270CDI ages to warm up

[corned]

I have just been out to mine to conduct a little 'experiment'.

The car has not been started for 2 days or so. My glowplugs are OK so I started normally and left the aircon on AUTO, but set the temp on both sides to max. Within 30 seconds, the air coming out of the vents had some measure of heat in it. In 5 minutes, the warmth in the cabin had melted the snow on the windscreen, without me setting the aircon to demist.

Therefore I can only assume that the booster in my case is alive and well. I compared this with the last time I was out in the car, when I set the aircon to demist. This gave no noticeable warmth for ages - presumably because it takes the aircon unit out of AUTO when you select demist.

As a separate and unrelated measure, I have taken the step of covering part of the radiator to see if, next time I am out and about, this improves the running temperature, which is usually down to about 65-70C or so these days.

Finally, I remembered to cancel the auto-fold on the mirrors - to prevent the possibility of damage if it tries to unfold frozen or ice-blocked mechanisms when I next get in.

 

[welland99]

Hi Ya, the heater booster is Diesel powered as is the auxilary heater on the vito, the booster heater heats the water and needs the engine to be running to work

I wonder how much water it heats? Surely not all the water in the cooling system?

 

[walsi]

Hi ya,it heats the water in the block and the heater matrix untill the thermostat opens and then it normally has cut out anyway. In real cold weather it will run and run until the engine and rad reach operating temperature because the water will keep cooling and it will kick in again. I think it takes its temperature reading from the the temp sendor or temp gauge.

Cheers Martin

 

[corned]

I don't know if this helps, but my car (211.026) on the Russian parts list site has an electrical booster heater attached to the main heating and ventilation unit behind the dashboard. It has a note on this part which says '1700W', which, if that it the wattage, is quite impressive.

I guess it's a bit like a hairdryer blowing hot air into the heater unit.

The water system unit is the proper 'auxiliary heating' unit which has the separate controls like a domestic central heating system.

 

[welland99]

Hi ya,it heats the water in the block and the heater matrix untill the thermostat opens and then it normally has cut out anyway. In real cold weather it will run and run until the engine and rad reach operating temperature because the water will keep cooling and it will kick in again. I think it takes its temperature reading from the the temp sendor or temp gauge.

Cheers Martin

That's interesting. If it only works when the engine is running (did I remember this correctly from an earlier post?), if it makes a significant difference to the amount of heat put in to the water, then compared to the heat created by six cylinders it must use quite a lot of diesel fuel. (we are talking about a diesel powered heater here, aren't we?)

 

[Stratman]

At 1700W that's about two and a quarter horsepower. That's very roughly five percent of the (let's say) fifty horsepower the car is producing during normal driving. Let's say the car is doing 40 mpg, so an extremely rough first approximation would be the heater 'costs' five percent of 40 mpg, or 2 mpg.

 

[walsi]

That's interesting. If it only works when the engine is running (did I remember this correctly from an earlier post?), if it makes a significant difference to the amount of heat put in to the water, then compared to the heat created by six cylinders it must use quite a lot of diesel fuel. (we are talking about a diesel powered heater here, aren't we?)

Hi ya, yes you rememberd correctly and it does make a difference, because i use the van only a little at the mo i know how much diesel it uses and it is a marked difference when you are running the booster. I have never tried to work out how much it does use and really cant think of a way of doing it easily. If someone can come up with a suggestion i dont mind giving it a go in the interest of science as they say
Stratman i would say it was a lot more than 2mpg for the diesel booster.

Cheers Martin

 

[timskemp]

I don't know if this helps, but my car (211.026) on the Russian parts list site has an electrical booster heater attached to the main heating and ventilation unit behind the dashboard. It has a note on this part which says '1700W', which, if that it the wattage, is quite impressive.

I guess it's a bit like a hairdryer blowing hot air into the heater unit.

The water system unit is the proper 'auxiliary heating' unit which has the separate controls like a domestic central heating system.

1700W on a W211 wouldn't surprise me, that's 120A at 14V, you'll notice the engine fast idles (about 900-950 rpm) when it's active and the alternator is a 200A water cooled alternator (so the heat generated by the load is dumped back into the cooling system, speeding warmup time).

