1972MY and up 40s, one constant and one ignition 12+. I used the ignition 12+ to power a relay/aux blockfor the mods on my build.