Hi there, love my Rogue, but I've got a couple of questions about the heater. It's a 2010 Rogue, fully loaded.

Here in Canada, it gets a bit cold in the winter.

First question is:
I recently had my heater blower motor go, and was replaced under warranty.
However, I've noticed (or at least think i've noticed) that the heat doesn't seem as warm as before.
That's not the volume of air coming through (that seems fine), but rather the temperature.
It eventually gets warm, but it seems warmer coming through the vents (dash vents) than the floor.
Is that possible, or is it just my imagination?
Is there any sort of setting I can change to make the floor heat warmer, or get warmer faster (ie, would something be blocking the hot air from the engine?)
Or something that can be done to better direct the heat on the floor (seems a poor design to me).
Can anyone recommend a good winter front for the Rogue?

Second question is:
What's the best way to maximize the heat. Is it to have the heat on, and the recirculation button on?
I would think so, as given my limited understanding, then it's continually warming the air that's inside the vehicle, as opposed to bringing in air from outside and warming it. As it's winter, and cold air outside, using the recirculation (which turns on the AC light), should give me the most heat, is that correct?
If so, how much does running my AC do to reduce my fuel mileage, etc?

Thanks very much for your help, I hope I was somewhat clear in my questions, but I'd be happy to clarify if needed.

Have a great day!

Don

nightslide wrote:Hi there, love my Rogue, but I've got a couple of questions about the heater. It's a 2010 Rogue, fully loaded.

Here in Canada, it gets a bit cold in the winter.

First question is:
I recently had my heater blower motor go, and was replaced under warranty.
However, I've noticed (or at least think i've noticed) that the heat doesn't seem as warm as before.
That's not the volume of air coming through (that seems fine), but rather the temperature.
It eventually gets warm, but it seems warmer coming through the vents (dash vents) than the floor.
Is that possible, or is it just my imagination?
Is there any sort of setting I can change to make the floor heat warmer, or get warmer faster (ie, would something be blocking the hot air from the engine?)
Or something that can be done to better direct the heat on the floor (seems a poor design to me).
Can anyone recommend a good winter front for the Rogue?

Second question is:
What's the best way to maximize the heat. Is it to have the heat on, and the recirculation button on?
I would think so, as given my limited understanding, then it's continually warming the air that's inside the vehicle, as opposed to bringing in air from outside and warming it. As it's winter, and cold air outside, using the recirculation (which turns on the AC light), should give me the most heat, is that correct?
If so, how much does running my AC do to reduce my fuel mileage, etc?

Thanks very much for your help, I hope I was somewhat clear in my questions, but I'd be happy to clarify if needed.

Have a great day!

Don

WELCOME DON!!

the only thing you can do to make your heater system, which works by injecting hot engine coolant - hotter; is by reducing the coolant to water mixture in your radiator to MORE water.

and there are no settings nor other mods you can do to make things hotter. you can recirculate the air, but thats about it

Hi there, I think you're giving me far too much credit here!

I'll certainly not be modding anything in that way.
What I was more trying to understand is a few things.

1. Is it possible for my 'new' heater to be less hot than my old one? Based on what you said, I suspect not, but I've had a couple of people with Nissans mention the same thing, so I'm curious.
From my very limited knowlege, could it also be that the thermostat went when the heater engine went?

2. As it is right now, what settings give me the most hot air to the floor, is it recirculate on (which turns the AC).
If so, is running the AC going to make a difference in my mileage?

3. As for the 'modding', the reason I wondered, is it seems like where the drivers' side vents are on the floor, that a lot of the air is blown into the opening where the center console (and driveshaft) are.
I'm wondering if it's supposed to be that way, and/or if there's something I can (or should) do to close that opening up, in order to direct more of the air to my feet.

4. Also, a winter front would help the vehicle heat up quicker, leading to warmer feet quicker. Is there a 'nice' one (ideally a non-strap on type) that I can get for the Rogue?

Thank you very much for your help, I apologize for any confusion I have, or will cause.

