"Standheizung" option on Audis for the winter

Pkiernan

I had this option when I lived in Germany - fantastic for this weather.

It is a dedicated heating unit in the engine bay that burns a small amount of fuel to preheat the engine block, coolant and the cars interior.

It was programmable from the car computer - I would set it to come on 15 minutes before my commute.

The engine itself is not turned on, just the heating unit.

My neighbours would look on while scraping their cars while I got into my toasty car with all windows deiced!

I wonder if it will be offered as an option here.

firefly08

I live in a cold part of the US and a lot of cars here have block heaters. You just plug them into the mains and they do a very similar job (they don't heat the interior but that doesn't take long if the engine block is warmed up).

But nowadays everyone just uses remote starters. That's the most flexible way IMO because you can use it to get the car cooled down in the hot weather or warmed up in cold weather. Just press the button to start the engine 10 minutes before you need the car. You can get them fitted to just about any car as well.

colm_mcm

This option was available on most toyotas a few years back, its also optional on land rovers and standard on diesel rover 75s

RedorDead

Not offered in Ireland - only offered in "cold" countries. May have to re-assess this one.

Owen

My lovely jubbly Rover 75 has it. Bit weird the first time the neighbours saw it being used and a cloud of steam from its exhaust coming out from under the the front of the car, but it's absolutely fantastic.

There are ones out there you can retrofit through the frost plugs in some engines, but I'm damned if I can remember where.

keithclancy

PaintDoctor wrote: »

My lovely jubbly Rover 75 has it. Bit weird the first time the neighbours saw it being used and a cloud of steam from its exhaust coming out from under the the front of the car, but it's absolutely fantastic.

There are ones out there you can retrofit through the frost plugs in some engines, but I'm damned if I can remember where.

The preheaters cost a fortune, about 2.5k to Install depending on the model.
A few lads in work use them. Although TBH a sweeping brush and telescopic ice scraper isnt that much hassle

Cleared about 3 inches of snow + ice off my car this morning in about 15 minutes including the roof.

Owen

I cleared my glass in a few seconds with a heat gun

Matt Simis

There is a GM product called "Hot Shot" that uses an element in the Windscreen Washer tank to heat the washer fluid (to something very very hot) for instant deice and excellent cleaning.

Afaik, it was withdrawn after engine fires..

galwaytt

Matt Simis wrote: »

There is a GM product called "Hot Shot" that uses an element in the Windscreen Washer tank to heat the washer fluid (to something very very hot) for instant deice and excellent cleaning.

Afaik, it was withdrawn after engine fires..

LOL - someone probably put petrol in the bottle: mini flame-thrower, anyone ??

mike65

GM - the home of good ideas badly engineered.

Victor_M

I think it's standard on the E60 5 series with the advanced climate control. I have it on my car (don't know if it was an extra on top of the climate control or not) and you can set the time you want the heaters to start warming the cars interior, you can also set it to can on later in the afternoon so it warm for you coming out of work too.

It doesn't pre-heat the engine bay, but I don't see what advantage that would offer on a modern car. Maybe your bonnet would be free of snow?

keithclancy

Victor_M wrote: »

I think it's standard on the E60 5 series with the advanced climate control. I have it on my car (don't know if it was an extra on top of the climate control or not) and you can set the time you want the heaters to start warming the cars interior, you can also set it to can on later in the afternoon so it warm for you coming out of work too.

It doesn't pre-heat the engine bay, but I don't see what advantage that would offer on a modern car. Maybe your bonnet would be free of snow?

The one in the Audi preheats the engine coolant and cabin.

colm_mcm

To my knowledge the one in the 75 is made by webasto

245

Kenlowe make an aftermarket kit that isn't overly expensive

gofaster_s13

A very common feature on a lot of Trucks for drivers bunking overnight in the cabs, kits are available from Webasto and Eberspacher in 12volt, When I had a GT4 Celica I used to use the Turbo timer for preheating the car(the only real world use for a turbotimer) but it did mean having to run out to the car in your undercrackers to start it.

bbam

PaintDoctor wrote: »

I cleared my glass in a few seconds with a heat gun

Great idea but beware if you get it over hot you risk delaminating the front windscreen which would be knackered... :eek:

Owen

No way. I'd never have thought of that :pac:

Piri

There is a retrofit version Google : Webasto

doctorchopper

There are ones out there you can retrofit through the frost plugs in some engines, but I'm damned if I can remember where.[/QUOTE]

very popular in north america but you need to plug them into a electrical house outlet.

remote starters are great for cars with auto gearboxes but very dangerous with manual ones, in case you forget it in gear, push the button and there she goes, i know a lot of them have a switch connected to the handbrake but i would never leave the handbrake on overnight in freezing temps as there would be a good chance of the brakes freezing on

EPM

AFAIK some VAG diesels have additional heating elements in the dash to overcome the length of time it takes a diesel to heat up.

