# For heat, I need the recirculation on?

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/for-heat-i-need-the-recirculation-on/58361>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** heating, overheating, element, honda\
**Created:** [December 6, 2010, 5:59pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/for-heat-i-need-the-recirculation-on/58361 "2010-12-06T17:59:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![brandyland3000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e57/32.png) [@brandyland3000](https://community.cartalk.com/u/brandyland3000)\
**Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 5:59pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/for-heat-i-need-the-recirculation-on/58361/1 "2010-12-06T17:59:58Z")

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I bought a 2003 Element (with less than 33K miles!) just a few weeks ago, and I love it. But I’m having an intermittent heat problem. I drove to work (about 25 miles) one cold morning unable to get heat. The fan worked great, though. That morning, when I turned the engine over, the temperature control dial was turned all the way counterclockwise (toward blue), but the A/C light was not on. I turned the temperature control dial all the way clockwise (all red), but no matter where I set the mode control dial, or how high or low the fan was running, no heat came out.  
  
  
  
 After work, I drove to the grocery store (about 5 miles away from work), and was still unable to get heat. I got a bowl of hot soup at Whole Foods, and while I was eating it in the parking lot, I turned the engine over and hit the recirculation button. In just a few minutes, heat galore.  
  
  
  
 Yesterday, driving through the city, the same thing happened - when I started the engine with the temperature control dial turned all the way counterclockwise, I couldn’t get heat, even though I subsequently turned it all the way clockwise. It didn’t start working until I hit the recirculation button.  
  
  
  
 When I start the engine and the temperature control dial is already turned clockwise, I get heat without having to recirculate.  
  
  
  
 Any ideas what this could be? In a nutshell: my Element seems sometimes to have a problem knowing when it should be blowing heat (rather than an issue of not being able to make heat).

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**Author:** ![shadowfax](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/shadowfax/32/13026_2.png) [@shadowfax](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shadowfax)\
**Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 6:02pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/for-heat-i-need-the-recirculation-on/58361/2 "2010-12-06T18:02:43Z")

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I’m guessing if you hit the recirc button, and then turn it back off when you start getting heat, you still get heat, right?

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**Author:** ![brandyland3000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e57/32.png) [@brandyland3000](https://community.cartalk.com/u/brandyland3000)\
**Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 7:17pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/for-heat-i-need-the-recirculation-on/58361/3 "2010-12-06T19:17:29Z")

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I think so, but I’ll double check this afternoon.

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**Author:** ![Goldwing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@Goldwing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Goldwing)\
**Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 7:23pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/for-heat-i-need-the-recirculation-on/58361/4 "2010-12-06T19:23:47Z")

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Does the engine warm up to proper running temperature?

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**Author:** ![brandyland3000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e57/32.png) [@brandyland3000](https://community.cartalk.com/u/brandyland3000)\
**Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 7:25pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/for-heat-i-need-the-recirculation-on/58361/5 "2010-12-06T19:25:30Z")

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Yes. The temperature gauge arrow is in the middle of the range in just a few minutes after turning the engine over.