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Not sure if this is just a function of a small displacement engine but my wife's new (in October) Smart takes forever to heat up the cabin. I have a MINI and it gets to temperature way faster.
I have tried using a/c etc etc but it just takes its own sweet time. we live in Toronto so cabin comfort is at a premium in the morning. I am going to make a air block from some waterproof material and see if if just stopping the airflow will do the job but if anyone has any suggestions - block heater??? - I would be interested
Since there's no coolant temp gauge we never know when the car warms up; just have to wait for the hot air from the vents as a clue. There's a pretty long run from the radiator to the engine and I think that plays a part. My approach is to get the car started and begin driving ASAP - no extended warm up period. The sooner the engine is making normal revs the sooner it warms up IMHO. No block heater available, but there are oil pan heaters out there that may help some.
Fortunately heated seats get me through the warm up period. By the time I can turn on the heater, I can also hit the recirculation switch with getting interior fogging. That seems to speed up heating the cabin quite a bit. When it's toasty, I turn off the recirculation (and heated seats) and it stays very cozy.
I agree heated seats are the cure. You have to remember, your only dealing with 999cc, not a lot of heat generating potential there. I drive 87 miles a day, and usually by mile 4-5 I have decent heat.
If you think about it... the engine is in the back.... the radiator/heating coil is in the front. Long process to get the hot water from the radiator piped all the way to the front of the car, and since it is especially cold out, it is cooling off before it even hits the radiator, much less the heater coil to heat the inside of the car.
Installing a Scangauge II and selecting the coolent temp. gauge display is a great way of knowing when the engine is hot enough to turn the heat on and have hot air. This is one of the main reasons I purchased the ScanGauge.
Dan
All Ball doesn't seem to take noticeably longer to heat up than the other cars I've owned, but it rarely gets REALLY cold here in north NJ. Just for peace of mind, you might want to take your car in and have them check the thermostat (and perhaps the fan switch).
Yes, the best thing is to keep RPMs above idle... after a few mins, you're not going to get much heat at idle... so start it, wait a few seconds for oil and stuff to get loosened up, and start driving within a minute. Keep the blower on 0 or 1 until about two minutes pass or you can see/feel the RPMs idling around 950 instead of the cold-mode 1300. When the idle settles, your engine's up to a good temp. Cranking the blower anytime before that won't do anything but blow cold air and make you mad.
Heated seats are great even in the South. After a long day at a desk, even in 80 degree weather the heat on the back makes everything all better.
Thanks for feed back - The biggest problem is defrosting the windows when the temp is -10c or lower.
I just made a small piece of oilcloth to act as a radiator blocker and attached it to the grill - hadn't thought about the long run of pipe back to engine. maybe possible to attach insulation like one uses for water pipes???
I usually start the car and go after about 2-3 min, enough to clear off the outside of the windows. Then within 2-3 miles you will be getting a little heat. % miles and it should be getting warmer. In sub-zero temps, you won't be taking off a jacket but it will keep the windows clear and be able to take gloves off. My Scangauge is right around 170-190 after about 10 min of driving at 40-55 MPH. Letting it idle until it warms up inside will take longer than if you get moving.
Fan speed does make a difference. Keep it on lower settings until you feel some warm air. Full blast right away will slow down the heating process and can actually cause the windows to fog up.
Blocking off the radiator will help but once it warms up outside don't forget to remove it.
Linear Mode
