A Class Auxillary Heating, or not?

Mega_angelic

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Due to having a new job with a long commute I've traded in my Volvo S80 2.9 twin turbo, for a little A Class w169. A200 CDI.

This is the first diesel I have ever owned so please excuse the ignorance... I thought diesels heat up much slower than petrols, however my heating comes on after a cold start within a minute.

Which makes me think there is electrically powered auxiliary heating. (I don't have a manual and there isn't one online as far as I can find).

However the last mercedes I owned had auxiliary heating and with it you could select a time for it to turn on using the dash computer. My current car doesn't have this option.


...So, does it have auxiliary heating but not the timer function, or is it just the engine heating quickly?

If it does have auxiliary heating but the timer is an optional extra, is this something that can be added with a STAR or does it require extra hardware?

Thanks in advance :)
 

Ricardo_e220

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I have noticed this on my wife's a class and also on my e class...the latter has the rest feature, but not the w169... I'll be interested to know why when other vw and Audi cars I've had recently take forever in diesel format
 

television

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Hello and welcome,,I do not know the A class very well but many Mercedes diesels do have an electric block heater, hopefully some answers will come in and welcome to the forum
 

whitenemesis

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The E class has an electric heater that warms the incoming ventilation air. I don't know about the A class.
This isn't related to the Rest function, which utilises residual coolant heat to warm the interior.
 
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npuk

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No aux heater in the a-class unless you have some retrofitted system.
 
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Mega_angelic

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Today I thought I'd time it, just so it wasn't just getting warm at a normal speed and me thinking it was quicker.

It was 3'c outside and from the time I started the engine it took 1min40 to start blowing 20'c ish air from the vents.

So definitely can't be coming from engine heat. I wish I had a manual!!!! I really resent paying dealer prices for one though! Lol
 

EmilysDad

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The E class has an electric heater that warms the incoming ventilation air.....

How about R Class? Mine warms up pretty quick too, so I'd suspected some kind of auxiliary heating. My brother's 7 series used to have a diesel powered Eberspacher type affair behind a front wing.
 

whitenemesis

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I don't know but I'd imagine it has something similar to the E as most 'executive' Mercs have something to provide instant heat. The under-wing Eberspacher or Westabo type are options rarely ticked in the UK
 

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These heaters only work on a timer as far as I know, and not when driving, the C and E can have the electric heat on the block, they pull 20amp and many have disconnected them when they have failed
 

whitenemesis

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W211 has a PTC (electric) heater element fitted in the heater unit that comes on if:

temp below 8C AND
A/C switched on

This often catches people out as, although the compressor is disabled at low temp to prevent evap freezing and this leads people to believe the A/C switch might as well be off, the PTC is switched off if the A/C switch is off.....because its in the A/C path through the heater box!

It has a fuse equiv to 1700W and pulls about 1200W or so (think 1-bar electric fire).

It heats the air coming into the cabin (nothing to do with block or cooling water circuit).

(Thanks to W124coupe for this info)
 

SL63 Mark

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The E class has an electric heater that warms the incoming ventilation air. I don't know about the A class.
This isn't related to the Rest function, which utilises residual coolant heat to warm the interior.

Thanks for that, I was wondering what that button did, but was too afraid to ask ! To be honest there are so many buttons I don't understand, I thought that one was for putting the passenger to sleep ! :D
 

SL63 Mark

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My (Diesel) landrover never really heated up on the way to work this morning, (crusty heater matrix, I suspect) so I would say those who are getting 20°C in 2 mins are doing rather well !
 

Richardl

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I think it may have something to do with the water cooled alternator. I think it generates warm air when it's cold. A shortened water run maybe? Or maybe I'm stoopid.....

Sent from my Lumia 800 using Board Express
 
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Mega_angelic

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Thanks for all the suggestions, I guess it's no hardship not being able to set it with the timer. I do miss that function though :)

At least I don't have to wait 10 minutes for warm air to start blowing like my other halfs modus! :)

I don't like the cold :)
 

Rory

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It was 3'c outside and from the time I started the engine it took 1min40 to start blowing 20'c ish air from the vents.

That seems a long time - I had an A Class as a courtesy car and, after standing all day outside my house I backed it out of the drive and within a couple of hundred yards of driving the air was starting to feel warm. As others have said, I assumed it was due to PTC heaters in the vents.

I reckon my own car is churning out warm air in the sort of time frame you say, and that relies on the electric block heater. Note that only works when the car is moving, not at idle, as it takes so much current. The same may be true of the PTC air heaters too.
 

Rory

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I now know to switch on my ac on my s211 then! You learn xsomething every day :)

In my W203 you can set the booster heater in the cluster computer to either off, off with a/c button or auto. I leave mine in auto and usually have the a/c button off and it appears to work fine.
 

whitenemesis

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The booster heater in the 203 is a completely different. It has the heat the coolant and then only if there is surplus output from the alternator.
 

Rory

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The booster heater in the 203 is a completely different. It has the heat the coolant and then only if there is surplus output from the alternator.

I know, that's why I said block heater.

It works surprisingly well, the snag is that you've got to drive off when the car is stone cold as it won't warm as idle so if it mists up and it's too cold for the a/c to work then that makes the first mile or so interesting.
 

whitenemesis

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I remember it well. Interesting is one word for it!!
 


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