My Cabin Is Rarely Warm :(

[Benn2001]

I left my Galaxy 1.9TDI running for half an hour this morning to try and get the cabin warm before putting my two babies in, but even after thirty minutes, the temp guage was below 50 and the blowers were still luke warm.

 

Is there something wrong or is this because its a diesel, this is the first I have owned. i have noticed that the cabin heats up ok when I am traveling, although it still takes a while.

[nandj]

These diesel TDi engines are very efficient heatwise and produce very little residual heat for heating the cabin. That is why they are fitted with auxillary heaters to assist in giving the system a headstart heating coolant then the cabin. These heaters can fail (glowplugs etc), there are numerous threads on this issue.

 

As you are getting heat when driving along suggests the circulation is OK.

 

My first port of call would be to check:

 

Aux Heater glowplugs>> Aux Heater itself >> Aux water pump.

[gregers]

do you hear the jet engine noise when you 1st start the car???

[Benn2001]

No jet engine noise.

 

And when I use the aux heater, it works but takes an age to get warm. I assumed that this is the same air pumped from the front, I'll make the checks you mentioned nandj, cheers

[gregers]

no jet engine noise from the back means your booster heater isnt working,

look in the tech section in faqs,sit back and spend the whole night reading up on it.

[Benn2001]

There is a fan noise when I switch the unit on from the dash.

Air is blowing from the vents in the rear footwell, this air is cold.

There is no smoke coming from the undercarriage or rear wheel arch areas.

[nandj]

Start your car, get down on yer knees and look under the sill beneath the RNS door. There you will see some pipes, one of which will terminate open ended under the car, it will have a small box midway along it. put your fingers carefully over the end of the pipe to see if there is exhaust coming out.

If not, then it may be your aux heater is not working. Causes will be naff glo plug, the heater disables after 5 ignition errors. Replace plug, reset and it may fire up.

 

If not, probably heater is us altogether or its disabled again due to lack of coolant pressure, in which case look at aux water pump.

[Benn2001]

The heater sounds like it is working but on checking the exhaust pipe from the unit, there is nothing coming out. I will wait for the weather to improve and then attempt the glow plug change as you suggest. Thanks nandj

 

Anyone have any suggestions on where I can acquire said glow plug from, or is eBay the best bet?

[edatelder]

Read this long thread on the Auxilliary heater problem and how to fix it

Aux heater thread & link

[Jayton]

My air luke warm coming out the rear blowers on the floor, I'm going to order that GP and replace it.

[Benn2001]

Is the glow plug in the heater the same as the ones in the engine and those that are in abundance on eBay, or different?

[Rusty Nail]

Glowplugs are different.

 

If you read up on the above mentioned threads, several suggest Seat dealers are cheapest.

 

You could always try Eurocarparts.com