Block Heaters on new VWs

[Sois]

Hi, I've posted a few places and will also try here. In a nutshell, I bought a 2003 Jetta GLI last October and was charged for a block heater that they said would be in shortly but still is not in. Apparently VW headquarters has not yet decided on which blockheater to instal and therefore are holding things up. We are currently in the process of purchasing a new home and it happens to be the first winter (and last!!) without a garage. My poor baby is freezing and it is killing me to start it with the extreme cold weather we are having.
I want to know if anyone else is having a similar problem and/or knows of a suitable block heater. Also, if anyone has bought a 2003 GLI since October with a block heater installed perhaps they can shed some light.

Thank you to everyone for your help.

Sois

[1.8Trip]

Re: Block Heaters on new VWs

Which block heater to install? Why would they have to wait to hear from VW America to decide on the block heater? That sounds like a dealer feeding you a line. Sounds kinda fishy.

[Billip]

Re: Block Heaters on new VWs

I believe most (if not all) of the heaters that are installed here in Calgary (by VW dealerships) are oil pan heaters. I find it hard to believe that they don't have any. I would bug the dealership where you bought it (where was it if i may ask?) or call VW Customer Service and tell them about it. Usually dealing with VW themselves gets the dealership in motion.

[Sois]

Re: Block Heaters on new VWs

I believe most (if not all) of the heaters that are installed here in Calgary (by VW dealerships) are oil pan heaters. I find it hard to believe that they don't have any. I would bug the dealership where you bought it (where was it if i may ask?) or call VW Customer Service and tell them about it. Usually dealing with VW themselves gets the dealership in motion.

Hi, many thanks to everyone for their input from the various sites. I actually bought my car through Northland. I made a call to 5th ave and they seemed to know a bit more. This is the scoop:

Apparently, the way that the old block heaters are constructed leaves the cord exposed and thus lending itself to being damaged if one were to run over something and scrape the underside of the engine (nicking the cord).
I guess a couple shorted out and either started a fire or potentially could, so they stopped installing them around the end of September. The wait now is for the engineers to come up with a fix. Not sure if these are excuses or what but I don't think it is really acceptable, given the conditions we are known to have up in here in Frosty Canada. You would think they could expedite a solution for people before winter if they really were considerate and wanting to look after their customers. Quite frustrating!


Of course they are not recommending an aftermarket solution. Garage me, please!


Stay warm everyone!

Sois

[MrHeavyFoot]

Re: Block Heaters on new VWs

When I bought my 2001 Jetta, the block/oil pan heaters were on backorder, so Southgate VW up here in Edmonton installed some non-OEM heater (unbeknownst to me of course). A few months later I'm driving along, hit a bump and all of a sudden I hear this clanging coming from under the car. Pulled over looked underneath, and there is the block heater dangling down from the car. It was attached by a metal strap. Where it was screwed into, I have no idea, but it couldn't have been terribly tight and the constant movement finally fatigued the metal and it gave way. Same thing happened to my boss and his GTI.

Anyway, they replaced it with the OEM unit and gave me back the old one, but with out the power cord. In the name of good karma, you can have my old one, buy I have now idea how you could attach it or hookup power for it.

(And why is VW so concerned about the block heater being exposed but they don't seem to give a rats ass about the oilpan that its attached to?)

[Smartiepants]

Re: Block Heaters on new VWs

The block heater can cause your car to catch fire, if it is damaged then it can cause heat which can ignite gas and other flammable things in your engine, it was on the news tonight.

[Flanders]

Re: Block Heaters on new VWs

...but how?

if the electrical cord is damaged, then you'll have a short and maybe flick your breaker (or kill a fuse in your house fuse panel). I don't understand how it can start a fire.

ps. mine is from www.engineheaters.com model 512. Same as the VW one, without the VW label.

[R_Ethug]

Re: Block Heaters on new VWs

thats just propaganda to save power nick

[Aleks]

Re: Block Heaters on new VWs

Inline circulating block heaters I think are best, easy to install in a rad hose or a heater hose, and they keep our ambulances at near operating temps when inside, should work well outside.....

[Tuna]

Re: Block Heaters on new VWs

Inline circulating block heaters I think are best, easy to install in a rad hose or a heater hose, and they keep our ambulances at near operating temps when inside, should work well outside.....

I was looking into those for my girlfriends car (she has a BC car so, no block heater) and I discovered that on "newer" cars (late '70's on) they use a vacuum shut off, so when the coolant is cold the switch stays closed so, with the inline heater it can only heat up a small amount of coolant because it's closed off from the rest of the system and will therefore kill the heater right away 'cause it gets too hot and burns itself out. I suppose if you modified the cooling system and got rid of that it might work ok, but I'd rather just drive her to work for a couple days

Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

Oh, and also, good luck finding one in stock I phoned a ton of places before I learned about their downfalls.

Jason

[nickyh]

Re: Block Heaters on new VWs

A friend of mines friend, has a new beetle (she's from Toronto visiting but looking to move here) and she inquired at SFC about installing a block heater on her Bug - they told they can't do it.

Is this right? Even CDN Tire said they can't find a listing for the Bug.

[1.8Trip]

Re: Block Heaters on new VWs

My colleague's Jetta blockheater just died. The repair only involved the cord but NL told her that there are currently no VW blockheaters to be found in NA. I'm not sure if this is an exaggeration or the truth. I suppose it isn't to far fetched given the cold snap on the entire continent and how easy these things seem to be breaking. The demand could be much higher than supply.

[Tuna]

Re: Block Heaters on new VWs

My colleague's Jetta blockheater just died. The repair only involved the cord but NL told her that there are currently no VW blockheaters to be found in NA. I'm not sure if this is an exaggeration or the truth. I suppose it isn't to far fetched given the cold snap on the entire continent and how easy these things seem to be breaking. The demand could be much higher than supply.

Ok I love VW and all, don't get me wrong but a NA Car company with NO BLOCK HEATERS!!?? And They are selling cars even now without them installed?? And it sounds like they aren't going to have some any time soon? That is unacceptable if you ask me. people with brand new dead cars must be extremely choked right now. Or even if it's not dead, it's sooo much harder on a car in this cold.

That is just my opinion though.

[Gumby]

Re: Block Heaters on new VWs

VW is definetly in a bind with these block heaters! The A4 chasis cars do not have frost plugs to put in a normal block heater, so the 99's had a bracket that held on the exterior heater but the brackets broke and they fell off, rattled etc. (the odd one fell onto the plastic shield under the car (diesel) and melted possibly causing a fire). Next they approved the stick on one which just got canceled due to the chance of them falling off and melting the pan causing a fire (nothing to do with the cord getting scraped) VW told us to stop selling them right away. What are people to do... official word from VW is sorry somthing is in the works (sounds like an inline heater) but have no time of arrival, possibly this summer!!!! The big problem is VWAG does not really care about the great white north because we are such a small area for them to deal with over a part WE only need! It sucks but there is nothing any dealer can do!!! I actually talked to our area rep today about it and he has no answer at all.

[1.8Trip]

Re: Block Heaters on new VWs

Thanks for the clarification Tim, I guess VWoA will reconsider the the priority of this as pretty much the entire north eastern States is in a deep freeze and it just so happens to be where the majority of the American population lives. That must be a whole lot of Dubs.