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Frozen Nipples and other Winter Driving Questions

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phil keegan

Messages
163
Location
Newcastle
Vehicle
T6 Coast 150
Pretty pleased with our MY22 6.1 Coast for winter driving but have a few questions:

1) Using the remote heater from indoors gets the van nice and toasty for the morning commute but the van is a bit colder when driving immediately home after being sat in freezing temperatures all day. Is there any reason not to use the heat immediately function on the diesel heater when setting off driving? (I guess it’s designed for stationary use).

2) I’ve noticed snow but not freezing fog deactivates the adaptive cruise control. Just wondering if the radar on the van can ‘see’ further through freezing fog than I can? (I don’t plan to test this!)

3) It was a bit frustrating to get frozen nipples that prevented the screen wash from spraying. Is it possible to fit nipple heaters or do I just need more expensive screen wash?

4) Salty side windows: after a long journey both passenger and drivers side windows were pretty grubby with salt spray from the treated road surfaces which made seeing the mirrors difficult. I’m just wondering if wind deflectors would reduce this issue (even though designed for something else)? My temporary solution was to use our portable shower to give them a quick clean each time I stopped.

5) In any event how great is it in difficult winter driving conditions to be in a Cali where you can always stop, turn on the heating, have a brew and 40 winks?


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Point 1
Our user manual states: The auxiliary heater is supplied with fuel from the vehicle's fuel tank and can be used both while driving and when stationary.
Our Van is a T6 but there is no reason for a T6.1 to do worse than a T6
Point 3.
We never have this problem but the cleaning fluid sold here in winter is valid until at -20 C.
 
Get a winter formulation windscreen wash. Higher percentage of alcohol in those to inhibit freezing.
 
Point 1
Our user manual states: The auxiliary heater is supplied with fuel from the vehicle's fuel tank and can be used both while driving and when stationary.
Our Van is a T6 but there is no reason for a T6.1 to do worse than a T6
Point 3.
We never have this problem but the cleaning fluid sold here in winter is valid until at -20 C.

Thanks - I’ll enjoy the drive home even more tomorrow!


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Point 2: The ACC radar probably can see further through fog than your eyes can. Something to do with the radar wavelength (12 mm) being a lot larger than the droplets. Visible light wavelength is extremely small. However, always keep in mind that the radar only sees objects moving with you. Objects moving towards you or standing still are typically not tracked.

Point 4: In my experience wind deflectors do alleviate the problem of salty side windows somewhat. Plus of course they allow you to crack open a window while sitting out the rain with a cuppa.
 
3. I use this stuff. Dilute it 50/50 with water, never let me down, even to minus14 Deg C conditions
Prestone -18c Concentrated Screenwash 2Ltrs
4. Get windows ceramic coated, a quick wipe with a wet cloth and perfect vision again.
5. THE BEST !
 
Pretty pleased with our MY22 6.1 Coast for winter driving but have a few questions:

1) Using the remote heater from indoors gets the van nice and toasty for the morning commute but the van is a bit colder when driving immediately home after being sat in freezing temperatures all day. Is there any reason not to use the heat immediately function on the diesel heater when setting off driving? (I guess it’s designed for stationary use).

2) I’ve noticed snow but not freezing fog deactivates the adaptive cruise control. Just wondering if the radar on the van can ‘see’ further through freezing fog than I can? (I don’t plan to test this!)

3) It was a bit frustrating to get frozen nipples that prevented the screen wash from spraying. Is it possible to fit nipple heaters or do I just need more expensive screen wash?

4) Salty side windows: after a long journey both passenger and drivers side windows were pretty grubby with salt spray from the treated road surfaces which made seeing the mirrors difficult. I’m just wondering if wind deflectors would reduce this issue (even though designed for something else)? My temporary solution was to use our portable shower to give them a quick clean each time I stopped.

5) In any event how great is it in difficult winter driving conditions to be in a Cali where you can always stop, turn on the heating, have a brew and 40 winks?


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1 - Why not just do the same before you get in the van at the end of the day. Control range is pretty good! I can't see driving with the diesel heater on will warm you up any faster than the engine heating.
2 - It's a radar, so cares not about fog. Snow though creates an ice film over the radar (middle of bumper) and quickly blocks the radar.
3 - Richer screen wash mix will do it. If not nigh on neat. Just remember to flush all the way through.
 
Last edited:
Buy some of VW own screen wash or quantum concentrated (which I think most VAG group dealers use). It is good down to -30. The expensive VW Audi stuff is good down to -40. You can pick up the quantum stuff for a good price in 5l containers. I just bought 20l for £50. Dilute 25:1 in summer so works out cheap enough. Make sure it is the concentrated one.
Snow blocks the sensor and sometimes needs cleaned. In fog they work ok.
The engine also has a heater which comes on below 4 Deg I believe. This means you get hot air pretty quickly - I do use the remote to warm the van up though and notice it doesn’t go off when the engine starts.
 
1 - Why not just do the same before you get in the van at the end of the day. Control range is pretty good! I can't see driving with the diesel heater on will warm you up any faster than the engine heating.
2 - It's a radar, so cares not about fog. Snow though creates an ice film over the radar (middle of bumper) and quickly blocks the radar.
3 - Richer screen wash mix will do it. If not nigh on neat. Just remember to flush all the way through.

Thanks. I think because the engine is pretty efficient the engine heating is a bit slower to get going than in older more traditional engines. I think there might be a second diesel heater under the bonnet to help compensate for problems of slow engine warming. While probably not normally an issue if it sits at minus 5*C all day tomorrow I’m definitely going to go try simultaneous engine and auxiliary heating when I jump in it to head home (I don’t park near enough to where I work to use the remote in advance)


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Thanks. I think because the engine is pretty efficient the engine heating is a bit slower to get going than in older more traditional engines. I think there might be a second diesel heater under the bonnet to help compensate for problems of slow engine warming. While probably not normally an issue if it sits at minus 5*C all day tomorrow I’m definitely going to go try simultaneous engine and auxiliary heating when I jump in it to head home (I don’t park near enough to where I work to use the remote in advance)


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Try the Remote for the heater. If it flashes green the heater will start. If it flashes green then red you are out of range. The Heater Remote has a very good range.
 
Buy some of VW own screen wash or quantum concentrated (which I think most VAG group dealers use). It is good down to -30. The expensive VW Audi stuff is good down to -40. You can pick up the quantum stuff for a good price in 5l containers. I just bought 20l for £50. Dilute 25:1 in summer so works out cheap enough. Make sure it is the concentrated one.
Snow blocks the sensor and sometimes needs cleaned. In fog they work ok.
The engine also has a heater which comes on below 4 Deg I believe. This means you get hot air pretty quickly - I do use the remote to warm the van up though and notice it doesn’t go off when the engine starts.

Thanks. I wonder if there is an easy way to check that the additional engine heater is working? I’m just wondering if there is a reason why I’m after extra warming!


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On my T6 there is also a programmable timer in the central unit, which allows the heating to start automatically, at the desired time and for the desired duration.
This is explained in the user manual supplement specific to California.
This should be able to help you.
 
The Webasto coolant heater starts automatically if the ambient temperature is less than 5c and is designed to just warm the coolant.
The easiest way of testing, start engine , wait a few minutes, switch off , the Webasto will continue running for a few minutes as it cools down.
It is designed to help the engine coolant get to 80c ASAP, then it switches off. Diesel engines produce much less heat than petrol equivalent.
 

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