Zerostart Super Heat Magnet

absolutetraitor

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 16, 2004
Location
Hamilton Ontario
TDI
2001 golf, 2door, all show, no go SOLD 2006.5 Jetta TDI sport DSG... worst vw ever owned.
hey, just picked up one of these http://www.canadiantire.ca/browse/product_detail.jsp;jsessionid=LlscHLYlDXJMwhcxCMz8NLvLv47KLRlGJtd0jPVDq1cmnWdf5JBP!-82739057?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441888979&bmUID=1260760124026 for my sprinter, since it's a royal PITA to put in the oem block heater... magnet grabs like a SOB to the iron block, just above the oil pan. thinking about tacking one on my transmission too, then wiring to a common plug.

Has anyone tried this on a tdi? if i remember correctly, aren't our engines all aluminum? i know the dsg case is, so i guess i won't be using it on the tranny, but i'd really like to cover all my bases in the battle against cold start wear. my 2006 jetta already has a webasto blueheat system in it, which i love, but i can't help but feel like my oil and dsg fluid could benefit hugely from being all warm and gooey on the cold mornings. i haven't actually installed it on my truck yet, but i'm confident it'll help. especially since it holds 12L of oil, and it doesn't like starting up on really cold mornings.
 

absolutetraitor

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Dec 16, 2004
Location
Hamilton Ontario
TDI
2001 golf, 2door, all show, no go SOLD 2006.5 Jetta TDI sport DSG... worst vw ever owned.
well, i don't think you can have a magnet melt and fall off thus starting a fire. so i think we're pretty safe here.
 

solartempest

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Mar 28, 2009
Location
Toronto, ON
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2009 Jetta Sedan DSG
absolutetraitor said:
well, i don't think you can have a magnet melt and fall off thus starting a fire. so i think we're pretty safe here.
I agree, as long as you're not putting it against something that will melt, it should be okay. It's CSA approved, after all.
 

Benjamin

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Sep 10, 2004
Location
Black Diamond, AB
TDI
2000 Tdi Jetta Mine, 2008 Jeep GC CRD, 2005 Passat TDi
If you have a hybrid oil pan you can use this, otherwise the magnet won't stick to the stock aluminum oil pan.
In terms of your truck, good luck. I know it does not get as cold out there as what I am having right now. I got one of these for my GMC w4500 and at -25`C it did nothing for me. Honestly there was a piece of ice an inch up on the oil pan that never fell off with this thing on all night. When I went to start the truck it felt like it does when ever I have to start it at -25`c, no different. I think the idea is great, but I am going to try one of those pad heaters that didn't do so well on the tdi's. With no skid plate to worry about, they recommend a 500W pad for oil capacities of 12-24 liters. Not something you can find at CT, but I am sure somebody has one out there.

Just a heads up.

Ben
 

T_D_I_POWER

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Jun 7, 2007
Location
Savannah. GA. USA - Toronto. ON. CANADA
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'04 VW PASSAT GLS TDI '06 Audi A4 q Avant 6-Spd Sport Pkg
IMO, it's far better to get the coolant heater. Coolant heater will heat up the coolant in the cyl. head, OHE & A/THE -if equipped, heater core. You kill many birds with one stone type of deal. Yes, it isn't a PAP, but it's very rewarding.
 

jettawreck

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Joined
Aug 2, 2004
Location
Northern Minnesota-55744
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2001 Jetta and 2003 Jetta
Use up electicity and do no warming when applied to an engine block. Tried it years ago. Waste of time/money. May work on an iron oil pan, but I think it would be minimal.
 

absolutetraitor

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 16, 2004
Location
Hamilton Ontario
TDI
2001 golf, 2door, all show, no go SOLD 2006.5 Jetta TDI sport DSG... worst vw ever owned.
the sprinter has a coolant heater integrated, it's an espar unit... same concept as the webasto blueheat already on my jetta (best winter upgrade EVER), however, in the sprinter the espar is not equipped with a timer that allows the unit to be fired when the engine is not running. this renders it almost useless, except that it allows faster warm up once the truck has been started. I'm disapointed to hear that the magnet is useless... i know it's only 200 watt, but i guess i was being optimistic. if is wasn't 60 bucks i'd consider getting maybe 3 of them, equaling 600 watts, but for that money i can get some monkey at the dodge dealership to install the factory block heater. for the jetta, i'm just gonna spray foam the roof of my shop/garage and spend my money keeping it a reasonable temperature.
 

