Heater - Improved performance

[sidepod]

So it seems a common complaint that the heater shuts down too readily having reached its set point. I have to agree and it’s annoying.

This trick seems to work.

B Pillar. Remove the smaller of the two grills. Looking down inside the duct there is the inlet slot where it branches off from the main duct.

Get a piece of aluminium foil and fashion a plug that’ll bung up the hole as tight as possible.
Then fold another piece to be the same size as the grill. Place it in the opening and replace the grill. Make sure the grill goes the correct way up (louvres pointing up).
Other materials are available but it does get pretty hot in there!

The objective here is to keep as much hot air away from the drivers door step where the return duct is for the heater.

It seems pretty effective. Ambient yesterday was about 8-9 deg. Set on 10 the heater didn’t cut out at all. Cabin temperature was north of 30 deg before I called it a success.

Just to dispel a myth, there is no VW fitted temperature sensor in the drivers door step inlet duct.
The inlet air sensor resides inside and is integral to the heater unit itself.

 

[pchmlk]

On my 5.1 I can’t imagine needing more heat, though I’ve always wondered what the point of heating the side of my seat was. Is the 6.1 heater less effective?

 

[sidepod]

On my 5.1 I can’t imagine needing more heat, though I’ve always wondered what the point of heating the side of my seat was. Is the 6.1 heater less effective?

I’m fairly late to the 6.1 party but my first impressions of the heater were a bit sub optimal.

Looking at the grill design of the small outlet it seems to be a lame attempt at providing the driver with some heat. I think 99% of the time the heater is only used when sat in the back or in bed.

The small grill just seems to send hot air crashing into the seat base, some of which obviously finds its way into the return duct!

 

[Cali Phillip]

interesting, this chimes with my observation on Tuesday night.
I had the drivers window cracked open, behind the wind deflector and the wind was strong on that side of the Cali.
Cold air was being pushed down towards the intake thus causing the living area to be rather warm. Closing the window almost totally helped.

 

[sidepod]

interesting, this chimes with my observation on Tuesday night.
I had the drivers window cracked open, behind the wind deflector and the wind was strong on that side of the Cali.
Cold air was being pushed down towards the intake thus causing the living area to be rather warm. Closing the window almost totally helped.

Good Intel. You’ve effectively created an open loop system there as opposed to a closed loop.
That was going to be my next step, ducting cold external air to the inlet.

 

[Cali Phillip]

Good Intel. You’ve effectively created an open loop system there as opposed to a closed loop.
That was going to be my next step, ducting cold external air to the inlet.

Made worse by the way I fit the Isolites in the doors, so that the blind is flush with the inside edge of the door handle, thus allowing air vis the door handle cut out. The roofs down to avoid unwanted attention.