Programmable car heater.

[j-kid]

Unnu know dat dem bin using a programmable car heater (Webasto Heater) in Europe for decades now? You program it the night before to come on say 20 minutes before you normally leave for work. It then warms up the interior of the car and melts all the snow and ice from your windows. It does not start up the car at all. The tiny unit mounted in the engine compartment, and draws gas from the car's gas tank to operate. and vents the burn-off through the tail pipe. You come out to a nice toasty car, get in start up, and drive away.

The reason North America has not jumped on it, even though it has been tested, is the fear of law suite if smaddi put di car inna di garage and program it. Dem fraid dem wi get sued if carbon monoxide should get inna di house interior. The funny thing is that people have had remote starters on their vehicles for years. People burn wood and kerosene stoves/heaters in their homes for years also, and no flood of law suits.

Mi tested one ah di vehicles ah few years ago on a particular very bad and cold winter period. MAN, DAT WAS A SWEET EXPERIENCE!

http://www.webasto.us/press/en/press_2634.html

[j-kid]

Re: Programmable car heater.

Webasto Introduces BlueHeat Heaters in North America

November 2002

The Webasto BlueHeat Vehicle Heaters Offer Warmth And A Clear Windshield With No Idling!

Fenton, MI - Finally, there's a car accessory that safeguards your engine and passengers like a heated, mobile garage. Webasto has introduced its BlueHeat line of vehicle heaters for aftermarket installation.

No Idling:
The vehicle heater by Webasto enables the user to warm the car or truck without idling. Idling causes unnecessary damage to the engine and produces increased amounts of polluting exhaust fumes. When the Webasto BlueHeat heater is activated, it draws fuel from the vehicle's fuel supply, heats and circulates the engine's fluids, and circulates heated air into the vehicle's passenger compartment without idling the engine. BlueHeat heaters run independently from the vehicle thereby canceling the need for harmful idling.

Easy to Use:
BlueHeat heaters are installed standard with a digital timer, allowing the user to easily set the start time for as many as three times each day. The digital timer mounts to the vehicle's dashboard and presents a clear LED display of it's active functions. Also available for the BlueHeat heaters is a convenient remote activation key fob. This remote control unit contains three buttons; the first for starting, the second for ending, and the third to operate the fan for air circulation inside the vehicle. The remote's standard range is just under 500 feet.

Environmentally Conscious:
Webasto's BlueHeat heaters address the need to reduce idling time in personal and commercial vehicles. The amount of smog that is attributable to idling vehicles has prompted many local governments to limit idling in and around major metropolitan areas. Webasto's heaters fill the need of heating the vehicle AND fill the need of reducing harmful idling by not running the vehicle's engine. With BlueHeat it's a win-win solution.

Time-Saving Device:
Using an auxiliary heater from Webasto frees the operator from time-consuming and tedious chores, such as clearing the ice from windshields, and waiting for the vehicle to warm up. Your time is spent on more important items, such as your family, your job, and your friends. In the morning your vehicle can heat up while you're enjoying breakfast, knowing that you're not idling your car and spewing increasing amounts of pollutants into the environment. With Webasto's BlueHeat heaters, you have more time.

Safe Driving:
Clear windshields, free of fog and ice, are imperative for the safe operation of any vehicle. Webasto's heaters ensure that the engine and all fluids are up-to-temperature for immediate use once the vehicle is started. This gives faster defrost time to iced windshields and provides instant heat once the engine is turned over.

M.S.R.P. for a Webasto BlueHeat vehicle heater, including installation and a remote, is $2,249.
Webasto is currently looking for aftermarket installation facilities to add to its North American network of Authorized BlueHeat Dealers.

WPI, a subsidiary of worldwide parent company Webasto AG, based in Stockdorf, Germany, is a worldwide leader in the supply of roof and thermo systems to the automotive and heavy truck industries. Webasto AG employs more than 5,000 people in 46 countries, with 7 locations in the North American market. Webasto has a North American network of over 500 Authorized Dealers. The primary goal of its four divisions – technical, product, sales and marketing – is to increase the overall product and service quality for its customers.

[Nanook]

Re: Programmable car heater.

I used to use this little electric thing sorta like a hand held hair dryer to keep my carm warm and toasty in winter when I'd be working at my job. THEY supplied the electricity! It worked really well, plus I'd use the engine block heater so I'd have heat coming out right away.

This gizmo sounds great but for the price, I guess I'll just stick to parking in my garage! LOL!

That is, unless Santa brings me one for Christmas... [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[j-kid]

Re: Programmable car heater.

