Block Heaters?

[Buellboy]

What is the Part Number for this kit?

 

[MayorDJQ]

What is the Part Number for this kit?

$129+shipping instead of $450+ and 1,000W instead of ~500W.

http://www.frostheater.com/Jetta%20order%20kit%2009HTR10%2011.htm

 

[joesmoe3]

I had my reasons for choosing factory over aftermarket. The 500W allows greater flexibility in time of heater on without wasting electricity. The parts are form-fitted to neatly take the available space and use available mounting built into the as-delivered engine-transmission unit.

There are two part numbers depending on manual or automatic transmission. Most places won't order the kit. Curiously, Hiley Auto in Texas of all places got mine for me. The order link for the manual kit is here:

<http://tinyurl.com/82qh6yo>

A little navigation will get you to the auto trans kit.

Also, if you don't have fog lights, you'll have to cut your lower grille insert to make an opening for the external plug. If you already have fog lights, or you intend to install them, there is a grille part that has the fog light opening and shelf for the heater plug; to wit:
5C6 853 665 B

My wife (primary driver of the car) loves this addition -- worth every penny to me.

 

[MayorDJQ]

The 500W allows greater flexibility in time of heater on without wasting electricity.

How is that? I have just as much flexibility as to how long I use my heater. I can plug mine in for as long or short a time as I deem necessary. I use a heavy duty electronic timer set to turn on for 3 hours before I go to work. I only use it when morning temps are predicted to be in the 20s or colder. No electricity is wasted.

How many hours do you run your heater for? You will have to run your heater twice as long as mine (1000W Frostheater) to achieve the same results. 2 hours of your heater will consume the same amount as my heater consumes in 1 hour.

The parts are form-fitted to neatly take the available space and use available mounting built into the as-delivered engine-transmission unit.

The kit from Frostheater is just as form-fitted and seamless as your VW kit. The hoses are custom bent to fit the car. They vary from model to model so it's not just some generic kit. When looking from above you can't see the heater. The hoses install in factory locations and the splice is barely visible. I have the cord come through the "main" grill, just right (facing the car) of the VW emblem. I do not let the cord dangle when not in use, rather I tuck it back into the grill area. I didn't even apply the "Frostheater Equipped" decal. So unless you saw the car plugged in or I forget to "stow" the cord, you would never know it's installed.

The heater unit installs in a as-delivered location also, using a pre-measured, pre-formed bracket. You unbolt the horn, raise the unit/bracket to the empty bolt hole, and re-install the horn using the original bolt, in the original hole.

Using a set of Craftsman hose pinch pliers (the type that pinch a rubber hose closed w/o damaging it) I lost 3-4 ounces of coolant, maybe. The job took my 2.5-3 hours. If I were to install another kit on a Mk5/6, I would hope that I could do it in less time.

I value my money as much as the next person. If there were a similar kit with similar specs that cost less, I would consider it. But there's no way I would ever pay more, for a kit that does less, and takes more time to install.

 

[joesmoe3]

If you have an axe to grind, you'll selectively filter the data to fit your bias. I'd be happy to have both my car and an after-market-equipped car parked at an independent third party and leave them both plugged in for 24 hours and amp-hours measured. The higher-wattage device will consume much more, and over the long term, may be enough to justify the cost difference between the kits.

 

[MayorDJQ]

I have no axe to grind. The higher wattage device will obviously consume more electricity when plugged in for the same amount of time as the lower wattage device. I don't just plug mine in and for hours on end, that's what the timer is for. 3 hours is perfect for my needs.

A better comparison would be to plug both cars in, side by side, for 3 hours, and use VCDS to check coolant temp. Then start them and see how long it takes both cabins to reach 65F, otlr how long it takes to defrost the windshield.

 

[Steve Clark]

I have plugged my 2012 Golf TDI in the last two mornings. Once for 2 hours and the next for 3. Both on a timer.

The temp gauge still registers nothing but I've read that some have a high temp and warm air right away.

Should my temp gauge move? I will try plugging it in without a timer tomorrow morning. Perhaps the timer is faulty.

 

[740GLE]

With the frost heater people report initial start up the temp goes to normal then back down as the coolant circulates. 500W vs 1000W, that three hours might not be enough to battle sub zero temps.

BTW does anyone know if the frost heater will cycle on off once it notice coolant temps reaching max?

 

[MayorDJQ]

I thought the VW factory version was more like 400W? Either way, try 5 or 6 hours and see what happens.

 

[jjpsuperdad]

We have them in both Jetta's The Frost Heaters yes they work to start the car and the heat stay at temp for a minute then jumps back to 0 after. thay help starting the TDI and with warming up. they are fine !

 

[raccy]

Dealer installed the OEM heater

Here in Anchorage, my dealer installed the OEM coolant heater as part of the normal dealer prep; I did not have to request it and there was no additional charge. The heater works great down to -20F, but I am sure the 1000W aftermarket one would work better. I have the DSG, and the car shifts smoother at start up when plugged in on those cold mornings.

