with the nice cold winters we seem to be getting i have decided to fit a parking heater to my Fabia.

just wondered if anyone else had had a go at this?

these heaters are small diesel burners that heat the coolant system - common in colder climates but not in the UK. i think its an option on the Octavia and a few others and all of the Audi diesels have it as an option. you can fire it up 20-30 min before you get in and have the engine up to temp and the car defrosted before you turn the key.

i have bought the system and it should be interesting to install. hopefully i can find a space for it somewhere (behind the front bumper looks a likely candidate - the washer resevoir is at one side and i can probably fit it on the other)

i will be installing it as a self contained system with all of the controlls seperate to the car as it is doubtfull it can be integrated since its not an option for the Fabia but wanted to see if anyone else was as mad as me and had already done this?

I've had it on a few 4x4's as standard, never fitted it myself or selected it as a factory fit option.

To be honest they don't get much use in our climate (maybe beneficial on a couple of days a year), so it's probably not worth the hassle and expense of getting/fitting it.

But seeing as you already have it, good luck with the fitting and your new toy...

i have bought the system and it should be interesting to install. hopefully i can find a space for it somewhere (behind the front bumper looks a likely candidate - the washer resevoir is at one side and i can probably fit it on the other)

I think you'll find the other side of the bumper is reserved for the intercooler, I'm afraid! :(

Are you sure it will do anything more than give you a warm engine to come out to? Even assuming convection gets hot coolant into the heater matrix, I don't see how it will warm up the cabin without the fan going? Sure, it will make the car warm up and/or defrost quicker once you're driving, but it's not quite what you're describing?

I think you'll find the other side of the bumper is reserved for the intercooler, I'm afraid! :(

Are you sure it will do anything more than give you a warm engine to come out to? Even assuming convection gets hot coolant into the heater matrix, I don't see how it will warm up the cabin without the fan going? Sure, it will make the car warm up and/or defrost quicker once you're driving, but it's not quite what you're describing?

hmm, I thought the intercooler was tucked into the wheel arch - will have to investigate. Not had a good look yet but was working on the standard fit for an Audi A3 which should be similar. They are quite small so I should be able to find a gap somewhere for it

There is a relay control that switches once the coolant comes up to temperature that I can use to switch the fan.

Its a bit of an extravagance for the UK climate but when it is cold and frosty it should make a difference.

Are you sure it will do anything more than give you a warm engine to come out to? Even assuming convection gets hot coolant into the heater matrix, I don't see how it will warm up the cabin without the fan going? Sure, it will make the car warm up and/or defrost quicker once you're driving, but it's not quite what you're describing?

Most fuel burning heaters just work by thermostat, they basically come on when a low temp is reached, say 5 degrees, and it's job is basically to stop the coolant from freezing in really cold countries (where anti-freeze isn't always enough) and it usually works whether the ignition is on or off. Because the coolant is heated slightly, you do get warm air though to the cabin slightly faster than if it was just a diesel engine without a FBH.

Bear in mind that fuel burning heaters use will use more fuel whether your using the vehicle or not (hence the name). And if you park the vehicle in an enclosed space (garage etc) then you will get fumes building up in the area which can be dangerous. Many people actually disconnect them because in our country they offer a lot of drawbacks for not much gain - it's cheaper and easier to wear a fleece/coat for the first few minutes of a journey and keep your anti-freeze topped up...

Edited 11 January, 201115 yr by SkodaFabiaOwner

How about a remote start setup? Technically illegal to have a car with the engine running unattended on the public highway so best if you have a driveway. As I understand it though diesels don't warm up much idling?! Plus on a manual gearbox one day it will be left in gear and the remote start will be lots of fun

I've had it on a few 4x4's as standard, never fitted it myself or selected it as a factory fit option.

To be honest they don't get much use in our climate (maybe beneficial on a couple of days a year), so it's probably not worth the hassle and expense of getting/fitting it.

But seeing as you already have it, good luck with the fitting and your new toy...

thanks,

they are quite common fitted as an auxiliary heater as modern diesels don’t produce much waste heat. Most of them are just fitted so they come on with the engine to help it heat up faster – not going to get much benefit from that

being able to run it before you start the car should bring more benefits apparently 20-30 min is enough to get the engine almost up to running temp and certainly enough to defrost the car.

The way the last couple of winters have been its more like 10-12 weeks of use but no doubt once I get it fitted global warming will kick in and it will not be needed

How about a remote start setup? Technically illegal to have a car with the engine running unattended on the public highway so best if you have a driveway. As I understand it though diesels don't warm up much idling?! Plus on a manual gearbox one day it will be left in gear and the remote start will be lots of fun

FBH's don't run the engine as such, they are basically just a heater that uses onboard fuel for it's power to warm the coolant. So the engine isn't started, but fumes are still expelled as part of the burning process...

How about a remote start setup? Technically illegal to have a car with the engine running unattended on the public highway so best if you have a driveway. As I understand it though diesels don't warm up much idling?! Plus on a manual gearbox one day it will be left in gear and the remote start will be lots of fun

thats the point, it can be fired up remotely but uses a lot less fuel than the motor on idle and generates heat. i got stuck in traffic just after setting off the other day and on idle the temp was not up even after 40 min (the joy of motorway rush hour!). it only takes a few miles to heat up when driving but idling dosnt generate any heat