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The heater plays a BIG role in my coolant temp. If I want my engine to properly warm up, and get to operating temperature, I can't have the heat past my notch above 'low' (on a scale of "off, low,-,-, high) or my coolant just doesn't heat up. I get angry when I leave my heater on two notched above 'low' when I reach my car warming up (auto-start, mostly turned on a minute at most in advance). This morning is a great example of my heater control methods. My external temp gauge read I think -8F. My engine coolant needle was limp, so I didn't turn the heat on. As I drove down the road, I could see fine, no frost or fog for a while. As the needle was 1/4 towards operating temperature, frost was forming on my windshield. I cranked the defrost up to the 2nd notch after 'low', because safety>MPGs>speed. Once the frost was gone, I turned it down a notch, and put it on the interior vents (my gloves are horrible, and the steering wheel is cold. The vents are pointed towards 2:30 and 9:45 on the wheel for my fingers) and my coolant reached operating temp. On any given morning, once the needle is resting at operating temperature, I crank the heat.
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