Wow. Amazing Warm Air From Vents Time

[uumode]

The Avensis (1.8) is the fastest warming up car I have owned!

Even when the temperature gauge has not moved much, the air is off cold.

1 bar on the gauge and it's already warm'ish and already doing a great job demisting the windscreen on a cold morning

I've pulled off my drive and driving down the road while my neighbour is still on the drive :D

I thought my Mercedes was fast until the Avensis.

My old Rover Metro took ages... around 15 minutes for any warm air to effectively demist and to warm the cabin up.

[Boro Sera]

Nice one.

I've been to the 2 extremes of in car heating.......Mini's and an MGB GT.

Every Mini I ever had ( the old, proper ones- not the Beemer version ) had the worlds worst heater.......in fact several of them just never worked. De-icing the inside of the windscreen isn't the most fun you can have on a winters morning.

The MG had basically a 2 bar electric fire behind the dash. Instant heat even with the engine turned off !

[campioni06]

Yeah defo good fast working heater but....the temp on the display still shows very low, say 8 or 9. Presume this displays just the external temp?

[uumode]

Yeah defo good fast working heater but....the temp on the display still shows very low, say 8 or 9. Presume this displays just the external temp?

Yeah, the digital display in the 03+ model is the external temperature.

[Steve84]

I to can praise the heater in my avensis. Jumped in mine last week when we had a bit of frost started it up sprayed screen with de-icer jumped in car and warm air was blowing throw. The engine temp had not even moved from its starting postion.

[bristolmotorspeedway]

The diesel seems to take a lot longer to warm up then the petrols you guys have! On a cold day it will be several minutes before warmish air starts blowing.

It actually seems a very heat efficient (well insulated?) engine - to reach the 'normal' engine running temperature on a cold day actually takes around 10 miles (1-2 miles @ 30/40 and the rest Motorway), although the heater is blowing warm air after the first couple of miles. Similarly, it can be parked for a very long time and still be quite warm when I come back to it.

One thing I like about the climate control - if the air is not warm enough to start heating towards your temp, the fan does not blow; after a minute or two a gentle flow starts, gradually building to a full on blast of heat as the engine warms through. Neat. Although it does seem to 'overheat' the cabin air at first, and gradually gets cooler (and more in line with the actual temp set!) as the journey progresses.

[uumode]

One thing I like about the climate control - if the air is not warm enough to start heating towards your temp, the fan does not blow; after a minute or two a gentle flow starts, gradually building to a full on blast of heat as the engine warms through. Neat. Although it does seem to 'overheat' the cabin air at first, and gradually gets cooler (and more in line with the actual temp set!) as the journey progresses.

Must confess I haven't noticed that yet.

But I'm loving it :) in the old days my own breath would freeze onto the windscreen on the inside. (despite the fact I had cleared the outer surface with scraper and/or de-icer.

I don't think in the 1.8 Avensis it has a chance. I've only just turned the corner and it's demisting

'unless' Toyota have cheated and put in a part time electric element?? (not that I'm complaining of course)

[matty2767]

bristol

on my diesel i have the cabin preheater. did you get one on your 2.2? the botton is near the mirror adjuster

[bristolmotorspeedway]

bristol

on my diesel i have the cabin preheater. did you get one on your 2.2? the botton is near the mirror adjuster

No, don't seem to have one- sounds useful though! There is a blank between the TRC OFF button and the mirror adjuster. Presume it would be there?

[matty2767]

yeah. i dont have the button trc (traction control?). nice in the winter though. gives out hot air in less than 1 min. :)

[Slowtraveler]

I have 1.6 Avensis, which have small engine , but yet it is the fastest warming car i have....

I analyzed cooling systems of my previous cars (several Vaux Astra F and G, Skoda, Golf...).

One of big differences is bleeding system - in other cars i have pressurized expanding tank and there are bleeding system from small circuit (i am not sure if it correct word for it - i mean coolant route before opening of thermostat) which turns coolant trough expanding tank despite that thermostat is closed. That means engine must heat more than one litter extra coolant, before temperature rised enough to open thermostat.

In Toyota you have non-pressurized expansion tank and small circuit is trully 'small' - only heater and engine coolant capacity....

The other possibility is liner thickness (to be more thin), but i never measured it....