Webasto diesel fired coolant heater on MK7 Golf

GreenLantern_TDI

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 27, 2014
Location
Iowa
TDI
2015 GOLF SEL
What ive also found is Webasto has a module and an app for your phone that replace the traditional timer so you can start the heater from your phone and tell it how long to run and when to start or program a schedule. Looks real slick. No need to cut dash to mount a timer. Heater with an install kit plus module looks like about $1400. Install would ofcourse be extra but if a guy does it himself it shouldnt take but 8ish hours. Also im seeing most guys install these behind the front bumper on drivers side but VW installs them on the passenger side behind front bumper.
 
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Discovery

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 15, 2018
Location
Montréal
TDI
Mk7 SportWagen
I've heard great review about Chinese diesel heater from people van-lifing on YouTube



I know it has nothing to do with the vw OEM retrofit this thread is about but they are getting my interest lately.
They are basically an Espar copy and only heat air, they go on eBay for 100$ vs Espar who retail over 1000$.

I'm considering about installing one in the trunk/spare area of my gsw and instead of pulling the fuel out of the car's fuel tank, I would repurpose the adblue tank!!



This one has a 2way remote to start the unit, set temp and voilà! Get into a toasty car in 5min and drive to work at -20 with heat!

They installed a Espar D2 in a truck at work, I had the chance to play a with it. It was a only a 2kw (smaller model) and that thing push serious heat!!

Anyway, I'm about to pull the trigger on it. Bench test it for now, and if installations happen it will be when temperatures become more friendly over here.
 
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740GLE

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 19, 2009
Location
NH
TDI
2015 Passat SEL, 2017 Alltrack SE; BB 2010 Sedan Man; 2012 Passat,
I can see absolutely nothing wrong with going with the cheapest unit possible.
 

740GLE

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 19, 2009
Location
NH
TDI
2015 Passat SEL, 2017 Alltrack SE; BB 2010 Sedan Man; 2012 Passat,
oh i thought that was his goal ;)
 

oilhammer

Certified Volkswagen Nut & Vendor
Joined
Dec 11, 2001
Location
outside St Louis, MO
TDI
There are just too many to list....
Lots of people on my Vanagon owners' group use those with good success. They mount them under the rearmost seat bench and plumb them all up nice and with the proper air intake and exhaust and they work quite well. However, in a van you also have LOTS of space to mount them. There is not really an ideal area in a Golf or Jetta to do this unless you want to lose a good chunk of your trunk space. These are really more for stationary RV type heating than anything.
 

jverheul

Active member
Joined
Sep 2, 2019
Location
WLV, California
TDI
2015 Golf Sportwagen TDI SEL
I've mostly heard good things about the Webasto heaters, but I ran into a Vixen RV (it was the manual trans., BMW turbo diesel version- super cool) owner about a year ago that said that his Webasto had been nothing but a royal pita. He switched to propane heat. Keep in mind that was a 30 year old heater and improvements have likely been made over the years. If you've never heard of the Vixen RV's, look them up. They supposedly got up to 30 mpg on diesel!
I had a Vixen 21TD, with Webasto. When I bought it, the Webasto was falling apart. So I got a new one. The experts said the key is to use them regularly. Fire it up once a month even in the summer. I lived in the Vixen for over a year 4 days a week, and its also the water heater, so if you want a nice hot shower..... It was totally reliable for the 3 years I had it.

And yes, it really got 30mpg. I bought it in Houston and drove it hard up to Montana to leave it with the experts up there for the work. With several cracked injectors and fuel pouring of the top of the engine, it got 26.5 for that trip. Aero, and undercarriage fairing work.
 

jverheul

Active member
Joined
Sep 2, 2019
Location
WLV, California
TDI
2015 Golf Sportwagen TDI SEL
Those were great back when they sold them here, and we had 55 MPH speed limits. But now I'd be scared poopless to try and drive one down the highway.
We had a customer that had one years ago, it was pretty neat, but it was not going to win any races. Amazing how much more power modern diesels can make.
The engine https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_M21 made about 120hp and 150 lbft. But the Vixen was 7000# dry. It took forever to get to speed, and you had to use second gear on steep climbs. But, on the flat you could cruise at 80 no problem. Now Dustin at AFAB is putting baby Cummins engines in them!! https://www.facebook.com/af.ab.902
 

Cuzoe

Veteran Member
Joined
May 24, 2017
Location
Los Angeles
TDI
MK7 Golf S
Oh btw, I did it.
Got some more pictures, part numbers? I started putting together a part number list then lost focus. In large part because sourcing the webasto for diesel was much harder than sourcing one for a gasser, which was surprising honestly. And in small part because I live in Southern California where I have practically no use for it.
 

