[FnoFFen]

In my F10 525d (six sylinder version, 204 hp) I have a Webasto warmer (5.0 kW). The car was imported from Germany and the system is called “Standheizung”.

I have read about this several places and it seems to be a total confusion whether this system only heats the cabin or the engine in addition. Could someone here comfirm how the system works? Or can it be that this differs from car to car?

I think it would be really stupid if the system only heats the cabin. In wintertime when the car has been parked for days in cold weather I would say preheating the engine is far more important than preheating the cabin. Even if it is uncomfortable for me to start driving in a freezing cabin, it does not harm me. However, it harms the engine to start this cold .

So if the BMW Webasto system really is made so as to only heat the cabin, should I install an electric heater for the engine in addition?

[FnoFFen]

No one knows this or have any idea?

Btw, in English it is called auxiliary heating, - cannot change the subject title now.

Maybe I should investigate by myself. Turn on the auxiliary heating and see if engine temperature has risen. Should I be able to see that from the instrument (or maybe feel it in the engine?).

[StewartM]

Give it a try. I honestly don't know how it is set up. Yes, the simplest kind will just blow hot air into the cabin, the more sophisticated will heat the coolant then once it gets to a certain temperature will turn on the fan and start blowing hot air into the cabin.

[kave]

On your car it does not heat the engine. Get a Volvo if you need that. Or if you like intelligent handling.
The result is that it heats up quickly since its only the cabin.
Another side effect on cold days, -10 or colder, is that the canin can be really warm when you drive away, after five minutes its cold again since the engine is not warm at all.

[FnoFFen]

Originally Posted by kave

On your car it does not heat the engine. Get a Volvo if you need that. Or if you like intelligent handling.
The result is that it heats up quickly since its only the cabin.
Another side effect on cold days, -10 or colder, is that the canin can be really warm when you drive away, after five minutes its cold again since the engine is not warm at all.

I can't believe why they made it that stupid !!

You say the cabin will get cold again after a few minutes. I thought the webasto could continue to work while the engine is running.

[HighlandPete]

Originally Posted by FnoFFen

I can't believe why they made it that stupid !!

You say the cabin will get cold again after a few minutes. I thought the webasto could continue to work while the engine is running.

Not had the auxiliary cabin heater in a BMW, but have them in VW Caravelles. I'm surprised that the BMW switches off on start up, as the VW system continues until the cabin temperature is stable. I've known it still running after 10 miles in cold weather.

The standard BMW setup with the electric PTC element in the HVAC system is pretty effective for cabin warm up, as it starts putting in heat from start up. So that should really start to take over from the auxiliary heater and prevent cabin getting too cold as the engine warms up. But temperature will obviously dip in the crossover.

When I had my 330d I'd preheat my car's interior on cold days with an electric heater, never really noticed it chill down too much once driving, and the PTC heater feature assisted a faster cabin warm up.

HighlandPete

[kave]

HighlandPete: most cars here have electric heaters for engine and cabin that runs of main power. Sometimes diesel engines wont start without it in the cold.
To my understanding F10 with the aux heater lacks the electric element.
The timer is nearly worthless since you don't set the departure time, you have to be good at guessing how cold it is.
Unfortunately we cant order F10 LCI with M-sport AND aux heater.

[HighlandPete]

Originally Posted by kave

HighlandPete: most cars here have electric heaters for engine and cabin that runs of main power. Sometimes diesel engines wont start without it in the cold.
To my understanding F10 with the aux heater lacks the electric element.
The timer is nearly worthless since you don't set the departure time, you have to be good at guessing how cold it is.
Unfortunately we cant order F10 LCI with M-sport AND aux heater.

I know we don't get the auxiliary heater option in the UK, unless BMW have changed the options list recently. We don't get it cold enough... or didn't when BMW dropped the option.

Would seem so logical to still keep the PTC element, even if you have the additional cabin heater. If not, can understand the concerns as you will have a definite gap in cabin heating.

A few years ago one of my engineers experimented with a Webasto coolant heater in his Range Rover, simply to save fuel on the winter warm up phase, made a big difference to the petrol V8. Makes so much sense to preheat the coolant anyway, in cold climates, particularly in a diesel.

