My bug doesn't warm up at all going to work. It's all city driving, stop and go. The air temps are between 0-10 F. My dealership told me there are no block heaters or masks. What can a gal do to warm up toes? Thank heavens for seat heaters....
Car so cold....any suggestions??
- Thread starter blubug06
- Start date
points
Well-known member
Get a TDIHeater from frostheater.com... The best 100 bucks I spent on my car so far!
scooperhsd
Top Post Dawg
Bundle up. A TDI in all city driving in those cold (and colder) temps is just not going to warm up very well - you really need to "work" the engine to get it to warm up. Try to keep your RPMs between 2000 and 2500 (even if this means locking your automatic in a lower gear than D). And the frostheater or similar device - at least you can leave home with a relatively warm car.
Joe_Meehan
Top Post Dawg
How far do you drive and is it city or highway?
TornadoRed
Top Post Dawg
- Joined
- Aug 3, 2003
- Location
- West Des Moines (formerly St Paul)
- TDI
- 2003 Jetta TDI wagon, silver; 2003 Jetta TDI wagon, indigo blue; 2003 Golf GL 5-spd, red (PARTED); 2003 Golf GLS 5-spd, indigo blue (SOLD); 2003 Jetta TDI wagon, Candy White (SOLD)
Wool socks are a good idea. So is something to block airflow into the engine compartment. Your dealership doesn't sell anything that will help you, that doesn't mean there aren't remedies. Also, turn the heat control knob all the way to HOT, not just part of the way.blubug06 said:My bug doesn't warm up at all going to work. It's all city driving, stop and go. The air temps are between 0-10 F. My dealership told me there are no block heaters or masks. What can a gal do to warm up toes? Thank heavens for seat heaters....
BTW, you will probably also notice that your fuel mileage sucks. Don't worry about it.
tdenhartigh
Well-known member
Anyone know where I could get a winter front for a 98 Jetta? I can't find anything at Impex.
I have a similar situation...even on the highway in the winter I can't get the engine temp up to normal (190 deg).
I have a similar situation...even on the highway in the winter I can't get the engine temp up to normal (190 deg).
TornadoRed
Top Post Dawg
- Joined
- Aug 3, 2003
- Location
- West Des Moines (formerly St Paul)
- TDI
- 2003 Jetta TDI wagon, silver; 2003 Jetta TDI wagon, indigo blue; 2003 Golf GL 5-spd, red (PARTED); 2003 Golf GLS 5-spd, indigo blue (SOLD); 2003 Jetta TDI wagon, Candy White (SOLD)
You make your own. Cardboard, styrofoam, whatever. It doesn't have to look good.
whitedog
Veteran Member
Cabin slow to warm up? According to my owners manual, if you use the recirculate, you will warm up the cabin of the car faster. It adds warnings about running on recirculate for a long time or smoking while on recirculate.
This will also help the engine warm up faster at highway speeds since you are taking less and less heat out of the engine. On recirculate, you are putting cabin air across the heater core rather than outside air. The cabin air will be warmer than what will come in from the outside, so it will take less heat from the engine, thereby speeding up the warming process. If you leave it on outside air coming in, you are throwing cold air across the heater core where it may not have the chance to get warm and it will be taking more heat from the engine, thereby slowing the warm-up process of the engine.
This will also help the engine warm up faster at highway speeds since you are taking less and less heat out of the engine. On recirculate, you are putting cabin air across the heater core rather than outside air. The cabin air will be warmer than what will come in from the outside, so it will take less heat from the engine, thereby speeding up the warming process. If you leave it on outside air coming in, you are throwing cold air across the heater core where it may not have the chance to get warm and it will be taking more heat from the engine, thereby slowing the warm-up process of the engine.
weedeater
Top Post Dawg
With recirc, you will have frost/fog problems. Just be aware.
texascadillac42
Veteran Member
Another vote for the Frost heater. Quick and easy install, nice unit, and cheap. By far the best $100 ive spent on the car so far. Instant heat upon startup.
wrenchman30
Veteran Member
get your thermostat replaced you will love your car again when its all toasty warm inside.
whitedog
Veteran Member
If you want to heat the air to get rid of condensation, doesn't it make sense to get the cabin warm as soon as possible?weedeater said:
vwtom
Veteran Member
Car won't warm up
I had the same problem a few weeks ago. I found that the water pump was not circulating properly. I had to replace it in my 2004 Passat at 70m miles.
I had the same problem a few weeks ago. I found that the water pump was not circulating properly. I had to replace it in my 2004 Passat at 70m miles.
Joe_Meehan
Top Post Dawg
It depends on the weather conditions. In many situations you just can't use recirculate and expect not to have fogged windows.whitedog said:
Heating air does not REMOVE moisture it reduces humidity. The windows will still be cold, even in a warm car and you and passengers will be adding moisture as you breath. That moisture is going to end up on the windows as condensation.
It usually is better to use fresh air.
