Poor Heating

[eddies]

:angry:

My '98 Galaxy Diesel takes forever to heat up. ...at least 20 minutes before ANY heat fill sthe cabin.

I tried replacing the Thermostat - but no change ! Is there a problem with the heater radiator in this car?

OR is there a special way to belled out the heater system ?

 

My CAR is the 90BHP model - and I do not believe it has a BOOST for the heater - Is it possible to retrofit one of these ?

[johnb80]

Does yours have the aux or booster heater? is it working? without it it will take forever to get heat.

 

Regards - John

[Dave-G]

B) Unfortunatly this is normal for a galaxy diesel :angry:

 

I'm told [but dont actually KNOW] that the heat is drawn from the cold side of the thermostat, so it doesnt get any heat untill the stat has begun to open up,allowing hot water to reach the required area to produce warm air.

 

The official blurb however is that the engine is so "efficient" that it produces little heat :blink:

[johnb80]

No it's NOT normal for a Galaxy diesel, mine has warm air withing 1/2 mile or so and hot air within a couple of miles. It does however have the booster heater thats giving 5Kw or thereabouts into the water system. The engine is very efficient and doesn't have sufficient waste heat to keep the cabin warm hence the booster heater and the remarkeable fuel consumption that we experience. I have done journeys in excess of 40 miles and still had the booster heater running when I got home (it was -4 outside).

 

Regards - John

[Dave-G]

Qoute"No it's NOT normal for a Galaxy diesel"

 

John this was the norm on both my/my mates mk1s,I note yours is a 115,therefore a mk2?

 

I could be wrong,but I think the pick up point for "hot water" was moved on the 115?

[eddies]

Mine is a 90 BHP older model - and i do not believe it has a heat booster.....How can I tell .......and can one be retrofitted...?

Is there a specific method for Bleeding the Heating system on Galaxy's ??

[Dave-G]

eddies,all galaxy diesels have them,to speed up the heating of the car at below 5 degrees c [iirc]

 

However it could be that the 90 bhp engine runs colder than the 115,as I remember one of the things about my first pd engine is that it warmed up much quicker than my 90bhp alhambra

[johnb80]

Mine is a 90 BHP older model - and i do not believe it has a heat booster.....How can I tell .......and can one be retrofitted...?

Is there a specific method for Bleeding the Heating system on Galaxy's ??

Yes they can be retrofitted, even with a timer or remote control so that you can go outside to a warm car on a cold morning. There is a thread somewhere on here about it.

 

Regards - John

[Masked Marauder]

My MK1 Alhambra TDi takes an age to heat up. On the PD engines the thermostat was moved from the bottom front, next to the pump, up to the top rear.

[GSMGuy]

Eddies - get on your knees and look up behind the sill at the n/s/r door - you should be able to see the booster, you can clearly see the inlet pipe for the air and the small exhaust pipe with it's flat silencer heading towards the centre of the rear axlebeam..

 

Mike

[seatkid]

90 bhp models (98) should have a booster heater...

 

On mine I lagged the pipes running under the car. It helps in winter.

 

I found this on the TIS regading diesel engines cooling system

The cooling fan is mounted within a shroud behind the radiator.

 

The fan shroud contains a mechanically operated shutter that opens and closes as the coolant temperature increases or decreases. This is achieved by a heat sensitive solenoid situated in the air stream that passes through the radiator.

Anyone aware that this shutter actually exists?

[Masked Marauder]

More to the point, anyone actually confirm it existst on UK spec vehicles?

 

Did lagging the pipes help any chap?

[Mikef]

I have a 2002 TDI, (with an aux/boost heater), that also takes quite a while to warm up...at least 10 minutes, maybe 10 miles or so, to get any decent warmth out of it....

 

Sounds like I should go talk to the dealer while it is still under warranty?

 

cheers

 

mikef

[seatkid]

Did lagging the pipes help any chap?

It helps a bit with the warm up time, helps more with keeping the water warm when stood. When in -25 deg C temperatures, you also need to blank off 2/3 radiator to get anywhere near normal temp!

Sounds like I should go talk to the dealer while it is still under warranty?

Sorry this is the price you pay for high thermodynamic efficiency! But you should have an auxiallary heater fitted on the diesel - the snag is it is sometimes slow to kick in...if at all...

 

my philosophy -

 

1. keep car in garage

2. Heated seats on.....mmmmmmmm

3. 1st 2-3 miles with heater completely off (why do I want cold air blowing?)

4. Then turn heater on...

[Mikef]

Cheers Seatkid, I thin my auxiliary heater is just slow to kick in...took 8 miles this morning before anything resembling warm air was blowing. I'll mention at my next service.

 

mikef

[Guest w0arnold]

We own a 2002 Ford Galaxy 1.9 TDI and are not having problems with the heat but where the heat isn't. After the normal diesel warm up time, the vehicle gets warm, but the floor area (feet and legs area) always has cool air flow. Reguardless of the heater control position the floor area alway remains cold. When turn to full fan power and vehicle is warmed up the metal grill in the upper dashboard gets so hot you can burn your fingers on it and so much hot air comes out of the windshield outlets your face gets hot, but no foot warmth. Anybody else have this problem ? We have had it back to the dealer every winter, but it never helps.

 

Thanks, w0arnold

[Guest blatters]

There is a modification for the aux heater unit. If your car is under warranty then I would suggest that you speak to your Ford dealer as it was contained in a recent Ford TIS Bulletin. My aux heater has been changed and I now have heat quickly, the aux heater kicks in almost straight after start-up, stays on through until 'normal' operating temp is reached on the thermostat and we have got rid of that annoying 'ticking' noise as part of the deal. Very satisfied. All done free by my local Ford dealer.

 

Regards, Blatters :(

 

PS. Webasto are the folk who do the parking heaters. They can use the existing aux heaters on the TDi and fit a timer and/or remote controller so that the water is heated before you get in to drive off.

[Guest Aussie Phil]

I have the cold feet problem too!. Happens every winter and been back to Frauds 3-4 times but no difference. Feet still cold and wife complaining - even when engine is to normal temperature. The heat just doesn't get to the toes. I sympathize.

 

I have read in other threads about the recent Tech Bulletin concerning the metering solenoid "ticking" sound and that there is a modification to cure this. Does anyone have a copy of this bulletin?.

 

I've got my Gal booked in next week for a MAF sensor (under warranty) and would like to get the "ticking " sorted at the same time. Knowing Fraud's they won't have heard of this modification and I'd love to wave it under their nose on the day.

 

Thanks

Phil