Engine - working temperature

[Kmann]

Hi, I am wondering. It seems my new 2014 California 2.0 is taking its time to heat up the engine. When I start the cold engine in the morning – like this morning (outer temperature + 6 degrees), it takes about 20 minutes or about 20 km before the car reach the 90C. I think that is a long time? Is this normal? Or as I suspect some issues with the thermostate?

 

[Hotel California]

Think i read on here that others have noticed this....
BTW welcome on you first posting ,
New member from Denmark

 

[sidepod]

That'll be a diesel then.

 

[TwentyOneThirtyFive]

Yep. Diesels are slow to heat up.

Thought T5's had a coolant heater to speed things up? Might want to check that is working.

 

[snowy55]

Yep. Diesels are slow to heat up.

Thought T5's had a coolant heater to speed things up? Might want to check that is working.

The diesel engine heater only comes on below 5c

 

[sidepod]

Just leave the old lump in second gear till it's up to temp.....

It'll soon warm up quicker when the oil level drops in a couple of hundred miles.....only joking, we know how sensitive an issue T5 oil use is

 

[AlanC]

The T5 coolant heater starts at temperatures below 4ºC. That will help to get the engine warm quicker on cold mornings.

To check if you have one fitted to your van, have a look at the drivers door edge or door pillar, there should be a Webasco Thermo Top C label stuck on there. The parking heater is an Eberspacher heater.

Alan

 

[Kmann]

OK … but it seems in cold weather below +4C it is even slower. Have to take a look if I see a label tomorrow.

 

[larrylamb]

OK … but it seems in cold weather below +4C it is even slower. Have to take a look if I see a label tomorrow.

Should heat up quite quickly if below 4 degrees and get warmth from the heater in the cab sooner as well. Whereabouts in Denmark are you?

 

[Kmann]

I am in the Copenhagen area. I guess I need to pay my dealer a visit …

 

[CALI FATE]

my new t6 is v slow to warm up compared to old smax

 

[kave]

The better mpg figures the worse warm up time it gets.
My BMW 520D 2011 takes quite a while in 5C degrees as well.

 

[Kmann]

Thank you for all the answers.

This morning I noticed, despite the temperature was only 2C, the engine got warm quite fast, within 5 km it reached app. 75C. But then it stopped gaining and never reached the 90C for the rest of the 15 km trip.

Maybe it was due to the coolant heater the rise in the beginning was quicker today? Though I can not see any webasto stickers in either of the front door openings. Or maybe there is a issue with the thermostat regulating the water flow?

Well – maybe its normal. But Im quite unsure and think it is quite a long warmup time. I also noticed the consumption of diesel naturally is very high while the engine is still cold. Like average og 5-8 km. pr. liter. On a warm engine I can reach an average og 11-14 km. pr. liter. And my concern is mainly addressed to high wear of the engine.

 

[sidepod]

Thank you for all the answers.

This morning I noticed, despite the temperature was only 2C, the engine got warm quite fast, within 5 km it reached app. 75C. But then it stopped gaining and never reached the 90C for the rest of the 15 km trip.

Maybe it was due to the coolant heater the rise in the beginning was quicker today? Though I can not see any webasto stickers in either of the front door openings. Or maybe there is a issue with the thermostat regulating the water flow?

Well – maybe its normal. But Im quite unsure and think it is quite a long warmup time. I also noticed the consumption of diesel naturally is very high while the engine is still cold. Like average og 5-8 km. pr. liter. On a warm engine I can reach an average og 11-14 km. pr. liter. And my concern is mainly addressed to high wear of the engine.

Hmmm? Do you think VW have done any R+D work in this area at all ?????

 

[Tommy Gun]

Given the exterior temperature, I'm betting you have the dashboard heater set to high. This will 'steal' heat out of your coolant. Just for fun (and assuming you can safely see out of the windows of course) put on a thick jacket & leave the dashboard heater controls to as low as you can manage. Bet your engine temp rises faster + you might get to 90 Deg.

Safety 1st of course.

 

[briwy]

Check the oil temperature rather than the water temperature. That will will give a more true picture of the the actual engine temperature than the water.

 

[mrcheesbrough]

My understanding is the coolant heater only aids heating the coolant to 70C. After that it's deemed having done its job. If the coolant drops below 70C at any point I suspect it will kick in again. I'd be surprised if there was anything wrong with the heater on such a new vehicle but there's no harm in getting them to check it at the dealer.

 

[MattBW]

If you have the rear heater set to warm it will also slow it down in my experience. i also find my Beach very slow to warm up sometimes.

 

[Kmann]

Given the exterior temperature, I'm betting you have the dashboard heater set to high. This will 'steal' heat out of your coolant. Just for fun (and assuming you can safely see out of the windows of course) put on a thick jacket & leave the dashboard heater controls to as low as you can manage. Bet your engine temp rises faster + you might get to 90 Deg.

Safety 1st of course.

Actually I have turned the heater low already, also tried A/C on and off, etc. Trying to shut all energytheifs off …

 

[sandalfarm]

As sidepod says diesels don't produce much heat and takes a while to warm up, you can see this when frost is on the bonnet much longer than a petrol one

 

[Tommy Gun]

Actually I have turned the heater low already, also tried A/C on and off, etc. Trying to shut all energytheifs off …

Sounds like you've tried everything possible.
The use of AC & heated seats etc, I'm fairly sure, increases the load placed on the battery & alternator. This in turn increases your fuel consumption. This side effect of this extra fuel being combusted (heat) I think would actually increase the rate that your coolant warms (as you are making the engine work harder than what it would should these electrical items be switched off.) A more gentle version of Sidepod's 2nd gear suggestion . Might be wrong, just thinking out loud.

 

[jts46]

20 mins or 20 km seem about correct to me

John