1. Is it possible for my 'new' heater to be less hot than my old one? Based on what you said, I suspect not, but I've had a couple of people with Nissans mention the same thing, so I'm curious.

the heater in your car works by carrying the hot engine coolant(antifreeze & water mix) to a heatercore, which the fan blows air through, and that now hot air goes into your cabin. heatercores come in all different sizes which results in different performance. plus the more antifreeze you have compared to water in your engine coolant mixture (cars use a 50/50 mix) the less heat will be carried into your heater core. antifreeze has a VERY high boiling point, so that means it doesnt take on heat well. water on the other hand has a low boiling point. so if you have more water than antifreeze comprising your ENGINE COOLANT mixture, the hotter the heater core will get.

From my very limited knowledge, could it also be that the thermostat went when the heater engine went?

whats a heater engine? you mean the blower fan? and which thermostat - the engine coolant or the turn knobs on your dash that control the temperature?

2. As it is right now, what settings give me the most hot air to the floor, is it recirculate on (which turns the AC).
If so, is running the AC going to make a difference in my mileage?
the bet setting you have have on is HOT, FACE/LEGS, RECIRCULATE. and yes running your A/C will put a small strain on your engine and require you to use more fuel. not a big deal though

3. As for the 'modding', the reason I wondered, is it seems like where the drivers' side vents are on the floor, that a lot of the air is blown into the opening where the center console (and driveshaft) are.
I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT, IM SORRY. your vent for the driver side foot-well is in the center console, and comes from that center console area. take a flashlight and take a look one day while the air is blowing.

I'm wondering if it's supposed to be that way, and/or if there's something I can (or should) do to close that opening up, in order to direct more of the air to my feet.

im lost mate.

4. Also, a winter front would help the vehicle heat up quicker, leading to warmer feet quicker. Is there a 'nice' one (ideally a non-strap on type) that I can get for the Rogue?

what is a winter front? bud, i am having a very hard time understanding you.

I apologize for any confusion I have, or will cause.

apologies accepted, but i am still very lost LOL

ImStricken, since I am Canadian as well, I will try to translate

nightslide wrote: I'll certainly not be modding anything in that way.

when you say "add water to your engine coolant", this is a typical reaction from a Canadian. The idea of adding water to engine coolant (although not considered as a "modification") scares us a lot!

nightslide wrote: 1. Is it possible for my 'new' heater to be less hot than my old one? Based on what you said, I suspect not, but I've had a couple of people with Nissans mention the same thing, so I'm curious.
From my very limited knowlege, could it also be that the thermostat went when the heater engine went?

Nightslide, my Rogue is not blowing hot air as well. But as long as I am not frozen in the car, I am happy. I have a theory on that one. When the cars first came from the manufacturing plant in Japan, they install engine block heaters before releasing them to the domestic Canadian market. While installing the block heater, they flush the coolant. My theory is, when they are putting the coolant back, they increased the ratio of antifreeze to water. They put more anti freeze, because we are living in Igloos.

nightslide wrote: 3. As for the 'modding', the reason I wondered, is it seems like where the drivers' side vents are on the floor, that a lot of the air is blown into the opening where the center console (and driveshaft) are.
I'm wondering if it's supposed to be that way, and/or if there's something I can (or should) do to close that opening up, in order to direct more of the air to my feet.

I think his concern is, directing the air to the feet. He thinks that most of the warm air is lost in the driveshaft/fuse area. You can purchase a shopvac nozzle and hot glue it to the diffuser, so that it points to your feet (just kidding)

nightslide wrote:4. Also, a winter front would help the vehicle heat up quicker, leading to warmer feet quicker. Is there a 'nice' one (ideally a non-strap on type) that I can get for the Rogue?

What he refers to as "winter front" is (I guess) a shield that drivers put in front of the radiator.



