A question for our members in the colder parts of Europe. When I lived in Berlin and owned a Peugeot 504 then 505, I had a hotter thermostat fitted for winter driving (which I left fitted permanently to the 505 for 13 years without ill effect). I was also able to buy a simple plastic blanking plate to fit just inside the radiator grille during winter to help the engine warm up more quickly. Are Octavias sold in Sweden 'winterised' in any way to help them warm up more rapidly and to make the heater more effective, and are there any Skoda accessories like radiator muffs or engine pre-heaters which you can buy?

Kenlowe used to sell a simple heater (a small electric element) which fitted in the radiator bottom hose and, when connected to a time switch, enabled the car to be pre-heated each morning. But now that we are in the 21st Century, the replacement technology from Bosch costs an arm and a leg, and takes up almost as much space....

Hi Dennis,

I don't know about Sweden, but down here (about 100 miles south of Berlin) it's been pretty cold recently (down to -20C some nights). The Octavia (1.8T estate) has to live outside, and I must say it has not given the slightest trouble (and I've finally become grateful for heated seats).

The only winterisation that I've carried out has been swapping to winter tyres and making sure the coolant and screenwash won't freeze. However, I did start looking at the pre-heaters offered by Eberspaecher:

http://www.eberspaecher.com/en/heiz/heiz.htm

The basic model costs EUR 909, not including fitting (I've been quoted 1300 complete by a local Skoda dealer). For an extra EUR 240 they offer a remote control too.

To be honest, this is probably too much to spend on a device that would only be really necessary for a few weeks of the year - I can imagine it being really handy in Scandanavian countries, although I was under the impression that they tend to go for electric pre-heating systems (similar to what you described in your posting).

Anyway, things have warmed up again this week, and I hope we'll have the garage sorted out by next winter, so I think I'll save my money.

Cheers,

Mark

Denis,

Check out http://www.defa.com/ as they make engine preheaters for virtually all cars. They also make heaters to warm up the inside of your car! A lot of my norwegian collegues have these fitted. I think the engine heaters are 100 - 200 quid.

cheers,

Paul

Paul

Exactly what I was looking for - and the site is now included in our web links under Parts and Accessories. Skodas are well-catered for, and the engine heater for the Felicia looks a doddle to fit. The Octavia is a little more difficult, but only just. A pity that DEFA does not have a National Distributor in the UK.