Discovery

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 15, 2018
Location
Montréal
TDI
Mk7 SportWagen
Got some more pictures, part numbers? I started putting together a part number list then lost focus. In large part because sourcing the webasto for diesel was much harder than sourcing one for a gasser, which was surprising honestly. And in small part because I live in Southern California where I have practically no use for it.
It's a 2kw vevor (Chinese).
I'm already using one for 4year in a fishing tent rig and my friend heat his pressure washer trailer with his without any issue.


It's a 2kw, the unit is smaller than the others allowing me to fit it in the area where the tool box was.


This is a "thru hull" exhaust fitting for a boat install. It fit perfectly in the hole covered with rubber plug under this area.

That pretty much sums it up for the part list.
I had to cut the exhaust pipe to shorten it (6inch run) and use a braising rod to connect it to the fitting.

Also, since the car is deleted, I use the def tank as a heater fuel tank.
Just remove the def pump and plug your fuel line on the nipple.
 

Cuzoe

Veteran Member
Joined
May 24, 2017
Location
Los Angeles
TDI
MK7 Golf S
@Discovery Ahhhh gotcha, thought you did a full OEM retrofit. As I've got zero reason to do this my only actual interest is for retrofit purposes.

The pics are just showing as Xs for me. Although the pictures in your earlier post work fine.
 

ryar27

Member
Joined
Oct 2, 2020
Location
Alberta
TDI
2011 Golf Wagon, 2014 Audi Q5 TDI
Wow, that is a great install. I am impressed! We are in the middle of a cold snap here in Edmonton (-40 without the wind chill last weekend, <-50 with) , I need more heat than the car can provide, I am deleted with no EGR! I have the same vehicle, but it's a 2011 with no DEF. I'm going to order the same kit you have. I wonder what is a better idea for fuel for the heater, a stand pipe in the fuel tank or teeing the fuel line off the lift pump?

EDIT: It looks like a stand pipe is pretty easy to do. I thought I'd have to drop the tank, it is easily accessible under the back seats. Where did you hook up the power from?
 
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740GLE

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 19, 2009
Location
NH
TDI
2015 Passat SEL, 2017 Alltrack SE; BB 2010 Sedan Man; 2012 Passat,
regretting deleting the EGR?
 

oilhammer

Certified Volkswagen Nut & Vendor
Joined
Dec 11, 2001
Location
outside St Louis, MO
TDI
There are just too many to list....
I had to drive a deleted CJAA car in to the shop recently, on a -4F morning, and I was shocked how bad its cabin heat was.... far worse than my EGR-deleted ALH is. I was in no danger of freezing or anything like that, but it never was going to get toasty warm to the point of having to dial the temp down a bit, that's for sure. I would have thought it to be better because of the electric heating element. Definitely could use a winter front.
 

ryar27

Member
Joined
Oct 2, 2020
Location
Alberta
TDI
2011 Golf Wagon, 2014 Audi Q5 TDI
Really? I'm, surprised. Even much colder than that here it get comfortable in 10 minutes down to -20 Celsius anyways. Below that I still take the gloves and toque off at some point, although the cab doesn't get hot. I had a BEW previously (2005 Passat TDI) and I think the CJAA get hotter. It's probably the electric element that makes a difference. Too bad there isn't a dynamic EGR option, or if there is it wasn't available when I deleted. It makes a big difference on our Q5 TDI. Thanks for all your contributions here BTW, this forum is an excellent source of information which I've frequented over the years. I'm on my 3rd TDI an am eyeing up a 2016 A6 TDI at a nearby dealership. It's a nice ride but for 29k CAD (21.5k USD) with 115k kms (71.5k miles) I think its priced a bit high. Maybe my last chance to own a piece of TDI history.
 

oilhammer

Certified Volkswagen Nut & Vendor
Joined
Dec 11, 2001
Location
outside St Louis, MO
TDI
There are just too many to list....
Well I think it is probably relative.... I'm no Canadian, but I did grow up with the air-cooled dubs, so I'm pretty thick skinned when it comes to heaters. It isn't like I was afraid of freezing or anything, it was just for sure much worse than my 2010 that still has (for now) all its components intact and working.
 
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