Brrrrrr

"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn) 11/13/2014 at 10:17 • Filed to: None

1

55

It's cold in Austin today: 35 and windy. Now I know all you northerners with ice crystals in your beard are scoffing at us, but get over it. Come join us for summer next year. Anyway , my wife is DD'ing our '01 Golf, and it has no heat. I see that there are plug-in heaters available, but are they worth a damn? Would it even be enough to keep your feet warm?

Leon711 > ttyymmnn 11/13/2014 at 10:21

0

It's a toasty 55 here in the UK. Come at me.

Lumpy44, Proprietor Of Fine Gif > ttyymmnn 11/13/2014 at 10:21

0

They are better than nothing for sure but are best if you just let it when when you aren't moving to let it actually warm up the cab.

All depends on the model you get I would assume.

Chairman Kaga > ttyymmnn 11/13/2014 at 10:22

0

I used to have something like this wired into an empty spot in the fuse panel and mounted in the foot well. Worked reasonably well to at least keep my feet warm. Coincidentally, it was in an '83 Rabbit.

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/pro…

EL_ULY > ttyymmnn 11/13/2014 at 10:22

4

I am pretty much dead when it's in the 30's. I want it to be high 90's all year. I loath the cold (or what I consider cold, which starts in the low 50's lol). 35 degrees is pretty much the coldest temperature ever recorded on Earth ever in my eyes.

ttyymmnn > Chairman Kaga 11/13/2014 at 10:24

0

Interesting that it was a Rabbit. In my life-long relationship with VW, heat has never, ever been a problem. In my Golf, though, all the insulation has come off the blend door, and even with it shut (or open, not sure which) the cold air still mixes with the warm. I only get tepid air out for floor at best. I'll look into this. I need to find something so my wife will stop complaining.....

ttyymmnn > EL_ULY 11/13/2014 at 10:25

0

It's supposed to be around 26-30 tonight. Certainly no record, but completely nutty for this early in the winter. Hell, it's technically still fall.

ttyymmnn > Leon711 11/13/2014 at 10:26

0

55C? That's pretty damned toasty.

itschrome > ttyymmnn 11/13/2014 at 10:26

0

Don;t buy the ones you plug into the 12v they will run a for a little while, don;t get that hot and will just blow your fuses. it's only 35, where a sweater...

claramag, Mustaco Master > ttyymmnn 11/13/2014 at 10:27

0

It's just as cold up here in Waco, it's like...refrigerator cold in my house.

It's killing my fingers, but since it's as cold on both sides of the fridge door I can just leave food out all night no worries!

ttyymmnn > itschrome 11/13/2014 at 10:28

0

I'll give you my wife's number at work and you can tell her that. I agree, it's not that bad, but anything I can do to make her miserable commute any less miserable would be good.

Leon711 > ttyymmnn 11/13/2014 at 10:29

0

I converted for you it's 13c. I was in FL last at universal and a universal employee asked if I was cold wearing shorts at 23c/74F

ttyymmnn > claramag, Mustaco Master 11/13/2014 at 10:29

1

I actually like having parties this time of year (my birthday is Saturday - woot!) because I can just put the beer on the back porch and it stays nice and cold.

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > ttyymmnn 11/13/2014 at 10:30

0

It's -21 deg C (-6 deg F) here in Alberta right now. somehow I don't really feel bad for you right now.

Agrajag > ttyymmnn 11/13/2014 at 10:30

0

I've never known them to produce anything but an inadequate level of heat.

EL_ULY > ttyymmnn 11/13/2014 at 10:33

0

I know, that is what I'm afraid of since summer pretty much didn't happen this year

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > ttyymmnn 11/13/2014 at 10:33

0

Resistance heat is nothing compared to the available heat from the engine, and way sketchier. We're talking either not enough heat, or vaguely sort of enough heat and putting a heavy load on your electrics. I'm surprised nobody else asked this - do you know *why* she has no heat? Is the controller dead, or is it the heater valve?

Ah, edit: it's the blend door. That's weird, man. No way to block off the fresh inlet?

and 100 more > EL_ULY 11/13/2014 at 10:33

0

Fellow reptilian... I, too, understand your hatred of the cold. I originate from a much warmer region, and I'm already over this sub-70° weather.