GuyGuy
Veteran Member
I don't know how easy it is with a bug but with my golf, i just went to the local hardware store and bought the foam insulation pieces for copper piping, cut to lenght and stuffed them wearever i could, ever covering up the grill to the intercooler
this morning, it's -21C and the car warmed up fairly quickly compared to not having them in.
and the total cost was about $2
this morning, it's -21C and the car warmed up fairly quickly compared to not having them in.
and the total cost was about $2
greengeeker
Vendor
Was wondering if anyone goes as far as putting a sheet of cardboard directly in front of the radiator?
My scenario: winter front, 65mph on the highway (2200 rpm), shifting below 2500 as to not turn off the after glow period on the glow plugs, fan speed on 0, ambient ~0ºF usually takes me 8-10 miles to get to temp (according to the temp gauge).
My scenario: winter front, 65mph on the highway (2200 rpm), shifting below 2500 as to not turn off the after glow period on the glow plugs, fan speed on 0, ambient ~0ºF usually takes me 8-10 miles to get to temp (according to the temp gauge).
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whitedog
Veteran Member
Right, you have to remove the moisture. That means opening a window a bit or driving so that the natural venting of the cabin will exhaust the air out.Joe_Meehan said:
redlinedave
Veteran Member
dittotexascadillac42 said:
redlinedave
Veteran Member
Zerostart heater
check the Ontario forum there is a thread on them with a step by step install link.I have one and Im at 60c ish on start up after 1 1/2 hr running.
I have it set on a timer and go out to a warm car every morning.
check the Ontario forum there is a thread on them with a step by step install link.I have one and Im at 60c ish on start up after 1 1/2 hr running.
I have it set on a timer and go out to a warm car every morning.
vwlogue
Veteran Member
Last week I did what GuyGuy did. I used the smallest 5/8" insulation, cut it in half length-wise to make it thinner, then cut to length. I covered the center and bottom grills, but left the intercooler opening alone as it's ducted for the intercooler onlyl.
The VW emblem has large holes, so I also cut to size a round plastic lid from those take home food containers, and stuck it behind the VW emblem and kept it there with a piece of foam jammed behind it.
It's not that frigid here, only 30F, but I noticed that I can get above the gauge's 3 fat bars quicker, and it doesn't go down when I hit the highway. I do mostly short city drivings, so getting up to oper. temp quickly helps.
Again, if you do this on a Golf/Jetta, don't forget the bottom grills (except the intercooler) and behind the VW emblem. I'm not sure if the OEM winter fronts actually cover those areas.
The VW emblem has large holes, so I also cut to size a round plastic lid from those take home food containers, and stuck it behind the VW emblem and kept it there with a piece of foam jammed behind it.
It's not that frigid here, only 30F, but I noticed that I can get above the gauge's 3 fat bars quicker, and it doesn't go down when I hit the highway. I do mostly short city drivings, so getting up to oper. temp quickly helps.
Again, if you do this on a Golf/Jetta, don't forget the bottom grills (except the intercooler) and behind the VW emblem. I'm not sure if the OEM winter fronts actually cover those areas.
BurningBio
Active member
Yep, yet another vote for Frostheater.com. Terry happens to live in my area so I had him install it for me. He is a great guy and has a clean shop with plenty of heaters in stock.
He has all the tubes pre-cut and good instructions for either a self install or your local TDI guru.
Well worth the money!
He has all the tubes pre-cut and good instructions for either a self install or your local TDI guru.
Well worth the money!
blubug06 said:My bug doesn't warm up at all going to work. It's all city driving, stop and go. The air temps are between 0-10 F. My dealership told me there are no block heaters or masks. What can a gal do to warm up toes? Thank heavens for seat heaters....
I never use heater or rec..fan at all ..until the oper...temp
is reached.. or else ...I really have to wait a very long time(city driving)
hth
RT1
Veteran Member
I'm about ready to buy one of these http://www.floormat.com/heated-car-mat.html 'cause even with highway driving the air that blows out is warm but nowhere near hot- and that's on recirc! Take it off recirc and it's actually COLD. I'm suspecting a damper is hung up allowing outside air to blow through all the time, but haven't had time to take stuff apart to see if my suspicions are fact. And yes, thank heavens for seat heaters. Car engineers should spend more design time on heating feet and legs. Directing all the flow to defrost and nothing to feet isblubug06 said:My bug doesn't warm up at all going to work. It's all city driving, stop and go. The air temps are between 0-10 F. My dealership told me there are no block heaters or masks. What can a gal do to warm up toes? Thank heavens for seat heaters....
crazy for winter driving.
MCR
Veteran Member
Just what is the deal with the air selector (defrost, floor, panel, floor and panel)? Is there some German law that requires defrost to shut off the recirc and not blow air anywhere but on the windshield? This is probably the single most annoying part of my VW.RT1 said:
I have been experimenting with putting the selector 45 degrees left from defrost. It blows from all three locations, possibly favoring the floor, but I'm not sure it blows as well as on one of the four detents.
I just found a ZeroStart 1000W for $38. Hopefully I can get it installed this week.