1500W ZEROSTART Heater ?

Hey All - Atlantic Canada calling ....
I've heard that a 1500W ZEROSTART Heater is so hot
it boils off coolant. Ever here of this ?
What are most of you folks up there running - 1000 or 1500W ?
Thanks .

You heard wrong. All zerostart heaters are thermostatically regulated to prevent overheating. The 1500 watt model which I have in my 06 TDI is so much better than the 1000 watt model I had in my 04 TDI. It heats quicker and requires less time plugged in for same effect.

Oh, I live in Colorado and while it can get cold, our winters are fairly mild temp wise compared to Canada. No problem with fluid boiling off.

I have 1000 and no troubles.

VDubbing said:

I have 1000 and no troubles.

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at 1000W - How long do you have to leave it plugged in typically to get a good pre-start temp ?

Thanks V-Dubbing

1.5 hours makes it warm.

VDubbing said:

1.5 hours makes it warm.

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Warm ? How warm ?
Needle quarter way up after you turn key but not start,
half way up the guage ?

a third way up till you fire it up and get the pump running. Its been good to me. I dont need more than 1000 W. I should mention my car is in the garage as well so the wind doesnt affect the temp either.

Can a few other members weigh in on this ?
Are there any members that use 1000W Zerostarts with
cars not garaged ?
If so, how long do you folks leave your car plugged in
with a 1000W heater in an outdoor winter environment ?
and - how high is the needle on the coolant gage - prior to turning the key and engaging the water pump that brings the colder coolant into the mix ?
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VDubbing said:

a third way up till you fire it up and get the pump running. Its been good to me. I dont need more than 1000 W. I should mention my car is in the garage as well so the wind doesnt affect the temp either.

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Buy a 1k unit, and also get a 200 magnetic oil pan heater for 55 or a 250 watt heating pad type for 120 from canadian tire. Wire them both to a single plug up front, and add warm oil (less engine damage) to the single plug. A 1500 watt coolant heater and a 200+ watt oil pan heater could easily trip a breaker on a 15 amp circuit, the 1k and a 200 or so watt heater won't.

magnetic oil pan heater ?
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On an aluminium oil pan ?
That’s what we have - yes ?
How does it adhere to the pan ?
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Sounds in theory like a terrific idea - did you do that?
Your car must start like it’s already been running for hours!
-
An electrician would say “ by code you need a junction box where the electrical union is for each device ! “
How did you do that ?
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Do you have a plastic belly pan or alloy skid plate?
I’ve heard of cars with pan heaters
catching on fire due to the plastic belly pan.
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Is your car out side or in a garage ?
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How high up the gauge is the needle
on a cold morning before you turn the key
to ignition and engage water pump ?
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Any other thoughts TDI club gents ?
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I’m debating on downgrading from 1500 to 1000.
I’ve been contemplating over the winter
if 1500 is a bit overdoing it and potentially
causing undue heat stress wear to
plastic and rubber components - and I’ve been told
that the higher heat can boil of coolant.
-
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There are oil pan heaters that are a pad that is glued there. I think they come from VW. They would not get hot enough to melt the plastic.

I have a 750 watt heater. The needle barely moves but the glow plug turns off instantly and starts like a summer day. I park out side and turn it on 3 hours before I leave.

Don't get hung up on where the needle is. Point is with your 1.5k is that you don't need to plug it in nearly as long which is good. It will not boil off coolant.

Most folks plug into a timer set for 2hr prior to there departure time.



at work I just leave it plugged in all day,anywhere from 10 to 20 hrs.I have been given a work car and left my car plugged in for days,no harm.

Have any of you ZEROSTART users ever had any leak issues through the top four screws that hold the cover on ? - 1500W pictured. - see attached.

Just thought of something. I wonder how badly the magnetic heater would throw off your used oil analysis, should you ever get one done. Hm...

Our Passat's outside all winter in Muskoka. Here's what I do:

<10C - 1 hour
<20C - 2 hours
<30C - 3 hours
<40C - stay home.

That's with the 1000W TDI Heater. I've got a 1500W Frost Heater around here somewhere if somebody wants it cheap. It's like the round one pictured above.

