On or around Sat, 11 Dec 2004 10:38:23 +0000, Mr.Nice.
<mr.nice@*nospam*clara.co.uk> enlightened us thusly:
>On Fri, 10 Dec 2004 22:06:57 +0000, Austin Shackles
><[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>
>>I believe it might.
>>
>>hmmm, that's a thought, wonder if you can fit it to a 300 TDi. bloody thing
>>takes ages to get warm in winter.
>>
>
>there was a thread here recently about the td4 (or was it td5) and
>it's preheater thingy, someone who knows about it will be along
>presently, or have a poke on google and see if you can find the
>thread.
>
>Austin, I've been thinking about removing my fixed-fan and replacing
>it with a kenlowe fan or pacet or something, one mounted more or less
>where the fixed fan is now and maybe another infront of the radiator.
>I'm hoping to reduce the warm-up time for my trips to cold places and
>also be sure there is loads of cooling for the summers which get jolly
>warm here. what are your thoughts oh great oracle.
hmmm. mixed.
I had an electric fan on the V8 110, was fine until it's motor seized and
burnt out one hot day, leaving it with no cooling to speak of. After that I
put a fixed one back on.
If you can get a viscous one, I'd go for that.
Mind, on a Di minibus (Perkins Prima 2.0) I removed the fan altogether, and
it never overheated, even in traffic. I'd not recommend this on a TD or
even really on a TDi.
2 fans would give you a backup system, I admit. I'm not sure that the fan
contributes much to the warm-up time, though. The main problem with the TDi
especially is that it's too bloody efficient, and doesn't make enough waster
heat
worth making sure that the thermostat works, mind - not expensive to
replace, so if in doubt replace it. Also make sure the heater is operating
up to spec - I used to find the 110 heater would gradually lose power -
cured this by swapping the pipes into the heater matrix over every few
months. Don't ask me why this works, but it worked on the disco an' all.
Another (2) things to check: When you put the heater control to "hot", does
the flap in the heater box move all the way to the hot end of it's travel?
and is the foam stuff around the heater matrix intact? On mine, the matrix
was rattling around in the box, due to the foam strips having disintegrated,
so that some of the air from the blower was going around it and not being
heated. PITA to fix, that last. You have to get the whole thing out, drill
out about 37 rivets to get the box apart, put suitable foam stuff around the
matrix and replace (most of) the 37 rivets.