If that is what you are planning to install, a bad idea. If you have AWD, your transmission cooler can be badly effected from that.

sQash, you just nailed it man! another Canadian complaining of poor heater performance = not surprising. as squas said, very well:

When the cars first came from the manufacturing plant in Japan, they install engine block heaters before releasing them to the domestic Canadian market. While installing the block heater, they flush the coolant. My theory is, when they are putting the coolant back, they increased the ratio of antifreeze to water. They put more anti freeze, because of the extreme temps

nightslide wrote:Hi there, love my Rogue, but I've got a couple of questions about the heater. It's a 2010 Rogue, fully loaded.

Do you have the automatic climate controls and such? There is an adjustment that "compensates for differences in range of ±3°C between temperature setting (temperature control dial position) and temperature felt by customer.".

I do not have the automatic climate controls in my Rogue so I can't comment on how it works but I assume it's to adjust how 75 degrees "feels" to you. Not necessarily your problem however something you might want to play with if you because if you adjust how 90 degrees "feels" by an additional 3 degrees I assume it'd feel hotter. I'm not sure if you just increase it if it'll increase your max heat setting because, as I mentioned, I do not have the automatic controls. I just have the old fashioned dial.

which do you have?
1:



2:

So, as mentioned by Qashqai, indeed, putting more water in anything is scary. It gets cold here.
You're both saying that changing the ratio towards more water

Heater Engine, you're right, apologies, I meant the blower fan.
Thermostat was referring to the actual engine thermostat, not the heater controls inside the car.
The reason I ask is that with my Jeep, when I had the thermostat replaced (ages ago) they put in an 85° one, rather than a 95° one (going from memory, could be wrong there), and the 'heat' was noticably colder. We replaced it with the proper thermostat (both were good, just one let it get a bit warmer)

As for the settings, thank you, that's what I was really after.
The reason I was really wondering is that the air coming from the dash vents seems hot, but the air on the floor seems lukewarm to cool.
Typically, I have the heater setting to full heat, all the way to the floor.


As to the console, I have looked there, and that was my concern. There's the two small vents, and quite a large hole in the centre console, where it seems to me that it should be covered up, so all the hot air is directed at your feet. I've not been in any other Rogues, but I notice the foam around that opening is actually quite loose, which tells me (I think) that it's getting enough hot air to loosen the glue on the foam. I was wondering if I should even just fit in a piece of plastic to cover up the hole a bit. I'd be happy to take a picture if it would help.
Quite possibly it's just me grasping at straws, and yes, I am cold quite often, especially my feet, so it could just be me.

As for a winter front, Qashqai is right, I didn't really give it much thought about the 'Canadian-ness' of that term.
And thanks for the input Qashqai, as I came from a 4x4 Jeep and always used a winter front with no issues.
Granted, I didn't use the 4x4 all the time, but as I understand it, the AWD of the Rogue only activates on start, and when needed.
You think that would still be enough to affect the transmission cooler?

And no, it's just the standard 'dials', not automatic climate controls in my Rogue.

ImStricken, thank you for the help, and apologies for the confusion (former and continuing, I'm sure), Qashqai, thank you for the Canuck to Yankee translation, and thanks to all of you for the help.

Have a great day, stay warm!

ImStricken wrote:which do you have?
2:

The latter, would love to have the others, but wasn't available when I got mine, didn't realize it was even an option
(Perhaps a US only option?)

nightslide wrote:So, as mentioned by Qashqai, indeed, putting more water in anything is scary. It gets cold here.
You're both saying that changing the ratio towards more water

whats the lowest temps you will see during your average winter (in your area)?

I came from a 4x4 Jeep and always used a winter front with no issues.

im sure it was a RWD, until you engaged the 4x4. very few cars are 4x4 all the time. (ford expedition is one of them)

Granted, I didn't use the 4x4 all the time, but as I understand it, the AWD of the Rogue only activates on start, and when needed.
You think that would still be enough to affect the transmission cooler?

if i was to use the "winter guard" thingy, i would find out if you have a tranny cooler (see this thread to find if you have a tranny cooler: post6377013.html?hilit=tranny%20cooler#p6377013 ) and or simply leave the lower portion of the radiator open to allow for the tranny fluid to cool(this portion of EVERY radiator is always for tranny fluid).

