What Nordic pre heater thing?

[quattro20v]

Most of the power outlet places have the timer in there allready, if you want a timer at home you can buy a timer that goes between the wall outlet and the power for the defa.

There is a need for a charger if you drive just short trips. Mayby..... I have one, but its CTEK.:mischeif:

Charger would be good to have if you have webasto or eber. In extreme cold the eber takes all of the current out of the battery. Then you have a nice and warm car but no juice in the battery to start the car.

[Nj]

ahhhhhh.. of course. there's a timer on the power outlet. I was looking at that Defa system with an electronic timer/control module in the cabin that you set. That same system uses the mains power to power the cabin heater so it doesn't use the battery. I would definitely feel like an **** sitting in my warm car unable to start it. haha.
Thing is, I'm only doing short journeys just now so maybe the battery charger's not that bad an idea.

I've got a good idea what i'm getting for my birthday and christmas thus year.. nothing after I've spent a fortune on this car heating system

[UrS4boy]

I've been told I need to pay €400 for one of those heaters that stops the engine freezing if the car's left outside. cheers nj

Here's the deal, you've got like it. Pay me €200 (saving you €200) and I'll send you any one of the options suggested here, your choice:

http://www.metrompg.com/posts/block-heater.htm

BTW, where I grew up in Canada (Saskatchewan), it goes down to -40 deg C. The most common way to get your car to start is with a frost plug block heater plugged into mains power overnight, or at least from about 3 AM on a timer.

[Nj]

thanks for the offer mate but €400 was what I was told for fully fitted (through other people)

I've now been into an auto shop, who recommended the Defa 707, which is an in line collant heater. I didn't take it at the time as I thought I should be going for the frost plug version. I checked Defa's website and they recommed the 707 for a car without additional circulation (water) pump with the 2505 frost plg version as an alternative. The 2505 is recommended for cars with the additional circulation pump as the first and only option though. I'm a bit confused. Surely Defa would recommend the right part as the primary option? The guy in the shop definitely thought the 707 was what I should be taking
http://www.defa.com/finn_dok_h.php3?...&lang=3&ndid=#

http://www.defa.com/doc/700/707.pdf

http://www.defa.com/doc/500/2502.pdf

[Nj]

oh yes. 707 with defa cables etc is €138 and fitting will be under €100 to save me doing it in the cold

[fish]

The inline ones work well to. No problem there they do the job perfectly. I suppose it´s the feeling of haveing something actually IN the engineblock that makes you want the block heater.

[Henkjan]

so the 707 includes a pump?

[Nj]

I think it kind of is a pump in that it draws the cold water in and heats it, pushing it out the other side. I think having the secondary water pump would work as a closed valve so I'm OK with this one.
I had it installed locally by a garage (also small rally team) and they did a great job for €80 and saved me freezing my *** off.

thanks for all your help lads. hopefully this will make life easier in this crazy cold weather

[Mr.Crossfire]

All my Audis have had no problems starting cold in temperatures -20...-30, sometimes when electricity is not available. It's said however, that such a cold start wears out engine more than 1000km driving. Also the fuel consumption is huge until engine is warmed.

This winter we have had exeptionally long periods of very low temperatures even for Finland. Usually it is not quite like this, but -10 or so.

[S2central.net]

@NJ - don't you miss the tropical heat of sunny Belfast up there in the Baltics ?

Looks like you are preparing yourself for some proper winters up there... none of this namby-pamby 40mm of snow that we get in the UK

[Nj]

Haha. Yeah I've managed to move here in the coldest history in recent memory it seems. One of my father in laws's drivers reported it was -44 during the night just a couple of days ago. -30 that morning when I went out to the car. It still takes a while to heat up so I'm glad I have the engine heater running before I start it. Even then the exhausts tell a tale of a lot of petrol being guzzled until it's up to heat.
When I start it after college (doing full time Finnish classes just now) it starts with no problems but again I can see the euros flying out of the back
Only problem I had was the oil light showing now and again yesterday but i'm sure the oil is OK. maybe it's at the upper end of the limits but it was fine again today.

Paul, damn right I do Scots-Irish temperatures seem tripical compared to what we're getting right now but there's a lot to be said for driving in the snow and especially a nice empty area at night when nobody else is about The biggest problem I have just now is that my car is pretty low and at times there's quite a ridge between the main road, where the plough has taken snow and ice down to the tarmac, and my street. So I end up with a metal shovel taking the edge off it so I don't wreck the car.

Anyway.. back to my Finnish homework

[Mr.Crossfire]

Starting to realize why there are some quite succesfull Finnish rallydrivers?

[Nj]

I always did mate and have enormous respect for the standard of driving here. Well, most people that is. There are of course some complete lunatics, as in every country. For example the overloaded A6 near my house, going down the hill backwards with front wheels spinning.

[rexr]

Always people who take a greater risk in the winter. I see this every weekend traveling to the mountains. A lot of winter tourists on summer tires in heavy winter conditions. Not fun at all Imagine the traffic jams

[Nj]

the scariest thing is people driving with children in those conditions.