HOOPER65 said:

Have any of you ZEROSTART users ever had any leak issues through the top four screws that hold the cover on ? - 1500W pictured. - see attached.

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YES!!! I also have a bit around the cap as well (circular part). I keep looking to see if it is wet and haven't found any moisture. The tell-tail pink crud is there though. I am a little worried.

Any one else have this problem?

TyeRant said:

YES!!! I also have a bit around the cap as well (circular part). I keep looking to see if it is wet and haven't found any moisture. The tell-tail pink crud is there though. I am a little worried.

Any one else have this problem?

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Does your heater look like mine ?
Pink residue around the screws ?
if so - do you think that you're
leaking around the screws or is it coolant
weeping from the tank outflow hose clamp,
dripping down and just leaving
evidence of leaks at screw heads ?

spring is here save this job for october or november

VDubbing said:

spring is here save this job for october or november

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Yes yes - Yahooo - spring
Tank is out of car for now - I simply did a by-pass.
I think I’m going to downgrade to 1000W - 1500 just seemed
screaming hot to me and made me worry about heat stress damage.
I know some guys run 1500, but ya know ... I still bomb around in an old
1992 diesel as well with just a good ol’ block heater - it doesn't get anywhere
close to the temp of the 1500 and it’s served me well for years and years
with no worries.
That being said - I am still curious if anyone has had leaks from the top screws of the tank.
If most say Nope ! than I’ll just pop the new one in on a nice summer day.
But do speak up gents - there must be tons of ya running these up in the great white north ?

Are you sure that the pink residue isn't some type of locking compound (loctite) which just so happens to be a similar colour as the coolant, because that's kind of what it looks like to me?


Greg

its not locktight - it's coolant.
I've seen it run little bits at a time
on top of the tank - it looked as though it came out of the screws.
I have a new tank now - what I'm trying to do,
( if my v-dub colleagues would be so kind as to weigh in on this )
is to determine through other tank heater users experience if this is
a common problem that may warrant a preventive measure in hopes of it not re occurring -
such as a small bead of wurth or permatex gasket seal.
So - feel free to chime in on this diesel dudes
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Mine is worse...

It is pink all around the seam between the cap and the base.

Will try and get pics if I can get close enough

Geeezzz !

Yer suggesting that coolant is literally weeping through the gasket that seals the metal top to the alloy base ?

Not so good.

Let me ask ya --- when you installed the unit did you remove the check valve inside the bottom in-flow port ?

TyeRant said:

Mine is worse...

It is pink all around the seam between the cap and the base.

Will try and get pics if I can get close enough

Click to expand...

Mine too is pink, coolant, all around the top where the four screws are. Really bad around the seam between the cap and base. I'm waiting for the warm weather and some time off work to put back the stock coolant hose. I hope Canadian Tire will take the unit back and give me a new one. I have a 1000W unit. I removed the check valve when I installed it.

HOOPER65 said:

Geeezzz !

Yer suggesting that coolant is literally weeping through the gasket that seals the metal top to the alloy base ?

Not so good.

Let me ask ya --- when you installed the unit did you remove the check valve inside the bottom in-flow port ?

Click to expand...

Check Valve was removed. I havent seen any moisture but it must have or is still weeping???



NOT HAPPY!!!!

That's a leak !

TyeRant that is exactly how mine looks!! Once i saw it in that state, i never plugged the unit in again, but then again it was getting warmer outside and didn't have to use it anymore. Hoping Canadian Tire would give me another one. I am hoping to place the original hose back in soon. I will let everyone know what Canadian Tire says when I try to go and return it and get a new one.

Has anyone else seen their heater do this??

John - I took mine back to CT - no probs.

Had mine for under on year - took it back last week.
Not a problem - money back.
And mine was tiny leaks - so if you've had yours for under a year and it look as dramatic as tyeRants, I cant see why you'd not be refunded.
Heck - even if more than a year - I take it back.

UG! I purchased mine a while back and it sat on a shelf for a while. Anyone know if the screws are torx and what size I need to use to tighten/pull apart the heater?

Thanks