Fast warm up ideas: compilation thread

[gumby79]

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[meelis11]

I think reason why higher concentrate of antifreeze is offered here as faster warmup tip is because of specific heat capaciti is lower when antifreeze concentration is higher (Not because of poorer heat transfer).

Specific Heat Capacity of Water-Antifreeze Solutions

What is normal concentration? I dont know but lets take it is 50%

Specific Heat Capacity unit here is (J / g / ° C)
50% antifreeze mix at 4C: 3.33
65% antifreeze mix (dont have 70% on that table) at 4C: 3.02

So it should warm up about 10% faster

[Piwoslaw]

One more thing to add to the list:Glow plug based coolant heater

I installed one almost 2 years ago and use it year round to top off the coolant temp, after using the 230V AC block heater + oil pan heating pad. More important, speeds up engine warming when you have a cold start with nowhere to plug in the block heater
I also use it when engine braking, getting some extra heat for free.

[Nautilus]

Background: did too many short city trips, engine took some time to warm itself up.

Problem: too much driving when cold wears engine out, burns too much fuel, and runs the engine pretty noisy and rattly - hydraulic tappets and hydraulic timing chain tensioners need oil at the correct temperature to run properly.

Car: Seat Leon Mk 1 with 1.8 20VT engine. Same mechanical parts as VW Golf Mk 4 GTI / Golf 337 / VW Beetle Turbo / Audi TT Mk 1.

Cooling system construction:

- pump draws directly from spherical Coolant Recovery/Overflow Tank before it pumps into the block;
- no flow to or from the radiator before themostat opens;
- oil cooled and heated by coolant/oil heat exchanger;
- turbo cooled by coolant and oil.

Found out how the Prius thermally-insulated coolant tank worked. 1.8Ts can't be fitted with something similar, unless very complex and costly mods are performed (auxiliary coolant pump, separate "thermos" tank, valves, piping, wiring, dashboard controls etc).

The design is made as such because the 1.8T timing belt also runs the coolant pump. So, when changing the timing belt and coolant pump, the coolant in the pump housing and recovery tank has to be drained away and when the tank is filled again, the coolant flows directly to fill the pump housing. (Otherwise the pump would run dry and destroy itself when starting the engine).

Were the tanks thermally insulated, the warm coolant would be drawn into the cooling system while the thermostat was still closed, and the warmup would be quicker, with less engine wear, quicker heating of the cabin heater, and a slight improvement in fuel economy. It takes energy to heat the engine, energy which otherwise goes wasted when cooling down.

Insulated the Coolant Recovery/Overflow Tank thoroughly with Eurobatex pipe insulator (similar to neoprene mattressese), every inch, all pieces glued together lip to lip. Doubled the insulator thickness on the lower half of the tank, where there is more space, and also where most coolant stays. Glued also thin foamy insulator on the inner side of the fender, just below and behind the tank, insulated full innner fender and suspension turret. Return pipe from the A/C radiator in front of the car, which ran below the tank, had also been insulated previously with a foamy pipe insulator. Carefully left out the plastic catches for the wires and a small "overflow tube" on the side of the tank. Removed the metal plate that holds dipstick and N249 valve and insulated also the hose from the bottom of the tank to coolant ingress in the lower block.

Warmup time reduced itself to half as before. If the car is parked outside in the cold, the block and tank could keep the coolant warm for many hours. In summer temperatures, the engine heats as fast as a Prius, even below 2 minutes from a stop to 90°C

Also:

- took the pains to keep the engine bay as insulated from the outside as possible (lower plastic shield, all plastic covers and sheetmetal in the engine bay insulated with spongy material, the factory "blanket" on the underside of the hood, the factory rubber seal at the hood front lip);

- improved radiator aerodynamics by sealing all gaps which led to other places than radiator and leaving it in a "funnel" to channel outside air through it;

- insulated the intercooler from the engine bay and channelled the air to exhaust into the wheel arch.

From this moment, all air flowing into the bumper must flow either through radiator or through intercooler, because it has no other place to go.

[Piwoslaw]

^^
@Nautilus - Do you have a thread for your mods?
We need pictures!
We need more info!
More more more!!!

[EcoCivic]

Originally Posted by meelis11

I think reason why higher concentrate of antifreeze is offered here as faster warmup tip is because of specific heat capaciti is lower when antifreeze concentration is higher (Not because of poorer heat transfer).

Specific Heat Capacity of Water-Antifreeze Solutions

What is normal concentration? I dont know but lets take it is 50%

Specific Heat Capacity unit here is (J / g / ° C)
50% antifreeze mix at 4C: 3.33
65% antifreeze mix (dont have 70% on that table) at 4C: 3.02

So it should warm up about 10% faster

I don't think that it would warm up 10% faster though because it won't absorb heat from the engine as quickly. Just a thought.

[EcoCivic]

Originally Posted by Stubby79

Straight antifreeze will freeze at -15c? Interesting.

Yup, it needs water to activate it.

[Nautilus]

The insulated Coolant Recovery Tank:



Also visible:

- reflective-insulative material on bulkhead;
- insulative material on inner fender beneath Coolant Recovery Tank.

(Strut tower has also been insulated after the picture was taken. Also coolant hoses and gasoline hoses which appear unwrapped in the photo.)

Note: it only works on an engine where coolant pump draws directly from the coolant tank when engine starts. VAG 1.8T, 1.9TDI, 2.0TFSI engines are made such. Older, 1960s to 1980s engine designs where coolant overflow tank took the overflow from the radiator can't do this.

[Nautilus]

Beneath the car. First the factory lip splitter had been added. Then undertrays were covered with insulative material and smoothened. The visible hole under the oil pan has also been covered by an undertray. So the car has a continuous smooth bottom from front lip to beneath front axle and subframe.

[Nautilus]

Outline of the radiator and intercooler openings after unnecessary holes have been plugged: