engine block heater

Joined
Oct 31, 2007
Location
Knox, In
TDI
04 Golf 1.9 TDI
TWTC:
Does the aluminum oil pan come into consideration when installing an engine block heater, why & can you recommend one for my 04 golf tdi? Thanks, Audie
 
Joined
Oct 31, 2007
Location
Knox, In
TDI
04 Golf 1.9 TDI
How did you squeeze 58 MPG out of your Jetta? Looks real nice! I don't have any pics of my 04 Golf on the computer yet. Id like to get black leather seats instead of the silver-gray cloth. Audie
 

catmandoo

Veteran Member
Joined
May 9, 2005
Location
ia
TDI
2000 jetta gls tdi,91 2dr jetta gl n/a diesel
i've gotten 58 with my 2000 jetta twice,believe me you have to go at it in the mindset that everything you do is to save fuel.no a/c,windows up,keep it under 2000 rpm's etc.
 

mrGutWrench

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 29, 2002
Location
Carrboro, NC
TDI
'03 Jetta Wagon, 5-speed, 563K Miles (July '23)
Mr. Audie Gates said:
How did you squeeze 58 MPG out of your Jetta? Looks real nice! I don't have any pics of my 04 Golf on the computer yet. Id like to get black leather seats instead of the silver-gray cloth. Audie
__. Your '04 has the PD engine - they don't get as good MPG as the "VE" engines (the difference is in the fuel injection). About the only reasonable way to find seats for replacement is a junkyard but they'll probably be rare because most seats would have had the airbags go off and that ruins them. Expect to pay mucho dinero!

__. There's lots of info about your car here on this website and the "search" function is really clunky. But check the FAQ's (Frequently Asked Questions), read the "stickies" at the tops of the pages, and search for topics you're interested in. You'll find a lot of help.

__. Good luck with your car!
 

n8ronJ

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 11, 2007
Location
Niagara Frontier - Somerset, NY
TDI
2014 BMW 328d XDrive, 2003 Jetta GLS TDI 5speed Platinum Grey (sold), 2010 Jetta 6speed (bought back)
BobFout,
Have you seen a mileage improvement at all with the heater? I would assume that there would be a little bit of an increase because you're eliminating those cold starts. I live in western NY (near Niagara Falls, north of Buffalo) and we get some real winter bitterness. The wind can be just brutal. Jetta always starts but I'd like to help it out a little on these cold days.

Is it worth the $100?
 

alex97jazzblue

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 18, 2002
Location
Balltimore, MD
TDI
ALH, BRM
Ha ha, is it worth it.

I live in Maryland, tropical by comparison to where you live, I only use it when I know it will be less than 35F when I drive to work.

It is the weirdest thing too, having this car for 6 years u get used to how it feels when ran in this weather. Now I get in and the engine and coolant are totally warmed up and I would have no idea I was driving my car in the winter by listening to it.

In response to your question, I beleive it would make ME save fuel. When my car would be real cold I would tend to rev faster and stay in lower gears for longer in an attempt to make the engine heat faster.
Also I beleive the engine works a little harder when cold.

End of the day, the Tdiheater will give you comfort, wear your engine less, and even prevent ice buildup (remember that this heats and pumps the coolant, therefore it heats the engine block too, heat eventually radiates to the hood and windshield).
 
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Bob_Fout

Oil Wanker
Joined
Sep 5, 2004
Location
Indiana
TDI
2003 Jetta - Alaska Green (sold) / 2015 GTI 2.0T
n8ronJ said:
BobFout,
Have you seen a mileage improvement at all with the heater? I would assume that there would be a little bit of an increase because you're eliminating those cold starts. I live in western NY (near Niagara Falls, north of Buffalo) and we get some real winter bitterness. The wind can be just brutal. Jetta always starts but I'd like to help it out a little on these cold days.

Is it worth the $100?
I can't be sure, I've had a few other mods that would affect MPG also.:D
 

Bora-chiara

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 7, 2007
Location
San Tan Valley, Arizona
TDI
ALH, BHW, CKRA
It's worth the 'hundred dollars. I like pulling into work and not just barely generating cabin heat. Starts like a warm summer day and instant cabin heat. OOOH its nice. And looks smooth under the hood too. Agreed with the ice melting. Highly recomended.
 

Pat Dolan

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 19, 2002
Location
Martensville, SK
TDI
2003 A4 Variant, 2015 Q7
Yes, the TDI heater is what VW should have done in the first place. The mickey-mouse (sorry Walt) stick on oil warmer doesn't do the job. We start plugging in around zero or so. The TDI ALWAYS starts (even if unplugged) but a cold start is fairly hard on things. I think I have 1,100 watt element heater, and we use a timer so that it is running no more than an hour or so before first expected use in the day. Around here (about -30 something this morning) we also use a "winter front" - a vinyl grill opening cover to limit cold air blasting into the engine room all winter. Our local VW dealer has some very nice ones made up locally that simply clip in place and fit very well.

BTW: while the TDI is about the worst car since air cooled days for warming up and heating the interior, our older TDs are about the best. As usual, VW screws up something else good and never bothers to deal with the issue. I guess that's why we have an aftermarket and forums.
 
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