[V8] Block Heating

[Bastian Homburg]

As I now have learned, this auxiliary heater wasn't available in North 
America, for legal reasons. I believe this to be emissions-related, as 
the heater unit has its own exhaust and its emissions are completely 
unfiltered.
If you would want to see the controls etc, its operation is included in 
the owners manual - I have uploaded a .pdf version of  the '92 here:  
http://www.audiv8.com/german/faq/faq_show.php?id=203. On page 74...
 
The battery is a 44Ah/420A Varta unit that provides enough power to warm 
up the car twice a day for half an hour each turn over a four-day ski 
trip without recharging. The OEM battery lasted seven years.
The factory heater is beautifully integrated with the A/C system - it 
first warms the engine coolant, which it circulates with the help of an 
auxiliary pump and as soon as this is accomplished turns on the interior 
blower and preheats the interior to the desired temperature. No more 
scratching ice from the windows in the morning or when you come back 
from the slopes in the afternoon! Also, fuel economy improves 
drastically, as there's no more cold starts (the heater only consumes 
about 0,13 gallons (0.5 liters) of fuel per hour of operation at full 
blast).

As you obviously can't get this in the US, I`d go for the  "DEFA 
warm-up" electric heater. They have a kit specially made for the V8. 
Check  their website for details: 
http://www.defa.com/heating.php3?lang=3. These are widely used in 
Scandinavia, with outlets everywhere...

regards,
Bastian


Ed Dekker wrote:
>    The advent of 5W/40 oil has largely eliminated the need for 
> headbolt heaters except possibly in Northern Canada and Prudhoe Bay 
> Alaska.
>
>    In the olden days of the '40s and '50s in Northern Wis, we'd 
> commonly replace a head bolt with a 110v block heater.  Much preferred 
> over the hose inserts.  They had the headbolt length and thread (and 
> strength) with the heating element extended into the water jacket and 
> the 110v plug hanging out of the grill.
>
>    Motels in Canada and the northern states often had (and some still 
> have) 110v outlets at parking spaces to plug the heaters in overnight.
>
>    I'm intrigued by Bastian Homburg's <b.homburg at web.de> description 
> of the
> optional factory auxiliary 12v heater (Webasto BBW 46) including a 
> second battery in the trunk.  But I'd think the battery would require 
> a daily charge.  That heater with a small charger might work on 110v 
> power.
>