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Winter is coming - but how does a heater work?

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Recently updated on December 21, 2020 at 08:43 am

Winter is coming - but how does a heater work?

Winter is almost here and soon it's time to scrape ice again and drive away. And maybe every morning. The fact is, it is not exactly a pleasure to get into an ice-cold car in winter with extremely low outside temperatures after the windows have been painstakingly scraped free. And running out quickly and letting the engine warm up isn't a good idea either. Here there is a fine of 80 euros! Either one helps here so-called Engine heater for connection to a socket on the Parking, the Carport or in the Garage, or alternatively the luxury variant in the form of a Stationary heating system. It ensures cozy warmth in the vehicle interior and, depending on the version, even preheats the engine. Modern systems can even be activated some time before the start of the journey using an app or a remote control.

This is how the installation works!

Winter is coming - but how does a heater work?

There are different systems on the market. One of the most common systems works similar to a normal home heating system powered by fuel oil. Fuel is burned from the tank of the vehicle, generating heat. It is a fully enclosed system in which the combustion of the fuel takes place. A heat exchanger heats the cooling water, as it does when the engine is running. However, the heat is generated in this case without running engine by the heater. The effect is the same as when the engine is warming up. By heating the cooling water and switching on the vehicle fan warm air passes through the heating nozzles in the interior of the vehicle. A pleasant side effect is that the engine is pre-heated with, which contributes not insignificantly to fuel saving and engine preservation. The exhaust gases produced during combustion are discharged to the outside like in an internal combustion engine. For this reason, a working according to this principle auxiliary heater should not be operated in the garage.

Winter is coming - but how does a heater work?
Example: Webasto Thermo Top C

For installation and operation of a parking heater

The installation of a heater is anything but a breeze. He should necessarily take place in a specialist workshop. The technology of such a heater is connected to safety-related elements in the vehicle such as the fuel tank. Usually also adjustments to the vehicle electronics must be made to integrate the control of the heater in this. The operation is relatively easy. The auxiliary heater can be started for example via a timer or an app. Of course, the system takes some time to bring the cooling water and thus also the heating system to an appropriate temperature, especially at extremely low outside temperatures.

Which is especially important

An intact battery must be installed in the vehicle so that the auxiliary heating and the vehicle engine can start at any time. It is also important to charge them sufficiently over long journeys. If daily trips are too short, this can quickly become a problem. The battery may not be sufficiently charged here while driving. It is also very important that the fuel tank is not run empty, otherwise the heater's fuel system must be vented. An old wood stove as an alternative? You can do it, but shouldn't get a license and the operation is also quite cumbersome ^^. What do you have to pay attention to if the vehicle is to be made fit for the dark season? The most important information can be found in our winter check.

Winter is coming - but how does a heater work?
not really an alternative

And this is how installing the auxiliary heater works.

Basically, you are dealing with a manageable number of providers. Full-fledged Parking heaters because not many have on offer. Webasto, Eberspächer, Truma, Defa and also the manufacturer Calix are known. Unfortunately, the installation is very complex. Since a connection to the Fuel Lines occurs, it is also not harmless. You can plan a full working day for proper installation. Sometimes even more. Parts of the paneling in the engine compartment have to be removed, new connections are required in the tank Battery and Fan Heaters connect. A special control unit is connected to the on-board electronics so that everything works. The manufacturers therefore choose to do the assembly themselves discouraged.

Questions and answers about the parking heater

  1. What are the costs for the parking heater?
    Costs for the auxiliary heating including installation for a VW Golf are between 1200 and 1600 euros. Larger vehicles are more expensive.
  2. Is it worth retrofitting?
    If the car is regularly outside in winter and freezes over, then JA. Retrofitting is only worthwhile for longer distances. Because it puts a strain on the car battery. The distance that the car drives should last at least as long as the auxiliary heater has been running.
  3. Can you retrofit a parking heater yourself?
    A fuel-operated auxiliary heater requires work on the fuel lines and the control unit. As a layman, you should consider the installation refrain from. Will only be a Engine heater retrofitted, but then the installation is usually done by yourself is also possible
  4. Can the auxiliary heater be retrofitted in every car?
    There is one for almost all cars Retrofit solution. The so-called inline and island solutions make differences. Not all cars allow retrofitting of an inline parking heater.
  5. How high is the fuel consumption of the parking heater?
    It is comparatively low. Per hour approx. a half liter Petrol or diesel.
  6. Is the parking heater harmful to the environment?
    No! The auxiliary heater heats the cooling water and prevents it Cold starts. So can fuel consumption / CO2 emissions reduced .
  7. What do I have to consider when operating the parking heater?
    The auxiliary heating also consumes fuel and causes emissions. The operating time should short being held. Enough 15 to 20 minutes. Operation requires electricity from the car battery. To avoid starting problems, leave the car behind after using the auxiliary heater gefahren or he has to attend one regularly Car battery charger connected. Auxiliary heating not Switch on in places with flammable substances (petrol station). Auxiliary heating not in garages or others closed Use rooms!
  8. Operation of the parking heater? The operation of the parking heater is different. There is a classic timer, a remote control, Alexa voice function, smartphone app or a GSM module / cellular network to activate via Call us by phone or SMS.
  9. Is there actually a difference to the auxiliary heater?
    Modern diesel vehicles have an auxiliary heater. That's kind of one half auxiliary heater and can often even be simple unlocked will. The auxiliary heater increases the heating output of the car while driving. The difference to the parking heater is that it runs independent from the engine. The simple auxiliary heater, on the other hand, only applies to running engine. This is why the auxiliary heater is no fan control possible while standing. But there are vehicle-specific ones Upgrade kits to add the missing components. Such an upgrade kit starts at around 200 euros.
  10. Activating auxiliary heater as auxiliary heater feasible?
    Here it depends on the vehicle. In some cars you have the option of activating the electronic auxiliary heater (from Eberspächer) in the air conditioning control unit as a parking heater. After a performed activation The auxiliary heater can then be fully activated via the vehicle menu used .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpzTUEB0yJY

Of course, that was far from it. tuningblog.eu has countless other articles on the subject of auto & tuning in stock. Do you want to see them all? Just click HERE and look around. But also off the tuning we want to provide you with news. Themes that go beyond the box you will find in our category Tips, products, information & CoFollowing an excerpt from the last reports:

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About Thomas Wachsmuth

Thomas Wachsmuth - He has been an integral part of tuningblog.eu since 2013. His passion for cars is so intense that he invests every available penny in them. While he dreams of a BMW E31 850CSI and a Hennessey 6x6 Ford F-150, he currently drives a rather inconspicuous BMW 540i (G31/LCI). His collection of books, magazines and brochures on the subject of car tuning has now reached such proportions that he himself has become a walking reference work for the tuning scene.  More about Thomas

a comment

  1. Tobias Mueller

    Thank you for the contribution to the parking heater. My uncle had to change his parking heater and decided to use an electric parking heater. It's good to know that the car's battery is responsible for the simple start-up of the heating and you should therefore pay attention to a functioning battery.

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