HighlandPete

[T-PWR]

Hello, here is how it works: When you activate the heater it will only warm the cabin but when you start the engine a valve is activated and the webasto warms both the engine and the cabin (just like a normal heater).
I have made some research with my car and the valve controlling this is placed behind the left foglight. I am going to try and modify my heater in the winter so it warms both the cabin and the engine at the same time (Have heard of some workshops here in Sweden who have fixed this mod.)
// Mathias

[kave]

Who knows, but fact is, it does get cooler in the cabin rapidly after driving off if it is -10 or colder. Never happened in my various Volvos, which heated the engine first.

[T-PWR]

Originally Posted by kave

Who knows, but fact is, it does get cooler in the cabin rapidly after driving off if it is -10 or colder. Never happened in my various Volvos, which heated the engine first.

Yes it gets cooler and that´s because the valve opens up the big circuit with cooling fluid and the cold water in the engine is allowed to pass thru the cabins radiator. (Don´t know if its called radiator or element in english)
When the engine is off the valve is closed and only the water in the cabins radiator will circulate thru the webasto (small circle).

[FnoFFen]

Originally Posted by T-PWR

Yes it gets cooler and that´s because the valve opens up the big circuit with cooling fluid and the cold water in the engine is allowed to pass thru the cabins radiator. (Don´t know if its called radiator or element in english)
When the engine is off the valve is closed and only the water in the cabins radiator will circulate thru the webasto (small circle).

An electric heater for the motor block will help, woun't it? I am thinking I need to install that.

[T-PWR]

Yes it will but feels like the benefits from a webasto then disappears.
I think that the right way to go is to modify the heater so it warms both the engine and cabin.

[kip1]

I just ordered a X5 F15 with this option. In the above post it said that when the engine is running, the valve will open an the heater also warms the engine, but does this mean that you should leave the heater on while driving???

I would have wanted Webasto as in my Audi that warms up both adequately, but then the warranty is void if there are problems.

For me the more important thing is to warm the interior for our newborn, but it is crazy it doesnt heat the engine. If it would heat the engine, then when you start the car it would blow warm air anyway???!!

. Someone said that the BMW heater is just too week if you open the valve so it heats both, then both the engine and interior are both cold.

[T-PWR]

The heater will run automatically if it´s cold outside to help the engine reach it´s working temperature, it´s nothing that you can control.
If you modify the heater so it also warms the engine then the temperature inside will decrease a bit.
But imo it´s better to have a warm engine and a medium warm interior instead of a cool engine and a hot interior.

[Grover432]

It was -37C with the windchill here last night. I just hit the seat heater and the steering wheel heater and wear a winter jacket. I'm warm enough until the engine comes up to temperature and the heater starts throwing heat although I understand diesels take longer to warm up. You guys don't know cold until you have regular overnight lows of -28C.

[claudiu1981]

My auxiliary heating will not start if fuel level is low (fuel reserve warning is on). Maybe it heats the fuel also.

[HighlandPete]

Originally Posted by claudiu1981

My auxiliary heating will not start if fuel level is low (fuel reserve warning is on). Maybe it heats the fuel also.

I suggest it is simply that you could run out of diesel.

HighlandPete

[claudiu1981]

The auxiliary heating is battery powered and doesn't turn on the engine so why won't it start without fuel?
This message appears when I have the fuel reserve light on

[claudiu1981]

nevermind...i found a video explaining the system.

[kave]

Originally Posted by claudiu1981

The auxiliary heating is battery powered and doesn't turn on the engine so why won't it start without fuel?
This message appears when I have the fuel reserve light on

Its a oil burner so it uses diesel to create the heat, but it needs electricity to warm up the diesel, so it will burn, then also to circulate the water and blow the fans.
I think its great that it wont let you burn up all the diesel or empty the battery so you can drive away.
If you look closely you will see some white smoke under the cars front when you start the heater.

I love this feature and will never buy a car without it. Usually in the morning I am in a hurry and I dont have to remove a thick layer of ice on the windows.

On all Volvo diesels sold here its a astandard feature.

Grover: you dont need a xdrive to drive in snow either.

[Soft]

Originally Posted by kave

On your car it does not heat the engine. Get a Volvo if you need that. Or if you like intelligent handling.
The result is that it heats up quickly since its only the cabin.
Another side effect on cold days, -10 or colder, is that the canin can be really warm when you drive away, after five minutes its cold again since the engine is not warm at all.

It's the same in my Audi (even if it is gazoline)
it only heats the cabin, I think.
might be like the video in this thread, that it first heats the cabin, and then the engine, need to try.
The reason I haven't tried is that it heats up the cabin really fast, much faster than the Volvo we have. So I have not tried to let it run for as long as the. Volvo .