How to get the car hot?

[Nobbi1977]

I have an L&K so heated seats and windscreen are great but what is the quickest way to get the cabin warm?

 

If you turn up the dials does it get warmer quicker or should I just leave it on 21 and let it do its thing?

 

 

[Zib]

My view on this is slightly controversial, but unless there is auxiliary heating of the coolant, the quickest way to get the cabin to a desired warm temperature in cold weather is to turn the system right off until the engine coolant temperature is nearly up to the operating 90 deg or so, then turn it back on.  It then has enough capacity to blast out heat.

 

However, the quickest way of getting warmth (as opposed to a desired temperature) is to keep the system off until there is movement in the coolant temperature gauge.

 

There is no point turning the climate control dials up to a high temperature then down again - the system will only stop putting out maximum heat as the set-point (i.e., the temperature set on the dial) is reached.

[kenfowler3966]

You can put the system on recirculate. Hence warming already slightly warm air rather than cold air from outside. It does prevent fresh air coming in from outside though. Leave the aircon on though as it dries the air and reduces condensation.

[Expatman]

You could find a nice steep hill to drive up, that way the engine works harder and produces more heat more quickly so heats up faster. There is no point in adjusting the temp, leave at 21 and let it do it's thing, anything you do will actually make very little difference to warm up time and hence time before the heater emits warm air.

[Guest FurryFriend]

You're not going to get any significant warmth until your engine has warmed up, that's just how it is.  

Doesn't matter how much you twiddle those knobs. 

Out of interest, does anyone make a radiator blind for the Yeti? 

 

[Yety]

12 hours ago, Zib said:

My view on this is slightly controversial, but unless there is auxiliary heating of the coolant, the quickest way to get the cabin to a desired warm temperature in cold weather is to turn the system right off until the engine coolant temperature is nearly up to the operating 90 deg or so, then turn it back on.  It then has enough capacity to blast out heat.

 

However, the quickest way of getting warmth (as opposed to a desired temperature) is to keep the system off until there is movement in the coolant temperature gauge.

 

There is no point turning the climate control dials up to a high temperature then down again - the system will only stop putting out maximum heat as the set-point (i.e., the temperature set on the dial) is reached.

 

Totally agree with this and about the re-circulation button. Diesels are more efficient fuel burners than petrol, and hence tend to take longer to warm up - it's a given. Try say 18*C on re-circ and drive off.

As others say wait for temperature gauge to register 90*C, possibly wait for oil temperature to start climbing before bumping up the temperature. If you have a heated front windscreen, use it and set controls to full screen as well to ensure safety/ vision and just drive off. 

[eribaMotters]

Be thankful you have a petrol engine that heats up more quickly than diesel. My 2014 diesel can take a good few miles 6 miles in winter before the oil temp starts to rise and I can notice any heat in the car.

 

Colin

[SurreyJohn]

There is nothing you can do to get quick warmth on UK spec models

 

Some countries (e.g. Scandinavia) have preheaters (it's not even an option in UK), presumably the people who choose the specs park their cars in their insulated garages at night so never have freezing car.

 

 

[langers2k]

I retrofitted a PTC heater to my TDi, it's basically a 1KW electric heater that sits in the HVAC system.

 

By turning the heating dial to max, it'll turn on and start providing warmish air in under a minute. It automatically turns off when the engine hits about 70'C.

 

Combined with the heated seats it keeps me warm enough until the engine warms up

[Ootohere]

Yety, diesels might be more efficient burners of the fuel, ie Diesel oil, but that is likely after 10 miles on days where the ambient temp is below 4*oC before the oil is at efficient operating temp, but the Coolant will be near 90*oC in 5 minutes and the thermostat open and the coolant hot enough to heat the cold interior.

 

The petrol engines coolant will be at 90*oc quicker and the oil temp going from 50*oC up into the 80's in about 5 miles.

As to recycle & no cold air intake from outside and quicker interior heating, all great in theory, maybe in practice, 

but when heating is most needed maybe getting windows defrosted and the interior not steamed up is important, 

and around freezing and below the A/C is doing nothing to help that.

[Nobbi1977]

I have always set the heat to off on other cars and waited for engine to warm before turning it on but I did not know if the CC on these put out full heat until temp was reached or does it put out the temp requested.

[Urrell]

2 hours ago, Headinawayoffski said:

Yety, diesels might be more efficient burners of the fuel, ie Diesel oil, but that is likely after 10 miles on days where the ambient temp is below 4*oC before the oil is at efficient operating temp, but the Coolant will be near 90*oC in 5 minutes and the thermostat open

 

I know mine being a Greenline will take longer to warm up but it takes at least 3 times that long at that temperature.
50 years ago I drove a Morris 1000 pick up and that was blowing hot air after about 200 yards.

[Urrell]

2 minutes ago, Nobbi1977 said:

I have always set the heat to off on other cars and waited for engine to warm before turning it on but I did not know if the CC on these put out full heat until temp was reached or does it put out the temp requested.

