Electric Aux Heater retrofit

fyrstyk

Member
Is it possible to retrofit the electric aux heater to an earlier TDi?

If so, where is the control circuitry?
 
02/2002 and it does have a webasto.

I was thinking of installing the electric heater for instant heat along side the webasto.....

Some markets had both.
 
In my project AMF car the Webasto is a lot quicker to deliver acceptably warm air to the windscreen and cabin than the electric heat in the BHC other - just doing a direct comparison in recent cold weather in terms of defrosting / misting screen on the school run and having some cosy air while driving to work. 5kw compared to 1.5kw doesn't lie.
 
Personally I would stick with the Webasto for the above reasons.

You could buy an aftermarket plug in to the 12v socket ceramic fan heater for that instant heat if you desire. Just use with caution with the engine running and for short periods of time only.
 
In my project AMF car the Webasto is a lot quicker to deliver acceptably warm air to the windscreen and cabin than the electric heat in the BHC other - just doing a direct comparison in recent cold weather in terms of defrosting / misting screen on the school run and having some cosy air while driving to work. 5kw compared to 1.5kw doesn't lie.
However the 5kw also has to heat the block.

The electric heater only does the interior.

Unless someone can tell me how the adjust the webasto start temperature. 5c is too low for me.
 
I see the 5 degrees figure mentioned in various places but it's an A2 urban myth :) The Webasto start is 7.5 degrees C. I believe that once the engine is up to either 70 or 80 degrees and the cabin is up to temperature, it will turn off again if the outside temperature is above 5 degrees. Otherwise it stays on.
 
I see the 5 degrees figure mentioned in various places but it's an A2 urban myth :) The Webasto start is 7.5 degrees C. I believe that once the engine is up to either 70 or 80 degrees and the cabin is up to temperature, it will turn off again if the outside temperature is above 5 degrees. Otherwise it stays on.
Is it possible to raise the start temperature?

I have a Thermotop on my Discovery 4 and usually start that remotely to preheat the engine and interior.

I'm aware the A2 doesn't have the auxiliary coolant pump so I'd have to add that if I wanted to use it as a pre heater.

Take today as an example, 10c, pootling around town and not a lot of heat unless I have a lead foot. If I could increase the start temperature then it would help.
 
Have you tried to set the temp. to 28degC? My AMF Webasto is no longer working, and if temp is set to 22degC nothing happens, but if set to 28degC it pumps heat into cabin
 
However the 5kw also has to heat the block.

The electric heater only does the interior.
True. But I can tell you from direct current experience that the webasto heats the windscreen and cabin more rapidly than the electric heater does in the same conditions - and based on the workshop manual diagram of the way the system is assembled, this is because the output from the Webasto goes through the cabin heat-exchanger first, before going through the block.
 
Certainly for the "non cold climate" countries the Webasto wins hands down. Emission laws apparently was the cause of its demise. The electric heater is AT BEST 1500W ( some were only 900W ) compared to the 5000W Webasto.

Although I would bet that cold climate cars had a different set up as far as operating temperatures and conditions for either the Webasto or electric auxiliary heater and some possibly optional from the dealer such as auxiliary water pump and timers and block heaters.

Back to my earlier post, if you want the instant heat above what the Webasto is capable of then buy a 12v ceramic fan heater and plug that into the 12v socket.
 
Certainly for the "non cold climate" countries the Webasto wins hands down. Emission laws apparently was the cause of its demise. The electric heater is AT BEST 1500W ( some were only 900W ) compared to the 5000W Webasto.

Although I would bet that cold climate cars had a different set up as far as operating temperatures and conditions for either the Webasto or electric auxiliary heater and some possibly optional from the dealer such as auxiliary water pump and timers and block heaters.

Back to my earlier post, if you want the instant heat above what the Webasto is capable of then buy a 12v ceramic fan heater and plug that into the 12v socket.
At best I'll get 120w of heat from a cigarette lighter socket.

I can lay my hands on the heater element vey easily, and I suspect for a reasonable price.

My webasto works, and it's staying in the car. What I want to do is potentially install the electric heater and use that above the 7.5c limit of the webasto. I just need some heat when the webasto won't run, unless someone can tell me if I can alter the set point at which the webasto starts.
 
True. But I can tell you from direct current experience that the webasto heats the windscreen and cabin more rapidly than the electric heater does in the same conditions - and based on the workshop manual diagram of the way the system is assembled, this is because the output from the Webasto goes through the cabin heat-exchanger first, before going through the block.
I'm not suggesting removing the webasto, but installing the electric heater alongside my webasto.

The webasto still has a longer warm up time than an electric element.
 
True. But I can tell you from direct current experience that the webasto heats the windscreen and cabin more rapidly than the electric heater does in the same conditions - and based on the workshop manual diagram of the way the system is assembled, this is because the output from the Webasto goes through the cabin heat-exchanger first, before going through the block.

This is my experience also, I also find in the cold morning the electric heater won’t come on if the battery is a little low.


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I'm not suggesting removing the webasto, but installing the electric heater alongside my webasto.

The webasto still has a longer warm up time than an electric element.
I understand the point you are trying to make. However, from actual experience in the last few days (and indeed, in the last few winters including last year's morning when we hit -14 degrees here overnight) I find the opposite to be the case by a significant margin in terms of AMF (5000W Webasto) vs BHC (1500W electric heater) when confronted with conditions giving a heavily frosted windscreen (inside and out). That is why the AMF is my official winter car simply because it is so much more pleasant to drive on really cold days because it gets warm in a usable time-frame. If I have time one weekend to get the cars lined up on a frosty day I could probably do a timelapse video.

I'm going to meet you halfway on this : perhaps the electric element on my BHC car is not working - or not working effectively somehow - I will investigate.

@Edwrai - actually, I wonder if you've got a clue here - the load-shedding action that the A2 has for high consumption electric circuits when the battery isn't great could be coming into play. I ran the battery down once before Christmas by forgetting the dashcam left on for several days, and I've not had an opportunity to hook up the CTEK battery reconditioner and get it fully topped up (the colour DIS says voltages are fine but sometimes the starting is a bit heavy).
 
Certainly for the "non cold climate" countries the Webasto wins hands down. Emission laws apparently was the cause of its demise. The electric heater is AT BEST 1500W ( some were only 900W ) compared to the 5000W Webasto.

Although I would bet that cold climate cars had a different set up as far as operating temperatures and conditions for either the Webasto or electric auxiliary heater and some possibly optional from the dealer such as auxiliary water pump and timers and block heaters.

Back to my earlier post, if you want the instant heat above what the Webasto is capable of then buy a 12v ceramic fan heater and plug that into the 12v socket.

My 2013 seat Alhambra has a Webasto, wasn’t it more a cost saving measure?


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