[Vwdiesel] Frost heater

[Travis Gottschalk]

I have the frost heater on both my rabbits after I cut the cord on the block heaters. The frost heater uses I think 1200 watts. Yes it does circuilate but it used the heat rising, cold falling effect and it doesn't really do as much to the radiator. It does however go through the engine and heater core. So the coolant drop experienced partly is the oil going through the oil cooler (in this case it acts as the heater) so it helps you out there getting your oil operting temps quicker (but sucking heat out since oil is lower then the coolant) and the coolant in the radiator is likely flushed through till the thermostate closes again from it cooling down. I think I see about a 30-40 degree drop in coolant temp depending on outside temp and how long it has been plugged in. I have the scan gauge on my 04 golf to see the effects better. I can get it up to about 210 but then it will drop to about 180 once started if plugged in all night. I try to be about 4 hours though so I am not burning my electric bill and there is no plugs at my work place. If plugged in long enough I never see it drop below 120-130 but when it is 20 below it still takes a while to heat the cab up. Just as the seat heater gets to my frozen but the car starts to kick out some heat where the windshield doesn't suck all of it away as well and that happens about 9.5 miles to my 10 mile away job. 
 
As for the 81 rabbits I had the frost heaters on there for about 3 years in WY (now in storage since WI uses salt and WY didn't). The heater really got those hot as well. Don't have a digital readout but they were warm. And due to the design of everything if you left your window defrost part on in the car and the heater core on (remember they have the shut off valve) it would actually melt the snow off the windshield while plugged in near the vent. If you opened the hood you could burn your hand it got warm enough. The block heaters I could never see nor feel the difference. Actually I had them on 4 years. One in SD going to school. 
 
Terry Frost (maker of the heater-or should I say designer or what pipes to use with a heater) is a great guy and is willing to try to put them on all the VW diesels. Mine was the first rabbit. Fathers sportwagon was the first sportwagon (that was about a 5-7 hour day of him trying different things to get it to work). Someone on TDI club did an 80's jetta/golf that he was making a heater for and he was able to get it to work with my 1.9 AAZ td engine. Biggest thing is the heater HAS to be the lowest part of the cooling system or it won't work. Putting in or near the fender (in the rabbits-below battery) is best and tying in to the coolant bypass when the therm is closed and it isn't going through the radiator which on the VW's tends to also tie into the heater core. 
 
Travis G
 
The freeze plug heater on my 98 tdi Jetta died this week and it is a tad bit chilly up here in Los Anchorage.? Has anyone used the Frost Heater and how did it compare to a freeze plug heater?? 
Justin