Fresh air - a lot of hot air.

[IBN]

For a while now I've been annoyed that I've been getting warm air coming in via the cabin vents when controls are set to cold. Over winter it has not been an issue, but with summer coming on it will be an issue.
Checked the heater valve - seems to be closing correctly.
Maybe getting warm air coming in through intake through gap b/w bonnet and fender - fitted a snow cowl. No change, but at least no bird droppings in fresh air path.
Then stumbled across DEFENDER2.NET - View topic - Puma cabin air intake system Please Check on defender2 blog. Sure enough, had a look and found a finger wide gap b/w the duct coming from the fender and the blower housing.
Has anyone had this issue and found a fix? Reading the defender2 thread it appears that LR don't consider this to be much of an issue, but apart from dragging warm air into the cabin, the air comes in from the engine compartment which probably would not be a good thing. BTW, the car is a 2013 110.
Cheers,
Ivars

[austastar]

Hi,
Same problem here, plus water building up with the duckbeak valve blocking with vegetation crud.

I loosened the intake duct and repositioned the foam gasket between it and the heater intake. It is not a good fit, and difficult to get hands in there. However, not having the gasket hanging down towards the road has markedly improved the warm engine bay air problem.

An air ram cowl on the fender top would possibly also improve the fresh air flow vs engine bay air, just using the fan only brings in more warm engine bay air.

While you have your hands in there, clean out the duckbeak drain at the bottom of the well. The rotting vegetation can get quite stinky.

It is only a problem in warm weather, and the air conditioner can cool things enough, but it should not have to.

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[Beery]

Virtually every late model Defender seems to have the same poor fitting intake duct.
My local dealer was oblivious to the problem until I pointed mine. They checked all the other new Defenders they had in the yard and said they were all the same.

So far I haven't come up with a good fix. However I've installed an activated carbon filter over the recycle intake and just leave the control set to recycle. Window down if I want fresh air.

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[DiscoMick]

I seem to remember seeing a Terrafirma item advertised in the catalogue on the British Off Road site which was supposed to fix this problem, but I don't have the link.
Would it be possible to use duct tape to block the gap?
I must have a look at mine.
Thanks for the Defender2 link - very useful.

[austastar]

Hi,
Not enough room for duct tape on mine, not to do it neatly at least.

Cheers

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[DiscoMick]

Ok just wondered. After reading The Martian I thought duct tape was magic and could do anything.

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[Jason]

I had this issue on both my 2010 and my current 2016 vehicle, this time I fixed it with some a good quality duct tape. Awkward but can be done with some patients. Cooler air now enters the fresh air vents so that fixed it for me.