Auxiliary heating. Panacea for winter cold

On a frosty day, the car should not meet the driver with a cold interior and a cold engine. It is enough to reach the parking heater.

Many people associate parking heating with luxury cars, and in the case of cheaper models, with additional equipment that you have to pay extra for. This is true, but the car owner no longer has to rely only on what the manufacturer offers for heating. It is enough to turn to the rich offer of manufacturers of accessories, thanks to which the parking heater can be found in almost every car. Also in the one that has not been serially adapted to this type of convenience. In addition, you can select a set of functions that the parking heating system should have. It all depends on the needs and the size of the wallet.

When it comes to supplemental heating, Webasto cannot be ignored. It is a kind of icon in this specialty, mainly due to the vast experience and advanced solutions adapted to each type of vehicle. Webasto uses solutions based on a unit located in the engine compartment, "included" in the engine cooling system, fuel system and electrical system. The unit is adapted to the type of fuel the engine is running on and has its own feed pump. The pump delivers fuel to the unit, where it burns after mixing with air supplied by a special supercharger. The generated heat heats the pipes of the cooling system, which enter the device. Hot fluid in the engine cooling system raises the temperature of the entire power unit. It is also present in the heater, so the system starts the fan and warms up the interior of the car. The system can be activated using a remote control (range 1000 m), a watch controller or a mobile phone with a special application.

What are the biggest benefits of Webasto? Firstly, it does not need an external power supply, it is completely autonomous. In addition, the engine starting for the first time on a given day is warm, the battery is not heavily loaded, the starter does not struggle with much resistance, and hot engine oil immediately reaches even the most remote lubrication points and they do not run dry for some time. We do not need to clean or steam the windows, we sit in a heated cabin, we can use lighter clothing. What about disadvantages? Only a slight increase in fuel consumption, because the unit consumes about 0,5 liters of gasoline or diesel fuel per hour of operation.

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However, the Webasto system is advanced and greatly interferes with the vehicle's systems. As a result, it is highly efficient and effective, but at the same time relatively expensive. In the simplest configuration, it costs about PLN 3600, if we supplement it with a more efficient generator and the most advanced control system, the price will exceed PLN 6000. Therefore, an important question must be asked - can a parking heater be simpler and cheaper? Definitely yes. This is not about such a simple system as the ability to remotely start the car in advance, tailored to our travel plans.

This is a very cost-effective solution that allows you to warm up the interior of the car, but does not solve the problem of starting a cold engine. The drive does not warm up before starting, the battery is under heavy loads and the cold thick oil does not immediately reach all parts of the engine that require lubrication. Thus, everything happens in the same way as when starting a cold engine without timing advance. The only advantage is the interior heating. But there are other ideas that you can use.

Parking lot heating systems using electric heaters built into the engine cooling system are on the market. Heaters heat the liquid in the cooling system, and with it the entire engine. Turning the heaters on and off can be programmed. If we stop at warming up the engine, then the cost of such a system is 400-500 zł. But the system can be expanded by heating the interior with the help of special heaters, matched to the size of the cabin. Then the cost of the system will be at least PLN 1000. But it doesn't stop there. In the most advanced version of the electric parking heater for PLN 1600-2200, you can also charge the battery. The solution is simple and has a much better price than Webasto, but it also has one significant drawback - access to a 230 V electrical network is required. This greatly limits the circle of recipients.