Hello folks.

After a cold winter with temperatures reaching below -20C I found that the heating system that the 1.2TSI DSG7 is equipped with really struggles to heat the cabin

Contacted Skoda Sweden and asked them wath to do? If it was possible to retrofit the PTC element found in cars with diesel engines?

Not very pleased with their answer tough!

It is (according to skoda) not possible to retrofit the PTC element on a gasoline car, but they couldn't explain why it wont work, someone here knows?

Their suggested solution is to shift gears manually and stick to high revs... Not fond of that, my problem is that when it is -20 the car cant defrost the windscreen properly for about 5 minutes, and I wont be standing on the parkinglot revving the car at 5 in the morning. Also Keeping it at high revs from a coldstart sounds like killing it faster, it cant be good for the engine?

At most times i use the electric engine and cabin heater, but that doesnt help when my wife parks her car on my spot!! :(

Also, her Roomster with a 1.4 85bhp engine gets hot air from vents after just a minute or so.

Anyone that experience the same problem as me? Do someone know if its possible to retrofit the PTC. Any other solution is welcome!

Best regards

//

I suppose with engine efficeincy improving all the time less heat is lost as waste. Diesels have always had this issue which is why a number of options are available in cold climates.

The new TSi's are direct injection and don't need to run as rich during warm up as older petrol engines did. The TSi's also have a large cooling system to cope with heat generated during long periods of high boost.

Unfortunately just revving the engine doesn't produce that much heat either as the direct injection provides just enough fuel to keep the engine spinning, what you need for rapid warmup is periods of load and boost.

If you have a clear screen and can drive straight away that's the best method of warming up, but if your stationary waiting for the screen to defrost the TSI will sip as little fuel as possible and try not to burn fuel that is wasted as heat.

On tickover or stationary revving our HTP will warm up quicker than the TSI but drive them straight away from cold the TSI will be putting out hot air first.

You could perhaps try covering the windows at night. Not too much of an issue in the UK, we moan if it's -1 or -2.

Cheers

Lee

-20 No wonder it takes its time

Does it have the Climatronic heater system?

In my Roomster, it did take a while to heat up from -13, but when the car was defrosted at the window. It did not take much time to heat up the cabin when I began drive to work. Take about 30m on motorway.

@JaverHammar

I know many 1.2Tsi owners that have the same problem as you, I am also a 1.2Tsi owner and yes it takes longer to get hot air from vents than my previous Octavia 1.6 MK1 and Fabia 1.2 Mk1.

The explanation I retrieved from my dealer is that the cooling circuit - path is bigger in Tsi engines in order to keep them cooled, because due to their small capacity (e.g. 1.2cc) and their high output (e.g. 77Kw) they reach very high temperatures. And the price we have to pay is the hot air delay to our vents.

Try your air conditioning it works at 16 deg From -20 to 16 deg will feel warm

1. I found the Diesel Greenie slower at warming up then my other car, a petrol Yaris...
   

That said, I had a rental Hyundai I10 and that could drive to the moon and back before warming up the passengers!

Even my partner moaned about it and she only went in it a few times.

Some cars warm fast, some dont! You can get a plastic panel that sits in front of the grille for around £30 delivered, from Heko... That will help a little, I recon. I am thinking of getting one but I dont wanna run hot all the rest of the time! I will use it from around late december, to early april if I fit one and they only require two screws to fit/remove!

@ Locilee. Thank you for the explanation of how it works, good to know that just standing still and revving doesnt help.

@Togo, Yes it does have the climatronic system, no problem when it starts blowing hot air.

@stratosg, Sounds almost as the answer i got. I do understand that it's compromises as it is a quite cheap car with a really expensive engine and gearbox.

@mrgf, Yep next year i will buy the cover for the grille.

The reason why i''m asking about the possibility to retrofit the PTC element is that i do accept the fabia beeing a little slow on heat, but if there is something I can do that would greatly improve my comfort 6month a year I want to do it.

It seems that no one knows if the PTC element fit in the petrol fabias?  

Have a great day my friends!

When I have to warm up the car quicker, I turn on "Re-circulation of air". Then the same air will be heat up again and again with out taking in new fresh cold air.

In Denmark the Skoda dealers can sell a "Webasto Top Evo 4" for petrol engines. But it cost a lot. Around 2.000 euro.

Hi Javerhammar,

No official Skoda dealer will retrofit the PTC for ephemeral safety reasons, as it would require meddling with the electrical system and perhaps also re-programming climate control unit to enable it to turn the PTC on and off. However, you could try and get a PTC kit (as fitted, for instance, to Roomster Scout 1.2 TSI in Russian spec), and then have an independent garage install it for you. I don't think it is a perfect solution, though, as my diesel Roomster has PTC as standard and I can't say it solves heating problem even at -10. And when it is -15 or -20 outside, in urban traffic, it takes half an hour's driving for the cabin to become reasonably worm.

So I would say that Webasto is a better solution, providing that you plan to keep the car for some time, as fitting Webasto at a certified garage costs 1 000 euros in Latvia, and in Sweden the price will probably be somewhat higher (but can you put a price on your health?). Costs apart, an important thing to consider before fitting Webasto is your daily mileage, as the heater uses power from the battery when warming the coolant. As a rule of thumb, the number of kilometres you will have to drive to recharge the battery equals the number of minutes Webasto was working prior to starting the engine.

Hope this helps.

Edited 17 March, 201214 yr by Rahab