ImStricken, thank you for the help, and apologies for the confusion (former and continuing, I'm sure), Qashqai, thank you for the Canuck to Yankee translation, and thanks to all of you for the help. Have a great day, stay warm!

our pleasure! thats what we are all here for: to share, learn, help, and be helped!

No problem Nightslide.

This is why I love this forum. don't forget to regularly check the topics. I am sure you will learn a lot of Rogue specific issues, solutions.

Hey nightslide, have you noticed a difference in the air flow after the repair work? When was the last time you changed your cabin filter?

Rogue One wrote:Hey nightslide, have you noticed a difference in the air flow after the repair work? When was the last time you changed your cabin filter?

Checked with Nissan, the cabin filter is due to be changed next time I'm in, but the air flow seems to be the same.
The other thing I was trying to figure out is (I think I mentioned above) is that the air from the dash vents is hot, but not very warm coming from the floor (noticeable difference between the two).
Shouldn`t they be the same temperatureÉ

I also hadn`t heard back anything about this part yet...
As to the console, I have looked there, and that was my concern. There's the two small vents, and quite a large hole in the centre console, where it seems to me that it should be covered up, so all the hot air is directed at your feet. I've not been in any other Rogues, but I notice the foam around that opening is actually quite loose, which tells me (I think) that it's getting enough hot air to loosen the glue on the foam. I was wondering if I should even just fit in a piece of plastic to cover up the hole a bit. I'd be happy to take a picture if it would help.
Quite possibly it's just me grasping at straws, and yes, I am cold quite often, especially my feet, so it could just be me.

Thanks again to everyone for the help!

If you live in a cold region of the USA or Canada, make sure you check to see if the heater in the 2014 Rogue blows hot enough air to meet your needs.

I live in northern NH. and the temperature of the air being blown out of the heater is borderline adequate overall and sub pare with the foot blowers.

Just a heads up for anyone who is still shopping!! As I am not so sure I would have still purchased my 2014 Rogue had I been aware of the fact that the heater blows just warm air and not hot.

2 things:

It has been extremely cold this year, much colder than the usual in Pennsylvania. I am taking MPG ratings and the heater, with a grain of salt until temps raise up a bit.

If you are not satisfied, you should have Nissan check it out. Something could be faulty. Personally, I've noticed that it does take a little while to warm up, but you need to remember that it will take anything a long time going from 0 to 90 degrees.

I doesn't matter if the outside is arctic cold or whatever. The car has a close-to-boiling engine coolant and it should give hot air.

I don't know how the heating system in 2014 models, but in 2011 models (probably all 1st generation Rogues), the heater is not heating the occupants in the car. I have been in three different Rogues so far and all were same. Even if you use "circulation" mode, it barely warms up the inside.

Last week I drove a U-haul truck and my wife said "ohhh so warm...since 2011, I have never been in such a warm vehicle".

As I always say, this car is designed by Japanese people, for Japanese climate. Not for Canadian winters and potholes....

this is an on-going issue: post6456505.html

as i have stated before: "the only thing you can do to make your heater system hotter, is by reducing the coolant to water mixture in your radiator to MORE water than coolant. There are no settings nor other mods you can do to make things hotter. you can recirculate the air, but thats about it".

i bet they send you Canadians a 60/40 if not worse mixture to prevent any potential freezing damage.

Back when I lived in Alberta/Saskatchewan most cars had a mix that could go down to at least -40c. What mix ratio would that be?

I have a 2005 Altima 2.5s I bought up there...on days that didn't get above -25c (which would routinely be the case from Dec to Feb) the car had issues staying warm and properly defrosted. Cardboard over the grill openings, using the block heater all night long and covering the heater hoses with pipe insulation did nothing to improve the situation. Other folks with modern 4cyl cars didn't have issues and my old 71 Duster kept things toasty even at -40c.

Nissan seems to have some kind of issue with it's heater cores I guess. Now that I live in St. Louis this is not a concern for me thankfully.

