TDI and Command/Remote start

Getting a new 04 Jetta Wagon. Initally I was going to have a command start put in, just so that in cold winter days, It could start and run for a couple of minutes prior to me running out there. given that heat is not really generated by idling, nor is it good for a TDI, I am wondering if getting a remote starter is a waste of money. Has anyone put one in, thoughts? expereinces? I live in the Canadian praires, so we do have our winters!

You're right - idling doesn't warm the engine up, plus working around the immobilizer system would be annoying.

You'd be better off with a TDIHeater ( www.tdiheater.com ) or similar device that warms the coolant. Have a look at their website, and feel free to ask any followup questions.

Rob

Our dealers here are standardizing on a recirculating heater in place of the old pan heaters that I had in my 01 jetta. it is claimed to have much better heating capabilities. I just started to think this morning that the $599 to remote is a bit of a waste!

the tdiheater ( or your own put together equivalent) is probably a better value. These cars are engineered to start in the artic cold - the heater just warms YOU up faster, as well as the rest of the engine. Also a GOOD reason to use the 5W40 505.01 oil.

why is idleing bad for the TDI? Turbo problems?

Ideling is bad for almost all vehicles. (maybe all I just prefere not to answer in superlatives)

i thought idleing was really bad for gassers but tolerable in diesels? otherwise big rigs wouldn't do it so much? if you idle a lot, maintain oil more. and give it an Italian tuneup once a week .

I think the point here is that it doesn't do much to warm up the vehicle. The TDI doesn't throw off the huge quantities of heat that the gassers do, so it just doesn't heat up much at idle. Waste of fuel.

i thought idleing was really bad for gassers but tolerable in diesels? otherwise big rigs wouldn't do it so much?

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There is benefit in letting a large Diesel idle when hot in order to get a slower, more equal cool down of the engine. We are talking a few minutes here, not three quarters of an hour, btw.
The large amount of (cold) air that is sucked in vs. the low amount of fuel that is injected when idling drops the temperature of the engine.
But after that they really should shut it off!

In a wee little 1.9 l engine, cool down is a non-issue. It may be good to idle a bit before shutdown if you just pulled a heavy trailer up a mountain pass - but that is pretty much it.

Even in big rigs and transit buses etc there is no benefit in prolonged idling. Waste of fuel, more pollution and noise.

I think it is the psychological effect of the knock-knock-knock of the Diesel engine that makes people idle them!

I think it is the psychological effect of the knock-knock-knock of the Diesel engine that makes people idle them!

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I hear you. Sometimes at work I get lonely for my TDI and play a sound clip (from Scott's TDI page) on my computer speakers.

Sometimes at work I get lonely for my TDI and play a sound clip (from Scott's TDI page) on my computer speakers.

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You know you're obsessed when...

Has anyone tried the Webasto BlueHeat system? It can be activated with a remote fob just like the remote starters. I've been considering it but the local dealer seemed to know less than I did!

WEBASTO is the Mercedes of secondary heating systems for vehicles
Diesel burner feeds right off the main tank; you do not need a power outlet nearby where you can plug your car in order to get toasty warm.
The price is something else, though...you can buy a lot of Zerostart heaters for that!

i thought idleing was really bad for gassers but tolerable in diesels? otherwise big rigs wouldn't do it so much?

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Do you know why truckers leave their rigs idling all night? To keep the heater (or A/C as the season dictates) running in the sleeper berth all night. There's a lot of talk in the trucking industry about cutting back on idling, because it costs money and is bad for the engine (those engines burn roughly 1/2 gallon per hour at idle). 2 of the main workarounds are "shore power" (some truck stops have available, for a fee, a plug-in for external power) and on-board generators (a small diesel running at its rated load burns far less fuel than a big one at idle).

I used to pull a 40 foot 5th wheel camper trailer with a converted semi tractor all over the U.S. and I wired a big 12VDC to 110VAC converter to 2 or 3 of the 4 batteries in the semi and plugged in a microwave, a TV, an electric blanket and a household electric heater to heat the sleeper when stopped for the night away from shore power. My wife insisted on it!!! So this would be possible to use in a car to make it warm, but you'd be prudent to use a dedicated battery rather than the one used to start the car! The battery in a battery box and the converter would fit in the trunk or on the back seat floor and use a big Deep Cycle battery. This surely wouldn't be for everyone, but for us in the cold winters, it'd be cheaper than a remote starter. I have also had small quartz heaters that plug into the cigarette lighter socket, but again, they can't be left on forever because of the size of the car's battery. Of course this won't warm the engine, but your butt would be warm! I guess it's all about priorities!!! And you'd need a way to recharge the battery, so this leaves most apartment dwellers out and while you're at work!

rwolff said:

There's a lot of talk in the trucking industry about cutting back on idling, because it costs money and is bad for the engine (those engines burn roughly 1/2 gallon per hour at idle). 2 of the main workarounds are "shore power" (some truck stops have available, for a fee, a plug-in for external power) and on-board generators (a small diesel running at its rated load burns far less fuel than a big one at idle).

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Bad for the environment too. A lot of states are outfitting trucks stops with shore power for this reason and have no idling laws.
-m

Increased DMF wear
Possible higher oil consumption b/c its said piston rings seal under boost.
Possible higher cam and components wear on PD engines

I heard it was bad on the turbo too because without intake boost pressure the turbo seal is not at 100% and lets seepage of oil back to the intake side.