is this normal: my 86 Camaro has the standard heater. if i turn the fan on, it always kicks hot air out to the floor and thru the console regardless of where the levers are. i can only get cool air out of the dash vents regardless of where the temp lever is, and only warm or hot air out of the defrost regardless of where the temp lever is..

is this normal for these? sure seems stupid to me if so... i did have the whole heater out of the car when i put a heater core in it a few days after getting the car in 2010 and everything seemed to be in the right place and all seals intact when i put it back together, but it's always done this.

it was never really an issue for me: i just crank the windows open and leave the kick panel vents to let cool air flow into the car and ignore the hot air that always comes out of the floor vents, but my new girlfriend isn't really a fan of the hot air on her feet... the AC cars have a vacuum operated water shutoff in the heater hose and i have thought about putting a ball valve in mine to do the same thing, but i'd rather have it work right and popping the hood to get warm air for the defogger on a rainy night just seems like a hassle to me..

 

No it is not normal.


Sounds like something is wrong with the vacuum motors that control the outlet doors and the cable-controlled temp door, or the doors are stuck, or some such.

 

there is no vacuum involved in the standard heater: just good old fashioned levers and cables just like the automotive gods intended. i can hear and feel the heat door and the mode door seat at full travel in either direction, but it always has warm or hot air coming out of the floor vents regardless of where the mode selector or temp levers are, and only cool air comes out of the dash vents if i put the mode there.... when i did the heater core, i made sure all seals were in place.

so, to clarify:
heat lever all the way to cool, mode lever to dash vents: cool air from dash, some warm air from floor.
move the heat over to "hot": dash gets slightly warmer, floor gets hot.

heat lever at "cold", mode selector at "heat": hot air from floor vents.
move over to "hot", hot air comes out from floor.

heat lever to "cold", mode lever to "defrost": warm air from defrost, some hot air from floor.
move over to "hot": hot air from defrost, warm air from floor.