 

[AirmanTDI]

I have plugged my 2012 Golf TDI in the last two mornings. Once for 2 hours and the next for 3. Both on a timer.
The temp gauge still registers nothing but I've read that some have a high temp and warm air right away.
Should my temp gauge move? I will try plugging it in without a timer tomorrow morning. Perhaps the timer is faulty.

I think you are probably ok. I plug mine in and notice that my glow plug light goes out almost right away and the car fires up right away but it makes no difference on mine for getting warm air into the cabin. When you plug it in you should hear a quiet sort of hum . It was minus 28 Celsius this morning and no problems!

 

[JaredC01]

Here in Anchorage, my dealer installed the OEM coolant heater as part of the normal dealer prep; I did not have to request it and there was no additional charge. The heater works great down to -20F, but I am sure the 1000W aftermarket one would work better. I have the DSG, and the car shifts smoother at start up when plugged in on those cold mornings.

My 2011 came from Morrison with a 'block heater' installed on it as well... Turned out to be a 4" x 6" heating pad attached with about a gallon of silicon to the oil pan, with duct tape applied over the top (which was burnt to a crisp when I took the belly pan off to install my FrostHeater).

Engine temps were never above ambient when I did use it, though I'm sure the oil was warmer than ambient. I rarely used it, even on the 30 below mornings, partially because I never noticed a difference in starting with or without it, and because an outlet wasn't always easily accessible from where I parked at night.

It most certainly was not a coolant heater though.

 

[Pitzury]

I have 2 heaters 400W each and an electric circulating water pump installed. In 4 hours the coolant gets up to about 60*C over the ambient so if it is less than -10*C outside, my gauge starts showing "activity".
It is nice in the morning but when I leave work it is not so great, since it is not plugged in at work. Next step will be replacing the electrical heater with a stationary heating unit made by Webasto.

 

[ng3]

Before winter really started, plugging in resulted in the gauge to move up by this much from 0. This is on the factory one that's 500W after 2 hours on a timer which by the way comes on all TDI models and trim levels, it's not a factory option, it's standard.

Now, at -25C, the needle doesn't move at all, I don't get heat right away, but rpms are reduced and the tranny is warmed up too because shifts are nice and crisp.

Pitzury, fain sa mai dau de un roman pe aici. Io's din Alba.

 

[MayorDJQ]

Before winter really started, plugging in resulted in the gauge to move up by this much from 0. This is on the factory one that's 500W after 2 hours on a timer which by the way comes on all TDI models and trim levels, it's not a factory option, it's standard.

Now, at -25C, the needle doesn't move at all, I don't get heat right away, but rpms are reduced and the tranny is warmed up too because shifts are nice and crisp.

Pitzury, fain sa mai dau de un roman pe aici. Io's din Alba.

Firstly, you're partially correct: the factory heater is a factory item, in CANADA only. For those in the US market, not only is it not a factory installed item, it's not even an option that can be ordered. There may be some enterprising US dealers who offer it as a dealer installed option, but not many.

Secondly, when the weather was moderate if your temp needle barely moved with 2 hours of "heat", then it should be no surprise that as it gets colder the same 2 hours will not be sufficient. Set the timer for 4-6 hours and see what happens. The increase in your electric bill will be negligible.

2-3 hours is usually sufficient with the 1,000 watt Frostheater/Zerostart heater. A heater of half the output will require more time to achieve the same results.

 

[ng3]

You're 100% right that it's in Canada only, I should have mentioned it.
I don't expect the factory one to warm much, I was just giving info for comparison.
The manual says plugged in time should not exceed 3 hours.

 

[raccy]

Interesting

My 2011 came from Morrison with a 'block heater' installed on it as well... Turned out to be a 4" x 6" heating pad attached with about a gallon of silicon to the oil pan, with duct tape applied over the top (which was burnt to a crisp when I took the belly pan off to install my FrostHeater).

Engine temps were never above ambient when I did use it, though I'm sure the oil was warmer than ambient. I rarely used it, even on the 30 below mornings, partially because I never noticed a difference in starting with or without it, and because an outlet wasn't always easily accessible from where I parked at night.

It most certainly was not a coolant heater though.

Have had my belly pan off of mine and it is definitely the OEM block heater and not an oil pan heater, although an oil pan heater would help as well.

 

[JaredC01]

Have had my belly pan off of mine and it is definitely the OEM block heater and not an oil pan heater, although an oil pan heater would help as well.

Interesting that yours would get a proper coolant heater and mine wouldn't... Don't suppose you know what the sticker add-on cost was for it?

 

[MayorDJQ]

Interesting that yours would get a proper coolant heater and mine wouldn't... Don't suppose you know what the sticker add-on cost was for it?

