PSA for those in cold climates: Aux heater usage
- Thread starter (none)
- Start date
Ron4RNevada
New member
Yes, my 2013 SR5 has it (Sold new in New Jersey). I don't know if it would have had it if it had originally come from California/Nevada but I would imagine it would.
This past couple of weeks it has been between 5 and 10 degrees every morning and has helped.
This past couple of weeks it has been between 5 and 10 degrees every morning and has helped.
It worked today in my Houston bought 2018 limited. Thanks for the tip - makes what I paid this forum worth it 
Took about a minute 15 to get warm, but that was starting from a relatively warmer 44 degrees outside. I wonder why they programmed it for headlights off? You wouldn’t think that lights and heater element would be a big drain on the battery with the engine running, but maybe it’s an issue in really cold weather.
Took about a minute 15 to get warm, but that was starting from a relatively warmer 44 degrees outside. I wonder why they programmed it for headlights off? You wouldn’t think that lights and heater element would be a big drain on the battery with the engine running, but maybe it’s an issue in really cold weather.+1 for the factory block heater, we're in the -25 range at night in the Toronto area and it does the trick, the melting snow on the hood in the pic is typically where I see it when plugged in from residual heat loss, so I know it's doing something and certainly helps on the cold crank. I'll have to pay more attention to the air temp coming out of the vents after it's running after a cold start at work... I've got a remote start installed (Viper) so typically there is some warmth coming out already by the time I get across my parking lot to it.
Attachments
Worked for me this morning
FrontRange4Runner
New member
-With modern engines and fluids, there is no need to let your car idle for any period of time to "warm up". Starting the engine and driving off will do no harm, and this how how many vehicles (at least the test vehicles I drove) are tested. Granted, you should not be driving like a crazy person from a cold soak, but any normal driving style will be fine.
-Also, why the hell does the dimmer position have to be off? I really hope I have this, but my dimmer is never off so maybe I just never used it?
Question: With just the block heater running and WITHOUT remote starting, where does the needle point on your temp gauge when you fire up the car?
-45 degrees celsius tonight
Christmas was great up here, snow and the polar vortex set in,when plugged in the needle is still on cold when you start it up just moves up into the warm zone, faster than not plugged in. Checked out that to see if that electric heater gizmo worked, and yup, definitely warmer air than the -40 degrees celsius with everything on max and that was just driving to the end of the street. Now time to go ice fishing!
Christmas was great up here, snow and the polar vortex set in,when plugged in the needle is still on cold when you start it up just moves up into the warm zone, faster than not plugged in. Checked out that to see if that electric heater gizmo worked, and yup, definitely warmer air than the -40 degrees celsius with everything on max and that was just driving to the end of the street. Now time to go ice fishing!
Rocket61
New member
Headlight dimmer switch off....would that mean having it on auto would prevent it from kicking in?
It's current -31 c or -24 f here, so could really use this! lol
Rocket61
New member
you in Wpg too? lol
Rocket61
New member
As low as the needle goes below C for me. I plug it in when its colder than -10 c or 14 f.
I've tried that just to see if it comes up a tad immediately but no - the needle doesn't move but it comes up faster for sure (within a couple mins) when plugged in than not. I don't typically idle for more than a few mins anyway - enough time to clear the windows of ice and snow before starting off in the morning. Certainly when leaving work and not plugged in type thing, I need a few kilometres before heat is cranking out and the needle is moving up.
One thing I noticed tonight for the first time actually is the idle speed change when I crank up my blower motor speed (not defrost mode). Tried it in gear and neutral and sure enough, when I have it set at max heat and crank up the blower motor speed - up goes the idle. Maybe a couple of hundred RPM but noticeable alright. I'm assuming thats due to ambient temp and sudden electrical draw I guess, cause when I turn it right off the idle speed backs down to 650 again or whatever it is in gear typically.
rageandlove
Member
I believe it means that high beams can't be on, that's all. Seems to work ok to me when the lights are on ...
purplehippo
New member
Wow this is amazing thanks! Warm air in about a minute. I never knew this was even a thing.
ScoMey
New member
It works...
Well I tried it out this morning... temp control to "Hi", fan turned on to an intermediate speed (overriding the Auto Climate Control feature)... pumping out warm air after running for about a minute - temp this morning was in the mid-20's. It works! Wow. Since new, I've just let the auto temp control do it's thing, which means no fan - or warm air - until the coolant temp gets up a bit.
Too bad Toyota didn't set it up to work more inline with the auto climate control so that you didn't have to override the auto feature to get it to work...
Love learning new things about my T4R 4 years in!
Well I tried it out this morning... temp control to "Hi", fan turned on to an intermediate speed (overriding the Auto Climate Control feature)... pumping out warm air after running for about a minute - temp this morning was in the mid-20's. It works! Wow. Since new, I've just let the auto temp control do it's thing, which means no fan - or warm air - until the coolant temp gets up a bit.
Too bad Toyota didn't set it up to work more inline with the auto climate control so that you didn't have to override the auto feature to get it to work...
Love learning new things about my T4R 4 years in!
nb rob
New member
I'm a little confused....
People are saying "wow thanks" for something that has been running under normal circumstances anyway....? If your heat is set to max and the blower is on, and the outside temperature is cold-- this should be working. Correct?
Have you guys been warming up your vehicles with the heat not set to max and/or the blower turned off? It doesn't seem like something you can "try out" unless you're comparing it to a previous state where the heat and blower weren't on-- at which case, yeah, it should definitely warm up faster
People are saying "wow thanks" for something that has been running under normal circumstances anyway....? If your heat is set to max and the blower is on, and the outside temperature is cold-- this should be working. Correct?
Have you guys been warming up your vehicles with the heat not set to max and/or the blower turned off? It doesn't seem like something you can "try out" unless you're comparing it to a previous state where the heat and blower weren't on-- at which case, yeah, it should definitely warm up faster
