Cold weather & effect on cars

[jimbg]

In the UK is against the law to have a car engine running unattended

On the public highway.

I had that facility on my Range Rover and Discovery as part of the app.

 

[Blobcat]

In the UK is against the law to have a car engine running unattended

Not on your own property it’s not...

 

[EmilysDad]

Is anyweb not talking about Eberspacher diesel heaters that can be run up to preheat the engine coolant before you use the car or to run alongside the engine to get the engine up to temp faster? I know the 7 Series BMW my brother used to have had one inside the inner wing that ran alongside the engine. It was only when I told him about it that he realised why the car 'smoked' when it was really cold.

 

[Bay Leaf]

I had one of those on a diesel Jag, when it worked!

 

[Blobcat]

I had one of those on a diesel Jag, when it worked!

I fitted a Webasto electric heater to an XJ6. Just cut into one of the radiator hoses and fitted the small heater. 230v on a timer. Worked very well indeed

 

[jimbg]

JLR still offer the diesel heater as an option, but as standard you can start the engine to preheat the car or cool it in summer.

The diesel one is very voltage sensitive though!

 

[Bay Leaf]

This was a factory fitted item that took me 7 years (yes 7) to work out that I had to work the climate control manually rather than leave it on auto in order for it to re start the next time. Fortunately I had a icarsoft scanner that would re set it if I forgot to turn off the climate control manually. But when it worked it was a great piece of kit. I just didn't like being stopped from working mid cycle.

 

[sonic]

A friend of mine bought a new VW 411 in 1972, that came with a space heater. You could set it to come on via the clock, quite modern then.

 

[mioba]

Have similar with an Eber in my VW T25 camper, runs of the diesel.

 

[anyweb]

In the UK is against the law to have a car engine running unattended

but it's not the car engine that's running, it's a separate heater, are those also banned ?

 

[anyweb]

Is anyweb not talking about Eberspacher diesel heaters that can be run up to preheat the engine coolant before you use the car or to run alongside the engine to get the engine up to temp faster? I know the 7 Series BMW my brother used to have had one inside the inner wing that ran alongside the engine. It was only when I told him about it that he realised why the car 'smoked' when it was really cold.

my C238 is Petrol driven so nothing to do with diesel. However these heater motors are in both petrol and diesel cars offered from Mercedes in Sweden (and other countries).
There is a separate motor (heater motor) which draws fuel from the fuel tank and it's sole job is to 'warm up' the engine and either warm the interior of the car or cool it down depending on the settings previously set.

 

[John Laidlaw]

Doesn't the Leaf only have a 20 mile range anyway so short journey's only.

168, how dare you!

 

[EmilysDad]

my C238 is Petrol driven so nothing to do with diesel. .....

Apologies for suggesting you drove a car powered by the Fuel of the Devil

It's not generally cold enough here in the UK for engine heaters

 

[Bay Leaf]

but it's not the car engine that's running, it's a separate heater, are those also banned ?

No

 

[Botus]

you really only need to worry about salt

flipping idiots went mental last year and threw half the worlds salt out almost every night. Yet the temps never got cold enough in east berks that any of it was ever needed for the whole winter season. They have been doing the same since a week before Christmas and still going strong, it hasn't been anywhere near cold enough to warrant even 1/2 a gramme of salt across a square hundred miles.

it pulls all the grease out of the roads and makes it very slippery
it makes the car filthy
makes everything wet and damp as is absorbs moisture, where had the idiots not done it, the roads would be bone dry, clean and safe

so your brakes and suspension is rusting and stops working, the chassis disintegrates, the windows become covered in salt and you can't see where you are going and there's zero grip anywhere.... I'm not sure how that makes the road safer? - but it does trash the environment and drive up new car sales!!!

and if you get caught by the maniacs spreading that dangerous filth about, if your screen survives check how much paint isn't on the front of the car anymore !!!!

 

[mioba]

you really only need to worry about salt

flipping idiots went mental last year and threw half the worlds salt out almost every night. Yet the temps never got cold enough in east berks that any of it was ever needed for the whole winter season. They have been doing the same since a week before Christmas and still going strong, it hasn't been anywhere near cold enough to warrant even 1/2 a gramme of salt across a square hundred miles.

it pulls all the grease out of the roads and makes it very slippery
it makes the car filthy
makes everything wet and damp as is absorbs moisture, where had the idiots not done it, the roads would be bone dry, clean and safe

so your brakes and suspension is rusting and stops working, the chassis disintegrates, the windows become covered in salt and you can't see where you are going and there's zero grip anywhere.... I'm not sure how that makes the road safer? - but it does trash the environment and drive up new car sales!!!

and if you get caught by the maniacs spreading that dangerous filth about, if your screen survives check how much paint isn't on the front of the car anymore !!!!

Hahha true the black film of dirt on the car and white screen residue is an annoyance.

Then again a good excuse to wash the car and it always seems to look great after a winter wash.

 

[malcolm E53 AMG]

Ok so it looks like I’m worrying myself over nothing. I’m going to try and put it to the back of my mind and stop telling myself I must use the Mrs’ car for menial journeys like dropping my daughter home which is 8 mins each way (Mrs has a 1L petrol and I use the argument that diesels don’t like short journeys when it’s cold).

+1 for Gummi Pfledge. I did all my deals but forgot to do the other half’s car. My doors open and her doors have frozen shut twice this week. Actually, that’s a job for tomorrow.

thanks

Modern oils cope with temperature differences very well nowadays so no concern there just let the car warm up before pushing it over 3k revs. What I would say is turn the start/stop off every journey as I do that’s where the real wear is nowadays. In these days of low mileage due to lockdown it’s even more important to let a diesel DPF regeneration finish before turning the engine off - other than that happy MB motoring

 

[Ron240]

What I would say is turn the start/stop off every journey as I do

Me too every time without fail. Its handy of Mercedes to put the switch immediately below the starter button so both operations can be done at the same time.
I don't hate start/stop technology, but I absolutely do the way it is implemented with an automatic gearbox.

 

[Manc Rick]

Modern oils cope with temperature differences very well nowadays so no concern there just let the car warm up before pushing it over 3k revs. What I would say is turn the start/stop off every journey as I do that’s where the real wear is nowadays. In these days of low mileage due to lockdown it’s even more important to let a diesel DPF regeneration finish before turning the engine off - other than that happy MB motoring

Funnily enough, this is part of my auto pilot routine - engine on > stop start Off.

They recon the new combination starter motor / alternator can withstand the stresses, but I worry about timing chain stress and don’t think the benefit warrants the wear and tear.

 

[davidsl500]

A friend of mine bought a new VW 411 in 1972, that came with a space heater. You could set it to come on via the clock, quite modern then.

That would never work - the universe is vast.....