I'm sure some thing could be botched up...

Piri

doctorchopper wrote: »

There are ones out there you can retrofit through the frost plugs in some engines, but I'm damned if I can remember where.

very popular in north america but you need to plug them into a electrical house outlet.

remote starters are great for cars with auto gearboxes but very dangerous with manual ones, in case you forget it in gear, push the button and there she goes, i know a lot of them have a switch connected to the handbrake but i would never leave the handbrake on overnight in freezing temps as there would be a good chance of the brakes freezing on[/QUOTE]

http://wup.defa.com/en/wup_products_preheaters.html

colm_mcm

gofaster_s13 wrote: »

A very common feature on a lot of Trucks for drivers bunking overnight in the cabs, kits are available from Webasto and Eberspacher in 12volt, When I had a GT4 Celica I used to use the Turbo timer for preheating the car(the only real world use for a turbotimer) but it did mean having to run out to the car in your undercrackers to start it.

Remote start is the job for this, had it on one of my ftos years back. As well as the cabin being toasty the engine would be up to temp which meant the mivec worked too :-)
Had to be careful to switch wipers off the night before...

Matt Simis

EPM wrote: »

AFAIK some VAG diesels have additional heating elements in the dash to overcome the length of time it takes a diesel to heat up.

I'm sure some thing could be botched up...

I think the big 3 German diesels have these (prolly on most modern diesels?), usually made (as noted for the other stuff) by Webasto. Not located in the dash afaik, usually a front wheel arch.

Johnny Storm

In Sweden people leave a light bulb on an extension cord under the engine bay all night to keep it from getting too cold. Many cars there also have electrical sockets on the wing where they can be plugged into the mains, presumably some kind of built-in electric heater

Matt Simis

Johnny Storm wrote: »

In Sweden people leave a light bulb on an extension cord under the engine bay all night to keep it from getting too cold. Many cars there also have electrical sockets on the wing where they can be plugged into the mains, presumably some kind of built-in electric heater

I was considering doing this too, though my initial fear was melted ice dropping onto the bulb and fitting.

Mr.David

Yeah the Jags and Land Rovers all have it as option fit.

Had a Rangy overnight a while ago, sitting in having the breakfast watching the morning news and fire up the preheater using the remote. Get out then 10mins later and its defrosted, warmed and the seats & steering wheel are toasty

Hard to give it back the next day knowing you'll soon be cutting the knuckles off yourself scraping ice off your own car and waiting an age for the damn thing to heat up!

Do-more

Johnny Storm wrote: »

Many cars there also have electrical sockets on the wing where they can be plugged into the mains, presumably some kind of built-in electric heater

http://biltema.se/sv/Bil---MC/Bil-tillbehor/Vinterbil/Kupevarmare/Kupevarmare-1380-W/


This is what many people have, normally mounted in the passenger foot well and with a small socket in a plastic bumper or in the grill to plug an extension lead into.

Do-more

Here's an affordable mains powered engine block heater £99 + delivery which might be of interest to some, seems to be fairly easy to install too.

fricatus

Matt Simis wrote: »

There is a GM product called "Hot Shot" that uses an element in the Windscreen Washer tank to heat the washer fluid (to something very very hot) for instant deice and excellent cleaning.

Afaik, it was withdrawn after engine fires..

LOL, reminds me of the line in the Simpsons' Canyonero song: "unexplained fires are a matter for the courts!"

EPM

Matt Simis wrote: »

I think the big 3 German diesels have these (prolly on most modern diesels?), usually made (as noted for the other stuff) by Webasto. Not located in the dash afaik, usually a front wheel arch.

That could be it alright. Remember it from salesman spiel a couple of years back when looking at a Mark V TDI...

tossy

Victor_M wrote: »

It doesn't pre-heat the engine bay, but I don't see what advantage that would offer on a modern car. Maybe your bonnet would be free of snow?

Id say trying to start a big diesel block in -20 ish temps you might be glad of a preheated engine bay/engine block.