 

It will put out the heat that is available so just leave it to the set temperature and take what heat is available if its warmer than the outside air.

[Ootohere]

?

Does the Coolant of your Greenline take 3 times longer than 5 minutes before the thermostat opens and puts hot coolant around the engine block, 

or do you mean 15 minutes until hot air comes out the vents into the interior?

 

I had a Morris Minor that heated up quick as well, but then in really cold weather we put something in front of the radiator.

[Llanigraham]

3 hours ago, FurryFriend said:

You're not going to get any significant warmth until your engine has warmed up, that's just how it is.  

Doesn't matter how much you twiddle those knobs. 

Out of interest, does anyone make a radiator blind for the Yeti? 

 

 

There was one on the Eastern European market, but to be honest I cannot see what difference it would make over here. All they do is stop air blowing onto the radiator, and since the thermostat will stop water circulating to that until it is hot it can't make much difference.

And I have never found my car takes that long to heat up. Even when I left home at 0500 and the temperature was below -5 I found I was getting warmth through in less than 2 miles and full heat after 10.

[Guest FurryFriend]

You're not going to get any significant warmth until your engine has warmed up, that's just how it is.  

Doesn't matter how much you twiddle those knobs. 

Out of interest, does anyone make a radiator blind for the Yeti? 

 

[Llanigraham]

1 minute ago, FurryFriend said:

You're not going to get any significant warmth until your engine has warmed up, that's just how it is.  

Doesn't matter how much you twiddle those knobs. 

Out of interest, does anyone make a radiator blind for the Yeti? 

 

See above.

[Guest FurryFriend]

Sorry.... Dog sat on phone! 

Thanks for this  Graham. Like you I think tge warm up time is  pretty good. 

3 miles  in slow traffic is going to warm up the engine quicker than  maybe the same distance  on a 70mph dual carriageway on a frosty morning though, and I wondered what the ops journey entails and if a blind  might help. 

Thanks. 

[Ootohere]

On Modern Diesels like a TDI you might find a Radiator Blind really worth while when you are driving in the sort of temps where Diesel might wax if 

there was no Anti Waxing diesel in the tank.

The Radiator Blind would not assist in the Anti waxing, just in helping keep the engines efficient operating temp, 

but then at even -15oC they do that pretty well when on the move.

[kenfowler3966]

My previous greenline was giving heat and demisting the windscreen in about 1 mile from home?

 

If you really need the heat just start the engine whilst de-icing the car outside, and wait until the demisting works before setting off. Actually it is a legal requirement to do this as the car must have all the screens cleared inside and out before driving on the road, and the only way to achieve this is to have heat coming out of the heater vents.

 

Also gives the seat time to warm before you get in!

[Urrell]

1 hour ago, Headinawayoffski said:

Does the Coolant of your Greenline take 3 times longer than 5 minutes before the thermostat opens and puts hot coolant around the engine block, 

or do you mean 15 minutes until hot air comes out the vents into the interior?

 

When the thermostat opens it allows hot coolant to circulate thru the radiator to be cooled, it's always around around the head and block where the heater takes it heat from.
Anywhere near zero degrees C it takes mine 6 or 7 minutes before I can feel any heat from the vents but the seats are comfortable after about a minute.
It takes about 7 or 8 miles before 90 degrees is registering on the temperature gauge and nearly double that before the oil temperature gets up to its 95 to 100 degrees C

[Ootohere]

Yes not rocket science just the science of Internal Combustion Engine motor vehicles the coolant circulates around the block and head to get the engine to operating temperature and the oil which is a coolant, then after the oil is getting to temp or above the coolants primary job is to keep the oil to the operating temperature, and its self,

so the oil is doing as with Air Cooled engines as well.

The thermostat not allowing coolant to the cooling system until first the heating part happens, some systems allow some heat to the interior heater.

All basic engineering principals there, taught in the first classes of anyone training in motor engineering.

 

As many know in very cold weather the oil might never reach 90*oc even on the longest of journeys, or might reach it and still drop quickly under some conditions. That can be with Diesels, Petrols or alternative fuel ICE's.

 

My Euro 6 2.0TDI takes 6 miles to get an indicated 50*oC Oil Temp, from about 4*oC ambient and below,

and this week at around freezing and below starting at -5*oC has taken up to 20 miles to 

get to an indicated 90oC and above oil temp 

The Heater is putting out heat around 5 minutes after starting the engine, turning on the heated mirrors, rear screen, and starting to deice the windows, and heat is coming out the vents within 2 miles of starting driving, but then that depends how the deicing goes and if it is a hoar frost.

Location location location type thing obviously.

Edited 12 November, 2017 by Headinawayoffski

[Expatman]

The petrol Yeti gets warm a lot quicker than the diesel and the newer 1.2 warms even quicker than the older engine pre FL.

[vfrvrs]

Petrol burns hotter than diesel and differently.  Spark plug compared to compression. 

Buy a 12volt in car ceramic heater. Job done.

[Sad555]

A bit of cardboard in front of the radiator........or