Luckily, Texas weather is so bi-polar, we'll be back in the 80's in about a week, I'd guess.

ACESandEIGHTS > ttyymmnn 11/13/2014 at 10:38

0

Seeing as it rarely ever freezes there, kinda debatable whether you should pump money into that. Battery-powered gloves and a hat instead maybe?

Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen > ttyymmnn 11/13/2014 at 10:40

0

I'm in Wichita and it was 15f earlier (windchill of 0F)

Up in NW KS a couple of summers ago it was 114F (took a pic lol)

Right now it is 2F! Could be worse for you ;)

ttyymmnn > Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen 11/13/2014 at 10:46

1

It could always be worse, but this is pretty cold for us. Stay warm!

ttyymmnn > ACESandEIGHTS 11/13/2014 at 10:48

0

She usually keeps a blanket in the car. I took her to work today because our van is in the shop. The traffic is miserable, it was cold, my feet got cold. I'm just trying to make her drive maybe a bit more pleasant, since I get to sit home, drink coffee and read Oppo.

ttyymmnn > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 11/13/2014 at 10:49

0

I don't know. Apparently, the blend door has holes in it, and the holes are covered with insulation. The glue holding the insulation to the door (along with just about ALL the other glue in the car) has failed, and all the insulation has blown out through the vents. Repairing it would be insanely expensive. As for closing off the fresh inlet, I've never investigated it.

Chairman Kaga > ttyymmnn 11/13/2014 at 10:50

0

Most of the reviews ot there claim you just can't heat a car with the amperage available. HF has a $15 heater that seems to work OK as a defroster, but relatively useless as an actual heater. Still, for the price it might be a decent entry?

So did the core fail?

ttyymmnn > Leon711 11/13/2014 at 10:52

0

Well, that's Florida. It's all what you're used to.

ttyymmnn > Luc - The Acadian Oppo 11/13/2014 at 10:53

0

As I said above, you are welcome to join us next August, when it's over 100F for 30 days in a row.

ly2v8-Brian > EL_ULY 11/13/2014 at 10:54

0

Feast your eyes on this! (this image is from my first day of 'spring' semester last year)

ttyymmnn > Agrajag 11/13/2014 at 10:54

0

As long as the flaps in the dash are working, there's always been plenty of heat, at least from front-engined VWs. It's the one thing they've always been good at, in my experience. My problem is a non-functioning blend door.

ly2v8-Brian > Leon711 11/13/2014 at 10:55

0

Floridians...

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > ttyymmnn 11/13/2014 at 10:56

1

Most people couldn't handle it but I go to the Philippines every few years and it's normally about that hot with 100% humidity. If you have enough beer it's not a problem.

ttyymmnn > Chairman Kaga 11/13/2014 at 10:56

0

No, it's the blend door. The plate has holes in it (lightness? Who knows?) and the glue holding the insulation to the door, along with all the other glue in the car, has failed. All the insulation blew out the vents over the last couple of years. So there's no way to close off the outside air. The heater is tepid at best.

ttyymmnn > Luc - The Acadian Oppo 11/13/2014 at 10:57

1

Alcohol may not solve your problem, but you won't care about it any more.

Leon711 > ly2v8-Brian 11/13/2014 at 10:57

0

is it always hot in FL?

Chairman Kaga > ttyymmnn 11/13/2014 at 10:58

1

The superiority of German Engineering.

Agrajag > ttyymmnn 11/13/2014 at 10:58

1

Sorry, I meant the plug in heater. But now, thinking on it, the heat in my GTI is horrible as well.

ly2v8-Brian > Leon711 11/13/2014 at 10:58

0

Yes. It's practically tropical in Florida.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > ttyymmnn 11/13/2014 at 10:59

0

I'm assuming the blend door isn't readily accessible where you could just cut a square of engine bay adhesive-backed foam and stick it on? Closing off the fresh air inlet may be easy or hard, depending. It may be a matter as simple as cutting a piece of box the right size, taking loose a round hose connection under the dash, and slipping it in until spring. Or, if might involve enough work that actually fixing the door in a manner like I mentioned would be better.

Leon711 > ly2v8-Brian 11/13/2014 at 11:00

0

I thought someone left the oven on.