Mine is blowing warm air in 30 seconds or so after setting off.

 

[wongl]

I don't have a switch for the booster, it works automatically.

The booster switch on my W210 is located in the front ash-tray. The manual says it is okay to leave it in the on position all the time because the booster will not kick-in if the ambient temperature is above a certain level (from memory 7 degrees?).

 

[Danny DeVito]

If the booster heater is diesel powered, where does it go? Is it like another little engine ? Does it not seem more likely to be electric.

Walsi in the following pics... can you see the wavy lines with an upfaced arrow and a plus sign over it , is that the button for heater boost ? In the next pic you see a button with a van and an arrow in it which i think is adjust or lock air suspension, fine except my van has shocks and springs in it does anyone know if these might be retrofits ?? There looks like a compressor underneath. Hard to tell this cold weather. Next button is the W ??? And the ASR ?? The last pic shows the light switch which has three positions on-off-on Whats the point if it turns on/off the rear light either way ?

 

[Danny DeVito]

One more question about buttons, when i press the button in the centre for directing the air-flow a little red light comes on whats this one ?? Thanks..!

 

[Danny DeVito]

One more question about buttons, when i press the button in the centre for directing the air-flow a little red light comes on whats this one ?? Thanks..!

What year is your van ?? And engine size ??

 

[jeremy 2516]

In v cold snaps using the re-circulation button on the air-con will warm your cabin up faster as it is re-circulating already warmer air continually , also starting the engine 10 minutes before setting off really helps too .

 

[walsi]

Hi ya, The switch with the wavy lines (middle section) is indeed the heater booster, it is like a seperate motor which is under the van almost right under the passenger seat.
It sounds like your van has been retro fitted with springs and shocks which is quite a common mod as the air suspension can be very problomatic and costly to keep maintained. Beware the thing that looks like a compressor could be the booster heater.
The "W" is winter mode for the auto box, means it pulls away in second and changes up sooner (less revs)
ASR, traction control, simple as that
The reason for the rear light switch is to make life easier, one way allows the light to be opperated by opening the doors and the other way is an overide? don't know why you would want to this when you can do it on the light unit its self.

Cheers Martin

 

[walsi]

And if you press the centre of the centre dial the red light is for recirculate, you need to get a handbook as you can do all sorts of clever things with the heating system on a fully loaded V class.

P.S my van is a "W" plate 108CDI so is basically the same as yours

Martin

 

[Danny DeVito]

Thanks for the information, that clears up a few things for me. My lights in the back ( 4 ) all come on which ever way i put the dash switch. They don't come on when i open the back doors either. The dash switch is very handy though for me because i can light up the whole back to let the kids get out.

Getting back to the point though, i think my stat is wide open, the temp gauge barely moves unless i am parked, then i have to open windows because the cab fills up with fumes from the leaky injector (a work in progress ) Plus the last owner busted the back of the centre dial. I had a T5 Volvo with seats hot enough to burn you it was great, I also had a nissan patrol where the heat was really really bad. The booster heater is like a small burner similar to central heating at home. Burning nozzle etc. Just trying to get a picture now and explanation.

 

[walsi]

Hi ya, yes it consists of a diesel boiler with a glow plug in the centre which is wrapped by a copper jacket which the water is pumped around by the water pump. It works on the same principal as a night heater in a lorry except it heats water and not air. Diesel is injected into it by a small metering device and is ignited by the glow plug and there is a short exhaust on it with a silencer which has dropped off on mine so it sounds like i have a jet turbine running under the van from 50' away. Really is a straight forward way of providing heat and helping the engine warm up. They really struggle to get up to temp in the cold unless you have a booster or and block part of the rad off.

Martin

 

[Danny DeVito]

This is what the burner looks like, it shows right where you said it was . That must be what i was looking at.

 

[walsi]

Where did you get the diagram from?? thats the puppy, its under the van under the passenger seat area just behind the chassis

Martin

 

[walsi]

Dont bother answering that, i can see its from that Wis program that i could never get to work

Martin