Many years ago I remember that you used to be able to get radiator blinds (or at least I think I can) that would help a car heat up.

I find that in the winter I am just arriving at work when the car gets up to temp (approx 15 miles).

I was wondering if there was such a thing available now as a radiator blind to help speed the temp ramp up?

haven't seen any advertised for modern cars for years. The last I saw were for my old Series Land Rover, but fertiliser sacks were cheaper!

Many years ago I remember that you used to be able to get radiator blinds (or at least I think I can) that would help a car heat up.

I find that in the winter I am just arriving at work when the car gets up to temp (approx 15 miles).

I was wondering if there was such a thing available now as a radiator blind to help speed the temp ramp up?

Have you tried a 12v car heater, like the one below........

http://www.m-99.co.uk/Electrical/Car_Heater_and_Fan/car_heater_and_fan.html

Can work in the summer too :yes:

Have you tried a 12v car heater, like the one below........

http://www.m-99.co.uk/Electrical/Car_Heater_and_Fan/car_heater_and_fan.html

Can work in the summer too :yes:

Hmm, most in car power sockets are rated at 120W, this heater maxes out at 200W?

Hi JD

Heater a good idea, but it was not so much for heating up the car interior, but rather getting the engine temp up to operating temp sooner. Ideal would be if Skoda ofered the pre heater option, that is available in some markets

Dileas

Hi JD

Heater a good idea, but it was not so much for heating up the car interior, but rather getting the engine temp up to operating temp sooner. Ideal would be if Skoda ofered the pre heater option, that is available in some markets

Dileas

Like you, I would have liked the pre-heater option.

As regards heating the interior, I have a cheap fan heater for my son's Rover 25 which we put in the car the night before on a time switch in the garage so that when he sets off to work, the windoes are clear and the interior retains enough warmth until the car heater catches up.

Has anyone tried a Kenlowe pre-heater (http://www.kenlowe.co.uk/pre-heaters/cars/index.html)? I have bene tempted with one of these, the downside being that you have to plug them in so little use away from home.

John

In the olden days cars had large fixed fans which constantly pushed air through the radiator. In cold winters the cooling effect was excessive to say the least. Radiator blinds or sacks etc did greatly speed up engine warm up but the improvement with modern engines using thermostatically controlled fans would be limited. Can an expert confirm or otherwise

Hi

Came across this, which might help with improving the temperature ramp up in the winter.

http://www.superskoda.com/Skoda/Yeti/Yeti-winter-protective-grille-cover-KI-R

Dileas

There is a thermostatic valve in the cooling system of all cars, water only goes into the radiator when the engine has reached operating temperature. Hence a blind will have no efffect on speeding up the engine warming process. The only benefit will be slightly less cold air reaching the engine block itself directly.

The only use of a blind on the radiator is for severe cold when the radiator is actually far larger than it needs to be to cool the engine, as the radiator is designed to cope witjh the hottest conditions the car is likely to operate in..

If anyone watches ice road truckers on tv, you will note they have a cover on the intake on the bonnet which has an opening that can be adjusted with a zip or clip to adjust the area open to the air. In minus 20f they are showing about an eigth of the grill or less.

There is a thermostatic valve in the cooling system of all cars, water only goes into the radiator when the engine has reached operating temperature. Hence a blind will have no efffect on speeding up the engine warming process. The only benefit will be slightly less cold air reaching the engine block itself directly.

The only use of a blind on the radiator is for severe cold when the radiator is actually far larger than it needs to be to cool the engine, as the radiator is designed to cope witjh the hottest conditions the car is likely to operate in..

I agree totally. A rad blind is only any use on a car without a thermostatic radiator fan. All Skodas have thermostatic fans that only cut in at high temperatures (or to get air through the air con radiator).

Infact, I'd strongly recomment that you never fit a radiator blind to any modern car. Apart from being totally unnecessary, there is a danger that you still have the blind in place once the engine gets up to temperature and the engine then overheats. In addition, the alternator is deliberately positioned in the cold airsteam that comes in through the grille, and that most definitely needs cooling especially when you have Heated Rear window, heated seats, heater, etc on! A Rad blind could block this airsteeam and cause the aternator to overheat, even in sub-zero temperatures.

Rad blind = waste of time!

Many years ago I remember that you used to be able to get radiator blinds (or at least I think I can) that would help a car heat up.

I find that in the winter I am just arriving at work when the car gets up to temp (approx 15 miles).

I was wondering if there was such a thing available now as a radiator blind to help speed the temp ramp up?

Why don't you cut a piece of cardboard to fit into the front of the rad, and if it get too warm just remove it(thats what we do)

Radiotwo

Many years ago I remember that you used to be able to get radiator blinds (or at least I think I can) that would help a car heat up.

I find that in the winter I am just arriving at work when the car gets up to temp (approx 15 miles).

I was wondering if there was such a thing available now as a radiator blind to help speed the temp ramp up?

Edited 12 December, 201015 yr by RADIOTWO

I saw a lot of cars with blinds over the front grill when I was in Norway also saw a lot of cars with HUGE spotlights which a) gave ridiculous light output and blocked off the radiator very well.

As regards heating the interior, I have a cheap fan heater for my son's Rover 25 which we put in the car the night before on a time switch in the garage so that when he sets off to work, the windoes are clear and the interior retains enough warmth until the car heater catches up.

I've wondered about this lately, but haven't dared due to worrying about setting my car on fire. Not sure why - I don't worry about setting the house on fire when I use it indoors! Might look into it...