When I ordered Superb I was explained that "Auxiliary heating for diesel engines" is option to help diesel motors fire up on extreme cold temperatures. But later I've read that it is additional auxiliary heating of cabin, but not independent like Webasto. It was about 150 EUR option, while Webasto was 10 times more expensive.

Does any of dealers know what is it about? And can it be retrofitted?

When I ordered Superb I was explained that "Auxiliary heating for diesel engines" is option to help diesel motors fire up on extreme cold temperatures. But later I've read that it is additional auxiliary heating of cabin, but not independent like Webasto. It was about 150 EUR option, while Webasto was 10 times more expensive.

Does any of dealers know what is it about? And can it be retrofitted?

I have the webasto on my car, and I am pretty sure it can be retrofitted. I use mine every day during winter season (I live in Norway) and I would never have a diesel engine again withour it.

I have tried to give you some of the differances and som pros and cons (IMHO):

Webasto: Uses diesel from the fueltank (approx 0.5-1.0l/h), can be set to start at different times in the MFD or started on the climate control panel, or by remote (love to start it in the skilift before the last run of the day :yes: ). It warms up the cooling water and also makes the climate control blow warm air through the wents in the coupe.

Pros: Warme engine before start

Warm coupe

Does not need an electrical outlet

Cons: Drains battery. My dealer told me to be sure to drive for atleast 30 mins after using it to recharge battery, so it is not adviced to use it before short drives.

Do not use inside garage due to exhaust.

The cheaper option which you apperantly are getting may be a heater which uses electricity (cord from car to outlet) to heat up the car. I´m guessing here, but you might be getting a DEFA warm up.

Pros: Warm coupe

Charges battery at the same time (maintenance charge)

Can be used inside a garage

Cons: Nees an electric outlet

Does not warm up engine.

It is usually more expensive to retrofit the webasto rather than getting it with the car.

Yes the factory option is purely to warm the heater up quicker as the diesel engine takes a fair while to warm up.

Not offered in the uk sadly, apparently we ain't cold enough..lol

The cheaper option which you apperantly are getting may be a heater which uses electricity (cord from car to outlet) to heat up the car. I´m guessing here, but you might be getting a DEFA warm up.

Pros: Warm coupe

Charges battery at the same time (maintenance charge)

Can be used inside a garage

Cons: Nees an electric outlet

Does not warm up engine.

It is usually more expensive to retrofit the webasto rather than getting it with the car.

Maybe its the kind of (worthless IMHO) warmer that have electrical heating elements attached to the outside of the oil pan in order to warm up the oil? It's something like putting an iron on the engine to warm it up... most of the energy will disappear into thin air like you marked up as one of the cons. In older engines you had these "frost plugs" on the engine block that was made to protect the engine from cracking due to extreme cold weather. This was used to put in a "drip heater" that warmed up the cooling water to 20-40 degrees-ish. It would not give you a "warm" engine but you surely get it started and then to a fully warm engine just minutes of driving.

In really harsh conditions nothing (but an empty battery or fuel tank..) beats the 5 kW of the Webasto. For me its enough with 15 minutes of use before startup. Then I might fire it up again during the first 10 minutes of driving to speed the warm up process. Thats a neat function to use... :yes:

/Superbjoser

Edited 2 September, 201114 yr by Superbjoser

Cheaper aux heater is a PTC element in the fresh air unit. It will warm up the incoming air faster. It's rated at 1kW, but since it's a PTC it will lower it's heating power when the air gets warmer.

Webasto can be retrofitted and a retrofitted Webasto is actually better.

I've had many factory fitted Webastos and all of them have had multiple issues even during the warranty period. Retrofitted just keeps working like a charm

Problem with the factory fitted is that it is automatically started even if the car needs more heat for just a few minutes. This means the heater will need more service since it's soothing up all the time.

Cheaper aux heater is a PTC element in the fresh air unit. It will warm up the incoming air faster. It's rated at 1kW, but since it's a PTC it will lower it's heating power when the air gets warmer.

Webasto can be retrofitted and a retrofitted Webasto is actually better.

I've had many factory fitted Webastos and all of them have had multiple issues even during the warranty period. Retrofitted just keeps working like a charm

Problem with the factory fitted is that it is automatically started even if the car needs more heat for just a few minutes. This means the heater will need more service since it's soothing up all the time.

OK, you have a lot more experience here than me, but how do you know that Skodas factory fitted versions start up automatically? Never heard/seen anything about it while driving or reading in the users manual either...

/Superbjoser

...

Problem with the factory fitted is that it is automatically started even if the car needs more heat for just a few minutes. This means the heater will need more service since it's soothing up all the time.

Not sure what you mean here, but my factory fitted webasto has never started up on its own...

When the engine is 'cold' and cannot produce enough heat to accommodate the climatronic settings then factory fitted Webasto is automatically started even when the need to heat is just for a few minutes.

