[Vwdiesel] Anyone try this? (To have a warm, toasty car)

[lbaird119 at aol.com]

In a message dated 12/19/2009 9:08:27 AM Pacific Standard Time, 
lug1970 at yahoo.com writes:

> I wished I had a nice toasty warm car.  But at these temperatures my 98 
> Jetta shows its VW parentage.  Even with the radiator blocked off I cannot 
> run the heater more then 1/4 above full cold or the engine will not get up 
> to operating temp.  So I dress warm and run the defrost on cold.  The bonus 
> is that when I park any new snow doesn't melt and then refreeze. So no 
> scraping a lot of mornings.  No it isn't the thermostat.  Two new German 
> thermostats and no change.  
> 

  Cardboard in front of the radiator only helps if you have a bad 
thermostat, too cold of a thermostat, or the bleed hole (if it has 
one) is enough to cool down the engine.
  If the engine won't heat up then it's either losing the heat or not 
producing any.  Hayden's point is good, to check those coolant 
heaters, if it has them.  The other stuff you can do is drop a gear, 
or turn the heater speed down a notch.  
  Dad's pickup won't get as warm with the fan on 3 as it will on 2. 
Circulation won't heat it as fast as the fan can cool it (new core 
too.)  Also getting the heat deflected to the mid or floor as soon 
as you can since keeping it on defrost simply dumps a lot of your 
heat outside, through the glass, instead of warming the cabin.
  When it's REALLY cold, recirculation helps but it will fog the 
windows badly if you keep it on too long, if you have it.  Only 
setting I can think of that has it in the A2 is max A/C.  The Passat 
has a button.
    Loren