How long do you wait before turning on your car heater?

[Slimy]

As soon as you switch on your climate control, the fan behind the radiator starts up and sucks cold air through the matrix. Therefore it will take the engine longer to heat up. Give it a bit longer to allow some heat in the engine first then put on your climate/heater fan. Works for me

Yep, I remember with my old Nova I could actually keep the engine at zero temperature for it's whole journey (20+ miles) simply by turning on the heating straightaway!

 

[Street]

I tried this out the other morning. I always used to get in my car and turn all the heaters etc on straight away, my car took about 15mins at least to heat up and was usually just up to temperature as I was getting on the motorway.

I didn't switch the heater on for a couple mornings and it was up to temperature in about 9 minutes, so nearly half the time! However, the front window did get misted up easier and the car felt colder inside..

 

[vt-marty]

i noticed another landrover today with its radiator grill covered with a sheet. its popular with landies in cold weather to reduce the cooling effect of winter air on the coolant system thus causing the car to heat up quicker.
i suppose when the ambient temp is around 0 degree's the theory is the car will likely never overheat anyway. especially a low revving diesel.

im not suggesting we mask our radiators off in this weather but the theory does work...

 

[m0rk]

i noticed another landrover today with its radiator grill covered with a sheet. its popular with landies in cold weather to reduce the cooling effect of winter air on the coolant system thus causing the car to heat up quicker.
i suppose when the ambient temp is around 0 degree's the theory is the car will likely never overheat anyway. especially a low revving diesel.

im not suggesting we mask our radiators off in this weather but the theory does work...

Hot water won't flow into the radiator if the thermostat is working properly - you only see people covering up when their's has failed

 

[joolsvern]

I start the car with the basic key, put heating (climate clontrol) on 25 to help clear window on the inside, lock the door with my other key give windows a scrape (or de-icer). I then go round the shop (my shop) to turn stuff on and do a few bits, 15 minutes later I come back and pray windscreen has at least half cleared so I can take my son to school (morning club) at 7.30. It's a 4 to 8 minute drive up there and usually can start feeling some heat from the fans on "econ" by the time I drive off. Traffic is busy and it takes 10-15 minutes to get back to the shop by which time I am nice and toastie and the car is usually on 90 or close to it. I average probably 20mph, maximum 40 mph at any given time. TDI btw.

 

[SeatDanny]

Just timed my 2007 140 Tdi, this morning having read this thread i was curious

weather @ 8am = -3 and foggy
turned engine on and drove 2 minutes at 30mph to motorway
8 minutes on motorway at 65mph till engine temp at 90
2 further minutes on motorway at 65mph

total 12mins until car was comfortably warm all round
Pherhaps slightly boring but id FA else to do during my 30min commute ona sunday!

 

[tehguy]

All of my windows were fogged up this evening when I went to the car thanks to me treading water in it earlier, I started it from stone cold and it was -1.5c outside, pressed the front screen demist which puts all the air on the screen with the AC on and fan at max, it was clear within 1 minute.