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I know diesels are notoriously slow to warm up, and I've noted several posts where members state that on a 6 mile run the cabin was barely getting warm. Does this also apply to diesels with climate control fitted?
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Yes!
Splodgeface
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No. All four recent BMWs. Dependant on the time of year they genrally have warmed up to operating temps when driving past my local filling station (1 mile away)
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It depends if the model you are driving has an auxiliary heater fitted which provides warm air to the cabin before the thormostat has opened to the radiator/heater matrix.
The BMW's of PU certainly did and our Hyundai certainly doesn't!
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Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive?
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I have a climate controlled Hdi diesel and I get worthwhile warm air out of it after 1 mile, even the other morning when it was Minus 9C ouside!
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Does this also apply to diesels with climate control fitted?
Certainly does on a Honda 2.2 diesel (CR-V). About 3 miles to get the water temp needle poff the stop, about the time the air is lukewarm.
I have read that the Honda diesel uses a 'novel form of heat pump to draw heating air form the air conditioning sysyem, to warm the car immediately after engine start' and that this accounts for an extra bulge in the passnger footwell on the CR-V. If it's working, then all I can say is I dread to thin k how long it would have taken to heat up without it. Maybe it doesn't work near freezing, like the aircon?
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I've an Accord diesel and it's hot within a couple of miles.
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Tested it tonight - +2.5c, guage in the norm postion just beyond the garage, warm air from all vents by then.
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Tested it tonight - +2.5c, guage in the norm postion just beyond the garage, warm air from all vents by then.
Isn't it BMW (maybe others too) where the temp gauge doesn't work in the way you'd normally think - it just goes to 'normal' based on satisfactory output from the cars ECU?
ie, it's showing 'OK', rather than a specific temperature.
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Maybe I need to RTFM in case I've missed something - thank goodness for the bum warmers.
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I move the automatic stick to "2" until it's blowing warm, it's blowing warm air within 0.75 miles as long as I don't get stuck in a queue, when I say warm, I just mean luke warm. Try using lower gears and allowing it to rev a bit higher as you cruise in a lower gear.
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2002 Mondeo with climate, warmth through the vents within a mile, temp guage off the stop shortly thereafter, normal temp withn 3 miles or so, more if only trolling along slowly. Of course the heated screen means what warm air there is can go on the feet. If anything on occasions the system can be a bit enthusiastic and chuck out almost too much hot air to bring the interior up to the pre set quickly on a cold morning.
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Diesels are slow to warm up, however most manufacturers fit an auxiliary heater which cuts in to pre-warm the car on very cold days. I would say my diesel Audi gets some warm air going quicker than our petrol Focus because of this.
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Well maybe my auxiliary heater doesn't work then. Mine, and several other TDCi's (mondeo) that I've read about, seem to be very variable. Some, like Cheddar's, heat up in a mile. Mine takes ages - full temp is only really achieved if I do a decent speed (60+) after about 5 minutes. Starting from home in traffic and doing lots of slow driving, it can take 20 minutes for the stick to hit middle (which is where it should be). Regarding cockpit heat, that cuts in about 5 minutes into the stop start journey, earlier on the few occasions my journey leads straight onto main roads.
Splodgeface
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it can take 20 minutes for the stick to hit middle (which is where it should be). >>
Mine never hits the middle, normal is 1/4 when trolling along slowly to perhaps 2/5ths maybe 7/16ths, certainly below the middle.
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In case the answer wasn't clear. Climate Controlled systems do not make Diesel cabins warm up faster, however auxillary heaters do.
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I think the crucial thing on warm up is the load applied to the engine and/or the speed at which you travel. My Accord diesel gives some warm air in three to four minutes and the needle moves up to just below the middle in about six or seven minutes. All this is when I set off and drive at speeds of 30 - 40 for the first mile and then 50 to 60mph. However I recently was waiting for someone in the bitter cold (-2C) with a cold engine and I let it idle to warm me up. Normally I'd avoid idling like this for the engine and environment but it was very cold. The needle stayed put , not moving at all from cold for about 15 mins. Very little warm air came out. So, the variety of experiences in this thread to date might relate to the circumstances - eg joining slow traffic from cold will not give you the chance to warm the engine by giving it work to do. Presumably its all to do with the thermal effieciency of the engines
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Presumably its all to do with the thermal effieciency of the engines
Could it be because whatever warm up assist method is used (electric heaters on some car, air-conditioning pump on others) doesn't work while the engine is idling?
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My mate's diesel Ibiza (52 plate) with climate took an age to warm up.
Was still cold at least 5 miles into a journey.
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Out of interest I checked how long it actually took for my Accord diesel to heat up. Within one mile there was warm air coming from the heater and by 2.2 miles the temperature guage was registering at its normal position.
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When I say "hit middle" I mean reach just below the middle. Sorry, not being clear. This is the optimum position the temp always reaches (and is confirmed by reading the manual). 7/16ths is about right, maybe more like 11/24ths!
I don't know if mine has an aux. heater. I do think that the issue is related to the type of journey. My commute is always stop/start for the first 15 minutes, never getting out of 2nd during this time. On other runs, straight onto a main road, the thing heats up quite normally.
I remember reading a thread on this same issue from another TDCi driver a couple of years back.
Splodgeface
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Well maybe my auxiliary heater doesn't work then. Mine, and several other TDCi's (mondeo) that I've read about, seem to be very variable.
There is another thread on this site that coveres a problem with a diesel mondeo constantly blowing the fuse for the auxiliary heater circuit, which could explain this.
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