EL_ULY > and 100 more 11/13/2014 at 11:02

1

sooo true :]

ly2v8-Brian > Leon711 11/13/2014 at 11:04

0

florida and the desert SW are exempt from winter. Usually. Climate in the U.S. is a little bit of everything.

ttyymmnn > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 11/13/2014 at 11:05

0

I have been told that accessing the blend door would require dismantling the dashboard. But I can certainly investigate blocking the fresh air inlet. Any concern about asphyxiating the driver?

ttyymmnn > Chairman Kaga 11/13/2014 at 11:07

0

Ja!!

Leon711 > ly2v8-Brian 11/13/2014 at 11:07

0

it was a shock to the system getting what I'm used to as summer weather in November.

EL_ULY > ly2v8-Brian 11/13/2014 at 11:09

2

NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE

ly2v8-Brian > Leon711 11/13/2014 at 11:10

0

Yeah and your weather is warm for our average.

ly2v8-Brian > EL_ULY 11/13/2014 at 11:14

0

Freeze dried El_ULY would be the result if you went out in that.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > ttyymmnn 11/13/2014 at 11:18

1

Oh, Lord no. Most car heaters for ages were recirc types, and while a modern car is better sealed up, there is no such thing as a car that's airtight, not even close. Think of it like a tight room.

A quick search says a human goes through 288 cubic feet of air, give or take, in a day, so the driver would have to be in a roughly 8x5 1/2x6 space all day perfectly sealed to start getting in trouble. That space... is not your car.

ttyymmnn > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 11/13/2014 at 11:26

0

Thanks for the science. Because if I told my wife that I intended to block up that door, it's the first question she would ask.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > ttyymmnn 11/13/2014 at 11:33

0

Tell her that unless you plan to lock her in the car all day, with the inlets sealed from the outside, the factory air *outlets* sealed with tape, the car up on blocks to prevent forced air transfer, all the windows glued, and all the doors taped up, she definitely won't suffocate. That will absolutely set her at ease.

EL_ULY > ly2v8-Brian 11/13/2014 at 11:40

0

100% TRUE

itschrome > ttyymmnn 11/13/2014 at 11:42

1

Omg that would be funny

"Hi mrs ttyymmnn, ues this is chrome from upstate ny. Yes, well your husband asked me to call you and twll you to just wear a sweater. No 35 isnt that cold. No you won't die.. ok alright. Well i do apologize for bothering you."

ttyymmnn > itschrome 11/13/2014 at 11:43

0

Thank you for being so polite. And yes, that would be hilarious.

ttyymmnn > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 11/13/2014 at 11:45

0

Love the picture.

So, here's the question. I've spent the last half hour or so reading about VW MkIV Golf/Jetta blend door issues. To fix it the blend door, you have to take apart the dashboard, or at least remove the shift console and other parts of the center of the dash. I am not going to do this. I have neither the tools, nor the skills, nor the patience. So, to try your idea of blocking off the outside air from its source, where would I find the source? And does that air serve any other purpose than to ventilate the cabin? Will I die? No? Okay, good.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > ttyymmnn 11/13/2014 at 11:57

0

The reason fresh air heating is nice is that it can more readily use existing air inlets and structure, and you can open-loop control the air temp and fine tune by mixing - precise modulatable air heat is not really a thing. The end result is that you wouldn't have any fine control over temp.

Most systems that use a fresh air heater pull air from outside connect to a box in front of your windshield, with outlets pointing down. I found this image for a Beetle, which seemed similar to ones for a Jetta, which should be similar to what you have:

See where "6" is? That's where it connects to the exterior air box, through a filter, looks like. Rather than having to pull apart stuff over near "1", you can access where the filter is ("12") or even tape off below, depending on which is easier. If the filter is accessible from outside, that will be way easier. If not, you may need to pull the RH lower dash panel and remove the blower ("23") so that you can tape something in place at "6". Not a perfect solution, and very "ghetto", but less freezy than what you have.

Dusty Ventures > ttyymmnn 11/13/2014 at 19:37

0

Pictured: Dusty

ttyymmnn > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 11/18/2014 at 15:22

0

I finally got around to reading this. Thanks for the lengthy reply. I'll take a look at this. Now that my wife is driving the van (once it gets back from the shop, and boy, is that a long story), I have the VW at home all day and can dig into this. I drove the car this morning and my feet were colder than they've been in a long time. So something has to get done. Thanks again.