Do the 2010 Golfs have engine block heater?

mxs

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 30, 2009
Location
Ontario
TDI
2010 Golf TDI
My Golf comes with the OEM installed socket on the left side of the front bumper and I found a cable matching the unique socket in my spare tire compartment. But there's no mention of any block heater in the thick manual. When I called I asked the dealership what is the cable and socket for, a guy told me it's for block heater.

If it is block heater, how much time does it need to be plugged in, and does it turn off on its own?

I realize that the socket could be used even for coolant heater setup, I just find it weird that the manual doesn't mention anything about a block heater ...

Thanks
 

BnR

Active member
Joined
Dec 22, 2009
Location
Arnprior, Ontario
TDI
2010 Golf Highline manual
Coolant heater and block heater are just different terms for the same thing. Both heat the coolant. Look for "engine coolant heater" (I think) in the 1st manual section and it will point you to to manual with the description.

Not sure how long it takes to heat up. If it's pretty cold -15C or below I'll plug it in before I go to bed for work the next morning. So far cold starts with or without the heater have been smooth. -20 or so coming home from work one day was the coldest and it started smoothly ... a wee bit noisier than normal, but no drama.
 

mxs

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 30, 2009
Location
Ontario
TDI
2010 Golf TDI
I don't think theu are the same at all.

I thought all VW cars had the heater which heats the oil belly pan. Some people buy the additional coolant heater. The guy from the dealer told me that of course I do not have the coolant heater (I didn't pay extra to have it installed) so he told me it's for the belly pan heater.

So, do the stock 2010 Golf models have any heater installed at all? Sorry, but it's not obvious to me from your reply.
 

itsmejerry

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Joined
Sep 6, 2002
Location
Birmingham, AL
TDI
2015 Passat SE TDI Nav, 2015 Passat SE TDI, 2015 Beetle Convertible TDI, 2015 Golf Sportwagen TDI All Phase 2 Emission Modified complete. 50 State Legal Diesel!
Not in the US.

Canada-Only the 4 door Golf TDI and Wagon TDI Comfort and Highline models have it. The 2 door models do not.
I'm only reading the order guide, but it is referred to as an engine block heater not an inline coolant heater.
The block heaters go in a freeze plug on the engine block itself, and heat the coolant in the engine, and by default-- the oil in the engine block as heat transfers throughout the engine block itself.

The coolant heaters that many ppl are familiar with are in-line coolant heaters which require cutting a radiator hose or swapping one hose for two shorter hoses and clamping the hoses to the heater itself.
 
Last edited:

mxs

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 30, 2009
Location
Ontario
TDI
2010 Golf TDI
itsmejerry said:
Not in the US.

Canada-Only the 4 door Golf TDI and Wagon TDI Comfort and Highline models have it. The 2 door models do not.
I'm only reading the order guide, but it is referred to as an engine block heater not an inline coolant heater.
The block heaters go in a freeze plug on the engine block itself, and heat the coolant in the engine, and by default-- the oil in the engine block as heat transfers throughout the engine block itself.
Yeah, but the thing is that my manual says nothing about block heater, only mentions coolant heater. athe the same time VW provides nicely installed bumper plug and a cable.

I believe it is a block heater I have in my car, but it would be nice if the manual confirms that, instead it bring more confusion into it.

I tried to locate a fuse for the heater. I thought if there's a heater it will have it's own fuse, but the manual lists only some of them, not all? I am not sure if there's a full diagram on the fuse cap inside.
 

mxs

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 30, 2009
Location
Ontario
TDI
2010 Golf TDI
OK, I was really curious about it, so I called the dealership again (since the first guy didn't sound convincing at all, plus was contradicting the manual ..) and got hold of a service dep. guy who actually knew.

It is confirmed that 2010 Golf TDI hatch Highline in Canada does come with the inline coolant heater installed from the factory. I assume the same goes for the wagon.

So it finally makes sense.
 

elcaminokid

Active member
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Location
FL
TDI
2010 JSW
I looked for this on my 2010 JSW, didn't find it. Did they delete this option or did I not look hard enough
 

Mat

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 26, 2009
Location
Québec, QC
TDI
MK6 Golf TDI Highline (ordered)
mxs said:
OK, I was really curious about it, so I called the dealership again (since the first guy didn't sound convincing at all, plus was contradicting the manual ..) and got hold of a service dep. guy who actually knew.

It is confirmed that 2010 Golf TDI hatch Highline in Canada does come with the inline coolant heater installed from the factory. I assume the same goes for the wagon.

So it finally makes sense.
That's a really good news!
I thought it was just an oil pan heater or something like that...
 

mxs

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 30, 2009
Location
Ontario
TDI
2010 Golf TDI
Mat said:
That's a really good news!
I thought it was just an oil pan heater or something like that...
Me too, but I was increasingly suspicious when found the plug in the bumper, cable in the truck and section in the manual talking about coolant heater.

I just have to test it now, that the parts are really there ... LOL
 

itsmejerry

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Joined
Sep 6, 2002
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Birmingham, AL
TDI
2015 Passat SE TDI Nav, 2015 Passat SE TDI, 2015 Beetle Convertible TDI, 2015 Golf Sportwagen TDI All Phase 2 Emission Modified complete. 50 State Legal Diesel!
Glad we finally figured it out.
I think VW needs to change the term on the order guide to 'Coolant Heater' instead of Block Heater.
 

gpshumway

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 27, 2005
Location
Minneapolis, MN
TDI
2000 Jetta
mxs said:
Yeah, but the thing is that my manual says nothing about block heater, only mentions coolant heater. athe the same time VW provides nicely installed bumper plug and a cable.