Raccy lives in Alaska. As he mentioned, his dealer installed a coolant heater as a "prep" item. Missouri gets much more moderate weather than Alaska so instead of doing a good job and installing the VW heater, your dealer did a cob job. If it were my car, I would remove it, bring it to the dealer, and tell them to stick it somewhere less appropriate.

Oil pan heaters are effective at heating the oil, which does help in cold weather starting, but they do little to warm the cooling system to help with starting and cabin heat.

 

[JaredC01]

Raccy lives in Alaska. As he mentioned, his dealer installed a coolant heater as a "prep" item. Missouri gets much more moderate weather than Alaska so instead of doing a good job and installing the VW heater, your dealer did a cob job. If it were my car, I would remove it, bring it to the dealer, and tell them to stick it somewhere less appropriate.

Oil pan heaters are effective at heating the oil, which does help in cold weather starting, but they do little to warm the cooling system to help with starting and cabin heat.

Morrison IS the (only) dealership in Alaska... I lived there for four years, and only moved back to Missouri in August of 2012.

The same dealership that installed their heater also installed my heater.

Also, the oil pan heater was forcefully removed when I installed the FrostHeater.

(and foregoing any arrogant remarks on my part, I'll simply point out that to confuse the climate of Alaska with the climate of Missouri would be very difficult to do on anyone's part)

 

[MayorDJQ]

Foregone arrogant comments aside, I was being a bit facetious with my comments.

Why VW doesn't offer a heater as a factory option is a mystery, but since the Frostheater/Zerostart is twice the output, I'd gladly take a Frostheater over the VW version any day.

 

[ng3]

^^ +1. If the Canadian TDI's didnt come with the wimpy heater, a Frostheater would have been my first upgrade. I also don't live in a crazy cold area so ripping out the factory one doesnt make sense personally.

 

[red golf tdi]

....The [Volkswagen] manual says plugged in time should not exceed 3 hours.

I wonder why Volkswagen warns about this? Most likely due to the small bodied Calix brand heater they're utilizing.

Our FrostHeater kit can be left plugged-in indefinitely without problem, even in the middle of summer!

 

[ZipiTDi]

Wow! You overpaid by about $300! A Frostheater kit runs about $130 shipped.

I bought two FrostHeaters in Dec. '08. Had always had an engine block heater for our Subie Outback and loved it. Really made a lot of difference when living up in the mountain towns.

So, when we started suffering hard starts and some no starts on both our used (and bought earlier in '08) 2005 VWs, seemed like a no-brainer. This was after I tried some of the diesel anti-gelling additives, which, btw, only seem to work sometimes. Now, if it's forecasted to be below 20℉ overnight, we plug in the heaters and have no issues. Another nice thing about using them, the cabin heaters heat much faster too, of course.

I paid $248.65 for both of them (included 2 heaters, 2 plug protectors, 3 Heavy Duty Timers). Needed 3 timers so my daughter could have one at her dad's house too. Very likely, the cost is higher now tho.

I did have to pay someone to install the heaters for me since I couldn't do it myself (no tools or shop or strength in my hands due to carpal tunnel). The labor added $142 to the price tag. So, I guess the total ran me about $200 for each car.

 

[ZootsAlures]

Thanks, I took a look before I bought it but didn't see it anywhere. I guess that's why - it's not there.

Same here on my '12 Passat. I thought a plug existed but for the life of me I couldn't locate it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free

 

[superskid]

Is it plug and play to swap out the stock Canadian heater to a beefier frostheater? I am guessing it's not. It gets pretty cold here and I had a frostheater on my 2003 and needed every bit of it's output.

 

[Coal Roller]

I was told by the parts dept at the dealer where I bought my Jetta "We can't get the OEM block heater". WHAT? AYSM? So I guess the Frost Heater is the way to go. They have one specific for the DSG models as well. $149.95. If you include the plug protector and the 25ft Arctic Leash extension cord you'll get FREE shipping. Probably cheaper than getting RAPED by a VW dealer. I guess the "dummkopfs" don't think it get COLD in the USA.

 

[Coal Roller]

Our FrostHeater kit can be left plugged-in indefinitely without problem, even in the middle of summer!

My kit arrived yesterday. My mechanic has it right now and is studying the installation instruction for a DSG equipped Jetta. Install may be next week.

 

[pisici]

info heater noutati

Before winter really started, plugging in resulted in the gauge to move up by this much from 0. This is on the factory one that's 500W after 2 hours on a timer which by the way comes on all TDI models and trim levels, it's not a factory option, it's standard.

Now, at -25C, the needle doesn't move at all, I don't get heat right away, but rpms are reduced and the tranny is warmed up too because shifts are nice and crisp.

Pitzury, fain sa mai dau de un roman pe aici. Io's din Alba.

Spune-mi si mie de ce sare siguranta cind pun in priza ?
Este instalat in bumper si asa am luat masina second hand