The hunters use a similar hand warmer as you describe. However it is not electric. It is more like a large metal cigarette lighter that light up and stay lit with lighter fluid. It has tiny holes to contain the flame from burning you, but at the same time release the fumes.

http://store1.yimg.com/I/safetycentral_1822_99589307

http://store.advancedmart.com/plflhawa.html

The problem wid the garage is that yuh car is still cold, and stays cold for a while, when you first get into it.

Also if you are away from electricity the electric stuff wont work or if plugged into your car and parked, will drain your battery.

[Dr.Dudd]

Re: Programmable car heater.

Wher these comes in habdy,is if you are stranded in a blizzard.
What it does is allow the car to be hheated dor many hours on a tank of gas,because it uses so little fuel to supply the heat.
It could be sold on that feature alone.
Incidentally it is available on the Porsche TT,and the BMW X5 in the US.

[j-kid]

Re: Programmable car heater.

Originally posted by Dr.Dudd:
[qb]
Incidentally it is available on the Porsche TT,and the BMW X5 in the US. [/qb]

Is about time Dr. D

What took dem so long. Now if only the other U.S.A based auto makers would climb aboard. I know Ford had investigated years ago, but backed off.

[Nanook]

Re: Programmable car heater.

Dr. D, I never thought of that angle! Now, I guess it just a little to late for Santa to bring one for me? Maybe he'll have a leftover, I'll put in my letter to Santa. I want one of those! My poor car dead from being parked out in -30 below F the past few nights! At home it has a garage and no problem. I figured this would happen, now I need to get it a new battery!

:verymad:

[Nanook]

Re: Programmable car heater.

OK next question...

I am so intrigued by this unit I have been thinking about it too much! Now, does it keep a car cool in summer, run the Air conditioning as well? Now this would be useful for me when transporting dogs in summer! If so, I'll be looking for this unit next time I go new car shopping!

[j-kid]

Re: Programmable car heater.

To the best of my knowledge, NO it does not. The one I tested only heated. I think the rational is, that it is easier to cool down a car with the air conditioner, or keep it cool by parking it in the shade or garage. Where-as in the winter time, short of parking it in an heated garage, no matter where you put the car the interior will get real cold inside.

But I think you are saying, you would like to keep the car cool, say in a shopping mall parking lot on a 90 deg F day, without leaving the engine running. There is a drawback to that however. Someone will still call the police, because they won't hear the engine running, and perceive what they believe to be the dogs being left in a hot car to die. In the case of animals, I think you would want to have the sound if the engine, if the car is parked in the sun.

[Nanook]

Re: Programmable car heater.

Yes, I did think of that J Kid, whereas some people wouldn't know that the inside of the car was cool, but it was a good thought while it lasted! [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

There sure would be a market for it though, to keep the car cool for transporting animals. I used to travel around the US & Canada with my dogs to shows and somethng such as that would have a huge market. Well, just about everyone I know that still shows have motorhomes now, so they don't worry, but I bet there is a huge market out there for such a thing!

Back to the drawing board....

[j-kid]

Re: Programmable car heater.

Yuh kno IM, wan way around the legal issue would be to make up a nice looking sign for the windshield area, to notify people something like, "ATTENTION: Vehicle has automatic air conditioning to maintain temperature at 70 deg F even when car is turned off". You can even have a little thermometer attached to the sign so that they could clearly see the inside temp.

[Dr.Dudd]

Re: Programmable car heater.

I would suggest you use a regular auto-start like I have on my car.
It can actually start the car if the cabim temp is reaches vertain setting,of if the outside temp reach a set temp.it will also start the car if the battery voltage drops to certain level.
Mine is capable of doing all this,but,it was sold with car,by the dealer.

I also know that webasco produces a unit that is an air conditioner/heater,but I think it is used in motor homes,and boats.
It is bigger than the heater only units,so I dont know if the space in regular automobile ingine compartmant will accomodate it.

[j-kid]

Re: Programmable car heater.

This is a very informative discussion!

Webasto Heater:

[Nanook]

Re: Programmable car heater.

I agree, it's an interesting discussion. I like the sign idea! [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

I hope at the very least they start making the heater thing an option on new vehicles, with a lesser price tag at least. I coulda used one of those units that Dr. Dudd speaks about this past weekend when it was so cold. It would have prevented my dead battery!

[j-kid]

Re: Programmable car heater.

Wha yuh did fi kill di battery? Did you leave the portable heater plugged in too long?


$16

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