elisafrost3

SM3 Auxiliary Heater Problem

I'm pulling my hair out here! I've got a 2009 Renault SM3 with a gasoline engine, and the auxiliary heater refuses to activate. I've scanned the error memory with my OBD scanner, and it's throwing up an error related to the heater. I'm suspecting it might be the glow plug, but has anyone else run into something similar? This is frustrating, especially with the mornings getting colder! I just want to defrost my windshield without freezing my fingers off! Any thoughts?

A 2009 Renault SM3 with a gasoline engine has an auxiliary heater that won't activate, and an OBD scan reveals an error related to the heater. The suspected cause is a faulty glow plug, a common issue in similar cases. The suggested solution is to have a professional diagnose and replace the glow plug, which was confirmed as the problem by a shop, leading to a successful repair.

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4 comment(s)

I feel your pain. I had a similar issue with my old Opel Astra, although that was a diesel. My parking heater went completely kaput, and it turned out to be a faulty glow plug as well. Does your car have trouble starting in cold weather, or is it solely a problem with the auxiliary heater?

Thanks for the quick response! No, the car starts perfectly fine, even when it's freezing. It really does seem to be isolated to just the auxiliary heater system. The blower motor and climate control work as expected, just no extra heat from the parking heater unit. Was your Astra throwing any specific error codes, and did you manage to fix it yourself?

Okay, that's interesting. Yeah, mine was throwing a code specifically pointing to the glow plug circuit. Honestly, I didn't mess with it myself. Heating systems can be a pain, so I took it straight to my local shop. They confirmed the glow plug issue and replaced it. If you're not comfortable tackling it yourself, I'd suggest getting a professional opinion. Could save you a lot of time and hassle in the long run.

Appreciate the insight! I think you're right; I'll take it to the shop. They ran some tests, and you nailed it – faulty glow plug. Repair cost 440€, but at least I'll have a working auxiliary heater again. Thanks for confirming my suspicions and preventing me from going down a rabbit hole!

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RENAULT

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SM3