T_D_I_POWER

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jun 7, 2007
Location
Savannah. GA. USA - Toronto. ON. CANADA
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'04 VW PASSAT GLS TDI '06 Audi A4 q Avant 6-Spd Sport Pkg
Have you seeen this?

http://www.wolverineheater.com/products.shtml

Does your Sprinter have an OHE like the one on the Jetta? If so, you could wrap a suitable Wolverine heater pad
arounf the OHE housing. That should heat the OHE housing then in turn it'll heat the coolant. Or stick one on the
cyl. head.
 
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absolutetraitor

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 16, 2004
Location
Hamilton Ontario
TDI
2001 golf, 2door, all show, no go SOLD 2006.5 Jetta TDI sport DSG... worst vw ever owned.
looks cool, er, warm. it's saying 500 watts for 13 - 26l or something like that... so i'm thinking two of the 200 watt magnets would be sufficient for 12l of oil, however i'm putting them on the block, just above the oil pan, rather than on the pan. i figured that warming the block would be more effective than just warming the oil in the pan... if the block is ice cold, when the warm oil hits it, it'd just suck the heat out of the oil, but if the block is warm, it's going to warm the oil. i dunno, maybe i got it backwards. it's shake the hands and kiss the babies, not shake the babies and kiss the hands. maybe that's why i lost that governors election back in 86.
 

jettawreck

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Aug 2, 2004
Location
Northern Minnesota-55744
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2001 Jetta and 2003 Jetta
Those magnet heaters do next to nothing on an engine block. Tried them on my little 2 cylinder diesel tractor and after hours you could lay your hand on the iron right next to them and it was stone cold. Now try to imagine that heat (or lack thereof) passing thru to the coolant and warming it?? Perhaps if they were indoors out of the cold/wind, but then you wouldn't really need them then.
 

jasonTDI

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Apr 26, 2001
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Oregon, WI
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20' RAM 3500 CCLB dually HO/Aisan. 2019 Cherokee 2.0T
The coolant heaters if left on overnight WITH a belly pan WILL heat the oil SOME. Do it and feel the pan. I'll do it some real cold night and get the infra red gun on it to get a temp. I'd say the oil is in the 35-45F range.

The block is heated that much that it carries down into the pan. The aluminum however disapates the heat quickly.
 

mrGutWrench

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Aug 29, 2002
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Carrboro, NC
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'03 Jetta Wagon, 5-speed, 563K Miles (July '23)
NB_TDi said:
Wonder if we'll have a fire 2010 thread.
__. Yes, probably. The reason that NB brings this up is that people were selling "glue on" sump heaters for VW aluminum-sump-engines in the early 200?'s. They didn't work very well but there were a fair number of instances of them falling off the engines, landing in the belly pans, and setting them on fire. This burned some cars completely to the ground.

__. I'd rather soak my car with kerosene and touch a match to it than put a magnet heater on my engine; it would be quicker and you'd know when your car was going to melt.
 

jj_goff

Member
Joined
Jan 21, 2007
Location
Walpole
TDI
none...yet
Looking for advice on heaters

I have an '03 Jetta Wagon that has a very hard time getting started in the morning below 20 F. I give the glow plugs a couple rounds before I try to start and if it starts it takes up to a minute of chugging to actually turn over.
I have read posts on the magnet heaters not working on the TDIs and the others catching fire, the only ones that seem to get good reviews are the coolant heaters like the Frost Heater. So, are there any suggestions? I have a grease car set up so is there concern about splicing into the extended coolant system? I don't care about having the cabin be warm, I just want my car to start! Thanks.
 

Tsagoth

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Joined
Nov 22, 2005
Location
Hanover, ON
TDI
2003 Jetta Wagon Automatic
jettawreck said:
Those magnet heaters do next to nothing on an engine block. Tried them on my little 2 cylinder diesel tractor and after hours you could lay your hand on the iron right next to them and it was stone cold. Now try to imagine that heat (or lack thereof) passing thru to the coolant and warming it?? Perhaps if they were indoors out of the cold/wind, but then you wouldn't really need them then.
I have a 200W one stuck to the side of the block of my 4 cyl diesel tractor which is parked outside. While it does nothing for warming oil, what it does do is take enough of the chill off that it will start at -20C with the glow plugs almost immediately. With no heater, there's -no- fuel ignition until after at least ten seconds of cranking with the plugs hot. So maybe it's not great, but for my tired 30+ year old tractor it's better than nothing.
 

absolutetraitor

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Joined
Dec 16, 2004
Location
Hamilton Ontario
TDI
2001 golf, 2door, all show, no go SOLD 2006.5 Jetta TDI sport DSG... worst vw ever owned.
i f you don't mind spending a few bucks, the webasto blueheat is the catsass. i've got it on my jetta and wifey and i love it. get the optional remote.
 
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