With the unusually cold temps this winter in the Pa. mountains, both of our cars aren't quite roasting us out, one being our 2013 Rogue. "After" it gets up to temp, I noticed if you switch from outside air to recirculating cabin air, it keeps up a lot better. If you switch over to soon though, your windows will fog up.

All I can say it's acceptable to me. It is definitely hotter air and faster warm-up comparing to my previous '08 Rogue.

ricbrk wrote:With the unusually cold temps this winter in the Pa. mountains, both of our cars aren't quite roasting us out, one being our 2013 Rogue. "After" it gets up to temp, I noticed if you switch from outside air to recirculating cabin air, it keeps up a lot better. If you switch over to soon though, your windows will fog up.

I agree with you. I live in PA, and it is freezing! It takes a bit to warm up, but once the thermostat showing heated up, the heat really cranks pretty good.

Interesting. That would be a super-bummer to my wife and I. As you may know by now, we went with the Rav4 and one thing we noticed (after purchase) was how quickly the seat heaters heat up and how quickly the car starts blowing hot air. This is VERY important to us as my wife only drives a couple of miles to work and if it took a long time for the vehicle to heat up (and seats), it wouldn't be worth it. As in, find a beater that doesn't even have heat.

Leonard1818 wrote:Interesting. That would be a super-bummer to my wife and I. As you may know by now, we went with the Rav4 and one thing we noticed (after purchase) was how quickly the seat heaters heat up and how quickly the car starts blowing hot air. This is VERY important to us as my wife only drives a couple of miles to work and if it took a long time for the vehicle to heat up (and seats), it wouldn't be worth it. As in, find a beater that doesn't even have heat.

You can sleep well tonight,while I will toss and turn:)

My 2013 Rogue heats up really well. I thought the A/C was adequate and then some when I first got it in the summer. Overall, I'm more impressed with the heat than the A/C. There were several hot days in August when it was brand new, and it really didn't do much unless it was all the way on high, but when I cranked it up, it was quite cool. Last night when I had the heat cranked all the way up, it made the plastic vents hot to the touch and they remained hot for a few minutes even after I shut the blower off.

For my 2008, I actually think that the heater is too hot for me if I keep on on max heat for too long. I actually found myself having to turn it down because its getting way too hot inside the car (during the closed to 0 degree F last week)

DAC603 wrote:

Leonard1818 wrote:Interesting. That would be a super-bummer to my wife and I. As you may know by now, we went with the Rav4 and one thing we noticed (after purchase) was how quickly the seat heaters heat up and how quickly the car starts blowing hot air. This is VERY important to us as my wife only drives a couple of miles to work and if it took a long time for the vehicle to heat up (and seats), it wouldn't be worth it. As in, find a beater that doesn't even have heat.

You can sleep well tonight,while I will toss and turn:)

Or you could take it into Nissan and explain the problem to them. Ask that they show you a couple more new ones that have the same issue if they deem it to be "normal".

DRAIN OUT HALF A GALLON OF FLUID FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE RADIATOR, AND REPLACE IT WITH DISTILLED WATER = problem solved.
water is an amazing conductor and soaks up heat quickly and more efficiently than engine coolant.

That's a great way to rust out the radiator and have the fluid freeze up at the same time. I would follow Nissan's instructions to use only extended life coolant with protection to -34 degrees F and suffer the lack of heat inside the cabin. Adding more water to reduce the freeze protection to only -25 degrees will help the heater become hotter, but I wouldn't go any further than that, since the CVT requires proper cooling from the radiator in order to not go limp. Even with low ambient temperatures, driving the engine hard without proper cooling of the CVT could cause it to overheat. A driver who is extremely light-footed could get away with having more water than coolant in the radiator.

Try replacing the cooling system thermostat with a higher temp one. I believe the OE is 180ºF. You can get one that's 205ºF (dunno if that's too much). This should raise the engine's operating temperature so the heater would put out more warm air on a cold winter morning.