One can bypass this feature in older models with ECON button. Or in newer models one can set climatronic OFF or in LO temperature setting (no need heat then).

This is a feature present in all VW/Audi/Seat/Skoda factory fitted petrol/diesel operated heaters and has been ever since they started using them.

Automatic feature requires outside temperature of below +5C and coolant temperature below +76C and some other conditions apply (ECON not on, Climatronic On, temperature not on setting LO, etc).

One won't notice this if the heater is operating optimally, but when soothing up for a while it will start producing a lot of annoying smoke. In some cases by passers came to my car and said "Can't you see your car is on fire" - I just replied "No it's the factory fitted Webasto coming alive"

I've had 6 VW/Skodas with factory fitted Webasto and 5 with retrofitted Webasto. I'd always prefer to get the retrofitted version if possible, because they work better and can be serviced by Webasto service and not just Skoda/VW service.

Only problem with the retrofitted version is that it cannot operate climatronic as well as factory fitted. So if you find yourself in situation like you have +20C outside temperature when you turn off the engine and next time you want to preheat the car and the outside temperature is -10C. Then the climatronic settings are still like it would be +20C outside and inside of the car is not heated very well but when you start the engine then you'll get instant heat. Factory fitted Webasto can change some of the climatronic settings so it'll work better in conditions like this - it's not perfect either but better in these extreme cases.

Same here. My Webasto has never started up on his own.

I think there might be some confusion with large cars like Ford Galaxy or VW Sharan where an additional heater (runs on Diesel) is fitted because the heat generated by the engine is not enough to heat the cabin. That kind of heater might indeed start automatically if the car needs more heat.

...

I've had 6 VW/Skodas with factory fitted Webasto and 5 with retrofitted Webasto. I'd always prefer to get the retrofitted version if possible, because they work better and can be serviced by Webasto service and not just Skoda/VW service.

....

OK, you seems to know what you talk about. Thanks for the heads up, I'll check it up. Maybe you also have a tip on good charger as well? It isn't easy to find out the Ah on the battery either (to rainy outdoors, to lazy indoors...). Looking at Ctek:s variants for the moment. Might be good to have a good charge now and then during the upcoming winter.

/Superbjoser

Hello!

Due to a misunderstanding I ordered my Superb TDI without auxillary heater. I got the PTC element, but it's not enough when you have 5 months of temperatures below zero every year.

After some reading on the net, I ordered a Webasto ThermoTop V(5kW), a mounting kit for a ThermoTop C for a Superb TDI DSG (mine is a manual), a generic mounting kit for ThermoTop V and a Skoda original mounting plate for the factory mounted heater. Then I spent somthing close to 40 hours in the garage fitting the heater.

It works perfectly, but I have to remember to set the temperature on the climatronic to high and the air distribution to defrost, before I turn off the car, in order to get ice free windows the next morning.

I use the heater as a supplementary heater sometimes, definitely when its colder than -25 degrees centigrade, as the engine can't supply enough heat to both heat the cabin and keep engine temperature above 70 degrees then.

As I am not a mechanic, I'd say that almost anyone with some basic mechanical skills could retrofit a Webasto heater to a Superb. It might take a while though...

I also added a quick connect for my CTEK charger. When It's really cold and I run the Webasto for 2x40 minutes a day with only 2x25 minutes of driving, I usually fully charge the battery with the external charger once a week.

Edited 5 September, 201114 yr by Joakim

I also added a quick connect for my CTEK charger. When It's really cold and I run the Webasto for 2x40 minutes a day with only 2x25 minutes of driving, I usually fully charge the battery with the external charger once a week.

Hi Joakim!

Questions, questions.. :think: : Witch one of the CTEK:s do you have? Indoor/outdoor charging (below, lets say, -15 degrees)? That quick connection sound as a really good idea.

/Superbjoser

If you use the charger mainly indoors then CTEK has good chargers, but if you use the charger mainly outdoors then Defa has this 10A version which you can install permanently in the engine bay and it uses a quick plug to connect/disconnect the A/C from the outlet. I don't know if they sell Defa in the UK or outside the Nordic countries for that matter.

10A charger is not able to load the battery at really low temperatures any faster than a lower rated charger (since a cold battery (-20C) will only charge for about 2-3A per h), but it can give the car the amps Webasto is using to heat the car - meaning you won't discharge the cold battery that much.

And about that automatic use of Webasto. Yes it's in use in every factory fitted Skoda - really. I've had 7 (I forgot I had two Tourans ) cars with factory fitted Webasto and in all except one of them I've had to service Webasto every year (sometimes twice a year) because of that.

I've had 2*VW Touran, VW Passat, Skoda Superb, 3*VW T5/Multivan - all of them had the same problems with Webasto starting to act up every winter. Servicing the glow plug and burner unit usually solved the problem and it wasn't that big of a deal financially but the problems usually start when the weather gets cold and then one has no aux heater until the service fixes it.

