Heating newbie question

[icic]

I am just wondering how the aux heating works in practice, asking so we don’t have a up and down night, trying to figure it out, when we are let out to play.

Does the heating work on a constant thermostat like home heating, so clicking on and off As the temperature drops, or does it need to be set up to come on different times in the control panel. Also with the different levels what a guide to the setting at different times of the year with the 1-7 settings. Any heating strategies would be fantastic

 

[clarinetbcn]

I am just wondering how the aux heating works in practice, asking so we don’t have a up and down night, trying to figure it out, when we are let out to play.

Does the heating work on a constant thermostat like home heating, so clicking on and off As the temperature drops, or does it need to be set up to come on different times in the control panel. Also with the different levels what a guide to the setting at different times of the year with the 1-7 settings. Any heating strategies would be fantastic

Beach Heating

Hi Could anyone please tell me the difference in heating options for the beach? All I am able to work out is that it is either: Aux heating coolant diesel Aux heating electric Night heating I dont have a clue which is which and what they do and so far the dealers I have spoken too aren't...

vwcaliforniaclub.com

The Night Air Heater has a thermostat, but it helps to be aware that the sensor is in the air intake in the right front footwell at the entrance step, which means that it has poor accuracy (lower bed temp may be fine but the heater keeps on running because the air in the entrance step is the very last in the cabin to heat up). This is another design mistake which Volkswagen has not been able to correct for the last 15 years. Some owners move the thermostat sensor to a higher position in the cabin, which lets the thermostat become useful.

Somewhat unintuitively, keeping the heater running constantly at a slightly higher temperature, which keeps it in a low maintenance mode, with a window cracked for ventilation to prevent condensation, actually uses less battery than keeping the thermostat low. A low thermostat level causes the burner to shut off when temperature is reached. Every restart at this low setting uses battery to restart the heater, while constant running turns battery usage off because the combustion is achieved by the hot glow plug inside the burner. This is the same principle that makes diesel vehicle motors run without spark plugs, while they do need battery power at start up to electronically heat the glow plug, which is then maintained red hot by combustion.

 

[No_heroes]

For spring/autumn camping I set it high when preparing for bed. Usually on 7. Once to temp I set it to 4 for over night.

It warms up quickly- but also loses heat quickly if you open the door on a cold night.

Summer obviously off or a low setting like 2.

In winter, even with the pop top up I would run through the night on 5. Have done this at sub zero temps without a topper.

Hope this is helpful. Just try and experiment!! Oh, I also fill up with diesel before getting to my destination (where possible) so I have no fuel worries at all.

 

[barry]

In the T5 prefacelift running the heater on thermostat over night simply keeps you awake with it noisily switching on and off so we switch it off manually when getting into bed and switching it on manually when we want to get up. It takes about 10 mins to warm up the interior when manually switched on. It seems the more recent editions are no better. Indeed, once you've mastered the neolithic interface for the heater program, automated switching on in the morning is a pretty good alarm clock if you need one ;-)
We always sleep in the top bunk so the tempwrature difference between where the thermostat is in the footwell and where we sleep is massive, rendering its value sort of nil.
In the last dozen years we've never had an outside teperature less than minus a couple of degrees oC true (scottish glens usually) so i'm not sure what we'd do in [say] the alps.
Design fault notwithstanding, the heater's pretty useful.

 

[Jodalo]

In the T5 prefacelift running the heater on thermostat over night simply keeps you awake with it noisily switching on and off so we switch it off manually when getting into bed and switching it on manually when we want to get up. It takes about 10 mins to warm up the interior when manually switched on. It seems the more recent editions are no better. Indeed, once you've mastered the neolithic interface for the heater program, automated switching on in the morning is a pretty good alarm clock if you need one ;-)
We always sleep in the top bunk so the tempwrature difference between where the thermostat is in the footwell and where we sleep is massive, rendering its value sort of nil.
In the last dozen years we've never had an outside teperature less than minus a couple of degrees oC true (scottish glens usually) so i'm not sure what we'd do in [say] the alps.
Design fault notwithstanding, the heater's pretty useful.

Unfortunately there is probably not an ideal location for a thermostat within the confines of the Cali. But it has to be sited where it is manageable. If it was sited in the roof area, for instance, it would never reach the desired temperature and would be calling for heat all the time. Therefore you would be sweltering downstairs. At least now you are able to make allowances and adjust accordingly to your own liking. Not ideal but manageable.

 

[clarinetbcn]

We always sleep in the top bunk so the tempwrature difference between where the thermostat is in the footwell and where we sleep is massive, rendering its value sort of nil.

That's an interesting observation. My experience has been different: the air temperature in the footwell is colder than the lower bed area, but so is the air upstairs, so I find the thermostat works fairly well for sleeping upstairs, but not very well for sleeping downstairs.

 

[clarinetbcn]

Unfortunately there is probably not an ideal location for a thermostat within the confines of the Cali. But it has to be sited where it is manageable. If it was sited in the roof area, for instance, it would never reach the desired temperature and would be calling for heat all the time. Therefore you would be sweltering downstairs. At least now you are able to make allowances and adjust accordingly to your own liking. Not ideal but manageable.

The modifications I've seen of sensor location are never in the roof, because as you say, that would have the same problem. They are located on the main seating level, which seems to give good results all round, while still being easily reached from the upstairs bed.

 

[icic]

Thanks for all the replies, Is it complex to relocate the thermostat ?

 

[clarinetbcn]

Thanks for all the replies, Is it complex to relocate the thermostat ?

A result from the Forum search function:

Auxiliary heater - temperature sensor

Hi, I don't like the 'insensitivity' of the temperature sensor for the auxiliary heating system. Even on position 1 or 2 it can become very hot in the car, and then it switches off and the temperature might drop with more than 5 degrees before the heater switches on again. Where is the sensor...

vwcaliforniaclub.com

 

[AndyWT]

As usual with VW it’s 2 steps forwards and 3 backwards.
The T4 Cali has the temp sensor on the rear sliding door pillar, the heater does not cycle on/off/on to maintain temp, it’s goes to low heat output, once up to temp set it to 12c and it idles away all night, it’s still nice and toasty downstairs as low heat is 1kW