I believe it is a block heater I have in my car, but it would be nice if the manual confirms that, instead it bring more confusion into it.

I tried to locate a fuse for the heater. I thought if there's a heater it will have it's own fuse, but the manual lists only some of them, not all? I am not sure if there's a full diagram on the fuse cap inside.
The block doesn't have freeze plugs therefore there's no place to put a "block" heater. The factory coolant heater plumbs into a coolant line just like the aftermarket ones. It's made by Calix, and doesn't have a fuse, that function is performed by the circuit breaker in your house. It's hard to put a 120v fuse in a fuse block designed for 12v accessories.

Do you have a 2010? Your profile doesn't say. I'd like to know what the bumper plug looks like and if it's possible to retrofit it to a US JSW.
 

gpshumway

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Joined
Sep 27, 2005
Location
Minneapolis, MN
TDI
2000 Jetta
Excellent. It even fits with foglights, unlike the mk5 version. Is that a hatchback or wagon? Anybody know if the parts are the same?
 

mxs

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 30, 2009
Location
Ontario
TDI
2010 Golf TDI
gpshumway said:
The block doesn't have freeze plugs therefore there's no place to put a "block" heater. The factory coolant heater plumbs into a coolant line just like the aftermarket ones. It's made by Calix, and doesn't have a fuse, that function is performed by the circuit breaker in your house. It's hard to put a 120v fuse in a fuse block designed for 12v accessories.
Makes sense about the fuse .... however VW put something they call a safety switch. The manual says that if there's a dangerous voltage present in the lines it will shut off the heating circuit. It also has a test button. I was trying to locate the box, but couldn't (limited light and really cold outside ...). I think I have an idea where it is, but have to wait till the weekend .... so I assume that will act as a fuse type of a thing.

BTW, left it plugged outside overnight and this morning the engine was butter smooth from the get go (-10C outside ...). Happy camper I am.
 

Mat

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 26, 2009
Location
Québec, QC
TDI
MK6 Golf TDI Highline (ordered)
gpshumway said:
Excellent. It even fits with foglights, unlike the mk5 version. Is that a hatchback or wagon? Anybody know if the parts are the same?
It's on a hacthback.
 

2ndCityA3

Active member
Joined
Jan 2, 2010
Location
Chicago
TDI
2010 Audi A3 TDI
The manual for my 2010 A3 TDI also did not mention anything about the block heater. I called my sales rep about it. He got me a print out of the missing section. Then yesterday I received a FedEx from AoA that had the missing page about the heater. They call it an Engine preheater.
 

mxs

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 30, 2009
Location
Ontario
TDI
2010 Golf TDI
Just to clarify, the canadian manual is not missing anything. It does talk about coolant heater. The only not obvious thing was whether the canadian cars have it and which models ....
 

ibid

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Joined
Mar 31, 2003
Location
Chicagoland, IL
TDI
Jetta, 2002, Red
so as I am understanding it, USA A3 models DO get the heater but only Canadian Golf TDIs get it :(

I'd love to know if anyone is going to attempt a retrofit.
 

fastalan

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 1, 2010
Location
Richmond BC
TDI
2010 Golf TDI Wagon
I was at Calgary few weeks ago, it was -7 C in the morning and the car absolutely had no problem starting up w/o using the coolant heater. I assume the fuel was already winterized as I have filled it up at Shell in Revelstoke BC. I did tried a few time plugging the cord on overnight in an attempt to pre-heat the coolant to improve FE during initial cold engine driving the next morning, however, the coolant temperature needle remained dead cold upon start up. My dealer just told me not to use it since we don't really get cold enough over here anyway.
 

scaffer

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 13, 2009
Location
Ottawa, Canada
TDI
2010 Golf Wagon TDI
Canadian Coolant Heater Setup

I know when I was shopping around for my car I was wondering about this so I figured I would give my two cents. Canadian Golf Wagons have the coolant heater. There is an outlet located to the left of the driver fog log.



They provide a cord that plugs into the outlet and into a 3 pronged outlet from the house.



The cord is a decent lenth. Didn't measure it but figure about 9 feet.

 

denass

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 16, 2009
Location
Edmonton, Canada
TDI
2010 Golf TDI
We get it cuz it's actually cold up here mmmmkay? I can't believe they didn't even offer it as a option on the US spec tho.

When I picked it up the dealer said that the newer 2010 Golf TDIs had newly redesigned coolant heaters so some of the first 2010 Golf TDIs to roll into Canada might not have the same one.
 

StoBro2

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 17, 2010
Location
Lindenhurst IL USA
TDI
2010 Jetta Sportwagen
Where I work (in the suburban sprawl between Chicago and Milwaukee), there's a Ford diesel pickup driven by one of the guys in the plant. He keeps his engine heater plugged in all day, all of the time, even when it's +5C (+41F). Seems wasteful to me.
 

ibid

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2003
Location
Chicagoland, IL
TDI
Jetta, 2002, Red
i realize it gets damn cold in canada, aye.. BUT we have several places that get just as damn cold...

Hello, anyone hear of Alaska for one?
 

denass

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 16, 2009
Location
Edmonton, Canada
TDI
2010 Golf TDI
ibid said:
i realize it gets damn cold in canada, aye.. BUT we have several places that get just as damn cold...

Hello, anyone hear of Alaska for one?
Alas--what? Hehehe yeah but do you notice that giant landmass right next to it? Yeah just as cold ;)
 
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