Im a new owner to a 2011 TDi, first diesel ive driven or had. I know you have to wait for the glow plug to go on then off, but after startup, should the car run until it is completely warmed up? or run it for 5 mins then just drive? its at 950 miles now. ive pretty much let it heat up almost all the way every start up
Startup/warmup
- Thread starter garbazio
- Start date
Dieselducky
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Oct 13, 2011
- Location
- Dunnville
- TDI
- 88 Jetta Diesel - 2000 Jetta TDI - 04 BMW M3 - 06 Kia Rio - F350 Superduty - 87 Buick GNX - Mobile Cranes
You can just let it "warm" up for a min and start driving easy..don't redline it or anything like that till it's up to normal operating temperature. Myself... i let it warm up for 5 or so min in the winter before i leave...i mind you i also have a oil pan heater hooked up to it for the really cold nights, helps it turn over faster and get oil moving quicker.
IFRCFI
Veteran Member
Nope. Start, wait a few seconds and drive. It will not warm up idling. If it sits outside, have a Frostheater installed and plug it in at night.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
TNriverjet
Veteran Member
X2 on no idle... It just won't warm up that way in cold weather. That's why they have heated seats and an electric assisted heater... I park in an attached garage that rarely gets below 40 deg, and it still can take 10-15 mins of driving to warm up to operating temp... Depending on outside air temps.
TDiSkater
Veteran Member
This is one of the reasons my wife won't drive my TDI, especially in the winter. Her car has to be ready to bake bread on the seats before she'll get inside. I finally convinced her to at least pull out of the garage to do her warm up.
I find our MK 6s to be warm enough with the seats and aux heater. I just fire up and by the time I put my seat belt on I'm moving. My wife still can't understand why diesels don't warm up like her gasser. Just one of the things she pokes fun.
I find our MK 6s to be warm enough with the seats and aux heater. I just fire up and by the time I put my seat belt on I'm moving. My wife still can't understand why diesels don't warm up like her gasser. Just one of the things she pokes fun.
rtn1911
Well-known member
Start it; buckle up; drive.
Take it easy on the revs (< 2800 or so) until the engine is at operating temp.
Joe_Meehan
Top Post Dawg
Your diesel is more efficient than a gasoline car so just letting it idle on a cold day will take a rather long time to get warm. You need to get the car moving to burn enough fuel to get it warm.
OilBurningBrit
Veteran Member
Just a couple of nights ago I was driving at low speed (around 35mph) on a fully-warmed-up engine in temperatures in the teens and was watching the engine temperature drop from the 190-degree mark. You may not leave the house 'til spring if you wait for it to idle up to temperature. 
The auxillary heater must be a bit more efficient than some give it credit for. I work rotating shifts and when I get home in the mornings from working nights the wife is about ready to leave.
On days that there is frost she'll start the car and the windows get clear pretty quick.
Combined with the heated seats she's had no complaint.
On days that there is frost she'll start the car and the windows get clear pretty quick.
Combined with the heated seats she's had no complaint.
Softrockrenegade
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Aug 25, 2011
- Location
- Howellbama, NJ
- TDI
- None...2011 Golf DSG (replaced by VW W/) 2013 Passat SE 6M(bought back) Current 2017 sportwagen TSI 4Motion.
Not to mention the damage letting it idle to warm up will do to your very expensive emissions system .... I brought a catalytic converter in my mk4'to an early death by letting it idle every day at lunch for a few years .....
fastball
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Apr 9, 2011
- Location
- Thunder Bay, Ontario
- TDI
- 2011 TDI Golf Wagon, DSG, panoramic sunroof, Weathertech mats, Curt hitch
We've had a couple of -20 C mornings already - and the heated seats are a blessing, let me tell you. In fact, you could fry an egg on those suckers after about 5 minutes. Which is sort of a good thing - as at those temperatures, the car takes a while to warm up to optimum operating temperatures.
Plugging in the block heater for a couple of hours makes a considerable difference in the warm-up times.
Plugging in the block heater for a couple of hours makes a considerable difference in the warm-up times.
jaberoo
Veteran Member
Explain to her this is why diesels get better mileage—more fuel goes into generating mechanical energy. Less fuel goes into creating heat that is lost to the atmosphere.
TDiSkater
Veteran Member
I would, but she'd just add that to her list.
tominmaggie
Well-known member
Modern Diesels like the TDI use piezo-electric, not glow plugs. The important thing is you want the engine oil to lubricate (a few seconds for that) before driving away. So by the time you turn on the heated seats, you're ready to drive away.
OilBurningBrit
Veteran Member
No ... the TDI *does* use glow plugs. These are for pre-heating. It also uses piezo-electric technology in the fuel injectors - totally different thing.
Completely agree with the rest of the post though ... give it a few seconds to idle while you get comfortable, then drive gently 'til it's warmed up.
tominmaggie
Well-known member
Huh, guess I should have known better than to trust a car salesman. Thanks for the clarification!
40X40
Experienced
whiplash willy
Veteran Member
I used to start the car the second the glowplug light turns off, and often my car would make very loud diesel clatter for the first couple min of driving. I found out by mistake that if I turn on the ignition (Not starting) and wait about 15 - 25 sec before starting, there is no clatter, and it drives a little better initially.
My theory is that this allows the glow plugs to warm up longer, giving it a better initial operating temp. I would recommend anyone trying this out, it made a huge difference for me.
My theory is that this allows the glow plugs to warm up longer, giving it a better initial operating temp. I would recommend anyone trying this out, it made a huge difference for me.
> Luke <
Veteran Member
I'll start tomorrow morning.....
Fordcougar
Veteran Member
It was "FREEZING" 34F here in FL this morning, had to let the car idle a bit.. have a 3 month old I didn't exactly want to freeze when I put him in the car seat.
A tip that has worked in other vehicles, is using the A/C on HOT.. While I could be wrong it seemed to work nicely this morning. in fact after 10 minutes of idling we got in and left, I was too hot, the baby asleep, and my MPG meter was sad..
PS rest assured I still wore my shorts out today, this FL weather is nice... I do miss CO, UT and the Rockies..
A tip that has worked in other vehicles, is using the A/C on HOT.. While I could be wrong it seemed to work nicely this morning. in fact after 10 minutes of idling we got in and left, I was too hot, the baby asleep, and my MPG meter was sad..
PS rest assured I still wore my shorts out today, this FL weather is nice... I do miss CO, UT and the Rockies..