Block Heaters on new VWs

[Tuna]

Re: Block Heaters on new VWs

Cool now you can take it back and get them to install one of their $250 coolant heaters as your oilpan stick on heater is unsafe

Wow, once again so helpful. I would say that if the dealer installed it, it would have to be covered under warranty, so if you're car DID become engulfed in flames and burned to the ground in a spectacular display of Molten plastic and small greyish musroom clouds they would have to cover it (with the added benefit of getting a little pre new years fireworks). I'm not disputing that these things may have their problems but there doesn't seem to be a reasonable alternative out there. Not warming the block/oil in the NWT is NOT an option, you HAVE to.

As for the coolant heaters, from the looking around I did it looked like those kinds of things were made for old cars (pre 70's). What I was told about coolant heaters (in "modern" cars) is that wherever you put it it would just super heat that area as the coolant has no way of circulating while the engine is off, people were putting them too close to their water pumps and such and destroying them. So my question still remains, do these work with modern cars, and if so how?

Brent, if there is a VW specific coolant heater solution perhaps you could give us more info on it as it seems to be a frequent topic especially once the temp dips below zero.

[Stonewall]

Re: Block Heaters on new VWs

Tuna I guess it is my fault for not covering my bases by thinking everyone reads as much on the TDIclub as I do
This link
has a whole list of reasons why you should use a coolant heater and how to install one, atleast on a TDI anyways. I have even read about a guy in northern AB that came out to his new bug on fire one morning due to a stickon oilpan heater. BTw the dealerships in town now offer a heater at a price of $250, which I think is BS since most of our cars came with heaters that where either discontinued (the stickon ones) or fall off (the old metal bracket ones). VW has shown no interest in compensating past customers for their lack of urgency on this area. As for circulation of coolant, it is not heated. Just mount the coolant heater low in the engine bay and the heat will warm the whole engine via convection. Sinced the thermopro heaters don't have a check valve (on the models recomended) coolant flows when the car is running. The plus side is also have heat from the vents after starting the car. This really helps for us TDI people as our cars will not heat up to operating temps idleing and it is actually detremental to idle a TDI for a long period of time. Have a look through the TDI forums as there are piles of posts on it, if need be I will find some more.
Edit: I have also hear stories of a dealership in cranbrook that sells modified honda(or something) block heaters that bolt right onto the back of the engine block. I haven't got around to looking into this yet and am unsure of which engines it would work on. Give them a call (Kootenay Import Auto Group at 1-888-638-4488, I found the #)if you want to go that way.

[Tuna]

Re: Block Heaters on new VWs

Thanks for the info Brent, I'm sure this will help. You mentioned that idling a TDi for long periods of time is bad? Why is that? I thought it was always better to just leave a Diesel running rather than try and heat one up in the extreme cold. Sorry if I'm asking too many questions.

[Stonewall]

Re: Block Heaters on new VWs

Thanks for the info Brent, I'm sure this will help. You mentioned that idling a TDi for long periods of time is bad? Why is that? I thought it was always better to just leave a Diesel running rather than try and heat one up in the extreme cold. Sorry if I'm asking too many questions.

No Problems I like questions. Lets see if I can remmeber right, it is something about the way the newer diesel engines are, more efficent I would think causeing less heat therefor they are not able to come up to operating temp. I am sure it also has something to do with the EGR and the way it recycles exaust back into the intake, colder air from the exaust could also cause more oil buildup in the intake which is also bad. I will see if I can dig up some more info.

[Tuna]

Re: Block Heaters on new VWs

No Problems I like questions. Lets see if I can remmeber right, it is something about the way the newer diesel engines are, more efficent I would think causeing less heat therefor they are not able to come up to operating temp. I am sure it also has something to do with the EGR and the way it recycles exaust back into the intake, colder air from the exaust could also cause more oil buildup in the intake which is also bad. I will see if I can dig up some more info.

Well, I could see it causing problems with your accessories, even big diesels have an idle up knob so if you're gonna idle it for a long time you rev it a little because on normal idle it can't keep all your accesories going all the time (like air brakes charged, battery charged etc.) But I don't know if that would be the same on a little 1.9L. Truth be told there's debate that idleing ANY car is not good for it. But I'm getting way off topic, the whole point of me saying anything on here was to help out the NWT'er on here so I'll pipe down.

[Gumby]

Re: Block Heaters on new VWs

The last meeting i was at, the QTM for our area was talking about block heaters. Any aftermarket heater installed that is not approved by VW may possibly damage the engine and therefore is not a warranty item. So we all wait paitiently for the "new" inline heaters to show up, pissing customers off because we can't get them AND we are told that they HAVE to be installed to manufatures specs (means cutting the grill) also they cannot be plugged in more than 4 hours or the engine light may come on!!!! Great product guys. I just bought a 2005 Jetta and i'm not sure what to put on for a heater, i have my own thoughts and ideas on what i think works and what doesn't from what i have seen throughout the dealership. Once again this is a real touchy subject with VW corporate and VW dealers right now.

[Tuna]

Re: Block Heaters on new VWs

The last meeting i was at, the QTM for our area was talking about block heaters. Any aftermarket heater installed that is not approved by VW may possibly damage the engine and therefore is not a warranty item. So we all wait paitiently for the "new" inline heaters to show up, pissing customers off because we can't get them AND we are told that they HAVE to be installed to manufatures specs (means cutting the grill) also they cannot be plugged in more than 4 hours or the engine light may come on!!!! Great product guys. I just bought a 2005 Jetta and i'm not sure what to put on for a heater, i have my own thoughts and ideas on what i think works and what doesn't from what i have seen throughout the dealership. Once again this is a real touchy subject with VW corporate and VW dealers right now.

Thanks for the info, I don't know what I'd do if I had a new VW (my mk3 has a block heater). But what about my friends TDi? He had the heater installed by the VW dealership only a couple months ago, are you saying that even though he had it installed by "VW" if his car burns to the ground it still won't be covered?

[Gumby]

Re: Block Heaters on new VWs

"If it is a VW heater it will be covered, but if it is a aftermarket heater and just installed at the dealer it will not be covered" was what we were told.

[Khyron]

Re: Block Heaters on new VWs

I don't understand the cutting of the grill requirement. My original one was fed through the slats of the lower driver plastic inserts ..?

I still have a new vw stick on heater sitting in the basement - need to decide if I should install it or sell it.

Khyron