Rear Heater and cold running Beach?

[MattBW]

As the temperature only just dropped below 5c in the UK, I've not really had to use the heaters much.
The recent dip resulted in the heaters being used on a long run to Berwick. I've noticed that the Beach can take upto 30 minutes to get warm which seems long even for a diesel.

More worryingly if I use the heater in the rear (on anything over half) it will quickly drop the engine well below 90c. Is this normal or is something not quite right. I appreciate diesels run cooler, but this seems pretty poor. On the motorway over 70 it seems to hold its temp just about but around town or even on country lanes it drops the engine temp rapidly and the heaters seem to go cool too.

The front has AC but the rear does not. Makes me worry for if it actually gets genuinely cold, or for when we go on our trip to Norway this year.

 

[motacyclist]

More worryingly if I use the heater in the rear (on anything over half) it will quickly drop the engine well below 90c

Maybe it's the cold coolant from the rear mixing with the front when you first switch it on? Can't say we've used the rear heating much in ours up to now but will try it out next time we're in the van.

In the meantime maybe some of that cardboard from the Christmas presents could be put to good use blanking off part of the radiator!

 

[2into1]

Maybe it's the cold coolant from the rear mixing with the front when you first switch it on? Can't say we've used the rear heating much in ours up to now but will try it out next time we're in the van.

In the meantime maybe some of that cardboard from the Christmas presents could be put to good use blanking off part of the radiator!

Those were the days!

 

[snowy55]

When I turn my rear heater on the engine temp gauge drops as the cold water goes into the engine. I've only turned it on for short periods to test that it works so I don't know what happens to the temperature gauge thereafter.

 

[motacyclist]

I checked mine on a short run (10 miles) this morning. Using clock terminology with 90 deg at 12 o'clock (hope this makes sense!), the temp only got to 10 to 12. I switched the rear on and it dropped about 3 minutes just about recovering at the end of the journey. Outside temp was 7 deg C.

Coming back the outside temp had risen and the engine still retained some earlier heat, it maxed out at 90 deg.

So it looks like yours is normal Matt.

 

[WelshGas]

Below 5c ambient the engine diesel coolant heater should fire up to help, but there will be a grey area between 5 - 10c ambient.
Aircon on recirculation may help! on short trips.
Do you have the Auxiliary air heater for the cabin. That can be used when driving, not just when parked up. See handbook for confirmation.

 

[MattBW]

Thanks for checking, makes sense.

No auxiliary heater at the moment sadly but pondering fitting one

 

[MattBW]

Update on this made a discovery in the last day or so.

My van does indeed have an auxiliary after all and I have found that if I put the heater dial to full (I rarely move it from the 12 oclock position), the engine seems to warm up within about 10 minutes. I also have the rear fans off. I can only assume this triggers the auxiliary or rather having it on a colder setting makes it assume you don't need it?

Tried it again this morning and indeed it was warm in ten minutes. Is this how it works or is it a coincidence.

Is it worth getting the remote kit to add on?

 

[snowy55]

The aux heater should just come on at ambient 5c, that's what mine does no matter what the heater settings are.

 

[MattBW]

Something weird going on then, I need to talk to the dealer.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[snowy55]

Should add I know when mine is on, you can hear the tapping of the pump underneath the passenger feet area when stationary.

 

[MattBW]

Yeah I tried to listen for it this morning (it was 1c) and couldnt feel or hear anything. The engine took about 20 minutes to get warm which was quite fast for my van at that temp.

 

[snowy55]

Yeah I tried to listen for it this morning (it was 1c) and couldnt feel or hear anything. The engine took about 20 minutes to get warm which was quite fast for my van at that temp.

Mine has a definite tap, tap, tap noise and it gets to 90c in 8-10 minutes.
I think yours is not working properly

 

[MattBW]

I have reset the error message.

Two nights ago, I actually heard it running on the driveway, I could hear a sort of quiet "dug dug dug" noise and the blowers got warm very fast. Makes me wonder if it's an intermittent fault or if its now cleared. As always its not been cold enough since to be sure.