Hi Zeb,
Sorry for late response, I still have this Sportage and now it's been 9 years I own this beauty (Alhamdolillah and satisfied). Regarding heating, in most vehicles it is no problem at all. Normally mechanics here direct the fan and remove thermostat which is use to control electric fans to keep vehicle at optimal temp. 82 deg C for 3S-FE (YES these engines use electric fan to cool down engine). If fan is running direct in winters then obviously your heating system could not deliver engine heat in optimal fashion to cabin.
There is different configuration which my Engine 3Y-EU has, it uses mechanical device Thermostat valve which opens and closes based on optimal temperature. When engine reaches 82 deg it opens up and allow coolant to go to radiator, which in-turn is cooled down by mechanical fan (fan driven by Engine main shaft). This is very reliable configuration as valve and fan are both mechanically controlled (fan is controlled by fan clutch) and hence not as fragile as electric fans are. So my engine goes to optimal temperature and delivers good engine heat to cabin even if you are in Hunza in Winters.
Now about Aricon, if you are talking about blow. Yes that is not as good as it should be, provided it is huge vehicle and has no dual AC. The blow is poor and if you have weak or small compressor it is hard for AC to cool down such huge cabin in peak summer (and rush hours). With my project I have mounted compressor from Hiace on 3Y which is huge one, the blow is not that good but cooling even in peak summer is awesome. I refilled gas in 2017 and in this season AC was not perfect, so thinking to check Freon pressure again and get it refilled.
Another problem with my SUV AC has is it cannot be regulated through climate control (why? I could explain it later and I know exactly what problem is there to fix) AC works at 18 deg, and when temperature in cabin drops to 18 deg the compressor clutch disengage and compressor stops. I have also wired up RPM regulation mechanism when AC is switched on, it goes to 1000rpm when you switch AC on. Please also note, I am using 3Y ECU which is 100% compatible with Engine.
Hope that helps. So bro it all depends how you manage and execute your project.
Regards,
RiderPK