One VW Touran didn't have the issue every year since it was model year 2005 and it had ECON button which disabled the automated use of Webasto. This Touran had the issues with Webasto only every two years

And then VAG had the stroke of genius and removed the ECON function from the climatronic from the later model years :S

Webasto is about €1000 factory installation, and about €3500 retrofiting...

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Good profit in installing the retrofitted version at 3500€

I got Webasto TT-C for my lastest Superb for 1600€ including minitimer and T100 HTM remotes. Factory price for the TT-V Webasto with T91 remote in Finland is currently 1000-1200€ (depending on emissions).

Ok, I´ve learned something new today (aux heation auto on). When it turns on automatically, does the indicator light turn on? Can´t remember seeing it on (if I haven´t activated it), that´s why I didn´t think it would turn on automaticlly.

Sorry for the OT....

No that light doesn't come on when Webasto is turned on automatically. It's only on if user has activated Webasto (through remote, timer or the button itself).

OK, you seems to know what you talk about. Thanks for the heads up, I'll check it up. Maybe you also have a tip on good charger as well? It isn't easy to find out the Ah on the battery either (to rainy outdoors, to lazy indoors...). Looking at Ctek:s variants for the moment. Might be good to have a good charge now and then during the upcoming winter.

/Superbjoser

If you want to look for an option for charger you might have a look at Defas chargers - they have a range of chargers from 3 to 10 Amps with the idea of having a fixed charger in the vehicle - just add the lead beween the car and the socket in the wall. http://wup.defa.com/en/wup_products_batterychargers.html

I have a Defa 1204 charger installed in my Yeti to boost the battery against Webasto consumption....next winter will show how this combination works.

Hi Superbjoser (and everybody else)!

I use a small CTEK Zafir 45 to top up my battery in the winter. I charge the battery outdoors and usually only when the temperature is -10 or below. As I mentioned earlier I have installed a quick connect with battery status indication beside the battery and leave the charger in the engine bay overnight. After 10 hours of charging the battery is fully charged.

Of course a DEFA charger is better than my solution, but I already had the CTEK, and I also have a quick connect on my motorcycle .

After installing the Webasto I really didn't want to do more than neccesary to the car for a while...

The Zafir 45 is replaced by the MXS 3.6 which also has the cold charge function that raise the charge voltage from 14.4V to 14.7V.

All the material, even including replacement G12++ coolant, for my 5 kW TT-V installation with a 1533 timer cost me 1425€.

For this winter I think I will complement the timer with a GSM remote.

Hi all!

Thanks for the all inputs and explanations! Learned a lot here! Well, now I have something to talk about with my technician when he calls for a replacement of my left hand side front window rubber list (close to the A-pillar) that went on a run again. :(

I'll have to think hard about the DEFA or the CTEK solution :think:

/Superbjoser

I have some questions about auxillary heaters if you guys are still around.

Here it doesn't get anywhere near as cold as continental Europe or Scandanavia, we get -8C every winter and a bit below -10 on the really cold ones. Enough that it can be difficult to get warm on short trips. My other diesel car (doesn't have as much insulation) takes about 20km driving before you can get warm enough to be comfortable, this is a problem when your trip is only 20km.

Can someone explain the PTC heater? Is this an electric element in the heater ducts or something more elaborate? I have driven an Audi A4 which even with a cold engine could deliver hot air out the defrost vents with the AC and defrost buttons on. This car definitely doesn't have a webasto, is it an electric heater or reverse cycle air-con?

My dealer had never heard of a webasto heater before, but I have asked him to investigate if it's possible.

Does anyone have pictures of where the webasto sits in the engine bay and how it is plumbed in? I presume it T's into the coolant lines between the engine and the cabin heater, but where does it take fuel and where does it exhaust to?

Any help appreciated.

PTC heater is indeed an electric element. Not sure where it lives but the description above does suggest in the air ducting.

Can't speak from experience on the Skodas but I have fitted a webasto to my Rover 75. The separate fuel pipe was already there, and it has it's own exhaust pipe that sticks through the bottom of the undertray. I have seen other cars where the webasto is fitted under the wing so this may be the home on the Skoda. The fuel pipe may also have to be added but it's only thin so would be easy to run back to the fuel tank. There's also a little inline fuel pump, that I would expect to need fitting close to the tank.

Maybe have a browse of the webasto website, but select Europe as your location. You should find some info there.

Hey guys, I have come across a quite interesting OEM webasto offer for Superb http://www.skoda-parts.cz/predmet.aspx?polozkaID=272. Since winters here in Lithuania are quire severe I am considering of getting one. However I did not manage to find any DYI or retrofitting instructions for this aux heater on Superb II. Only the one about remote controller http://kotisivu.dnainternet.net/ilkmaat/skoda/Webasto-Telestart-T90-Octavia-InstallationGuide.pdf retrofitting. Does anyone of you happen to have seen the instructions of Webasto retrofitting? Ideally for Superb II, but for any model of Skoda would do as they should be similar.