[Vwdiesel] thermostat?

[LBaird119 at aol.com]

In a message dated 1/3/2012 10:37:53 A.M. Pacific Standard Time,  
cfgeiser at gmail.com writes:

Anyone  else in cold climates -> Is this normal for these cars to have
trouble  warming up, or should I think about changing out the  thermostat?





Sounds normal for those temps.  Get close to zero and your  heater can 
suck off about as much heat as the engine can make short of highway 
speeds.  
  I drove my Dasher around for about a week, below zero, no  heat.  Figured 
the fairly new stat had stuck open.  I lifted the hood to put a  cardboard 
in front 
of the radiator and the whole rad was packed in snow!  It'd never  gotten 
warm 
enough to melt any.  Finally hit the highway one day and had heat in a  few 
hundred yards.
   Loren