Slow to warm up

[Anonymous]

It takes nearly 2 miles before even slightly warm air comes through the vents. The car is a European import, does anyone know if they fitted different thermostats for different countries?

[Tem]

It takes nearly 2 miles before even slightly warm air comes through the vents. The car is a European import, does anyone know if they fitted different thermostats for different countries?

They should be the same...and even if they weren't, it shouldn't make that big difference.

Those get stuck over time though and then it takes forever to warm up (and they might not never reach the proper temp anymore). Shouldn't happen before 100k miles, but maybe it's just faulty?

Has it always been like this, or did it change recently?

[heathstimpson]

Mine is always slow to heat up; I'm sure this is pretty normal.

[Tem]

Mine is always slow to heat up; I'm sure this is pretty normal.

Mine's slow compared to some cars, but not this slow  s:shock: :shock: s:shock:  
"2 miles before even slightly warm air comes through the vents"

[Anonymous]

It takes nearly 2 miles before even slightly warm air comes through the vents. The car is a European import, does anyone know if they fitted different thermostats for different countries?

Has it always been like this, or did it change recently?

I haven't really needed the heater before today and the roof is normally down but this morning we left for work earlier than normal so it was really noticable.

I should have taken the Scorpio, heated seats and the heater is spewing out hot air by the time I reach the bottom of the road.

I'll change the thermostat and see if that makes any difference.

[Anonymous]

I would have thought that 2 miles is probably OK.  With the engine in the back and rad in the front it's not easy to sort out efficient heating quickly.  Have a ride in an Elise in winter if you doubt me!

[Tem]

I would have thought that 2 miles is probably OK.  With the engine in the back and rad in the front it's not easy to sort out efficient heating quickly.  Have a ride in an Elise in winter if you doubt me!

Makes me wonder if there actually is a difference between UK/FI model then  s:? :? s:?  Mine's fully warm after some 2 miles, when starting on a cold morning...

It won't ever be like some front engined grocery getters, cause, like you said, the engine is in the back and the heater is up front. But 2 miles for the first warm breath would mean my car is broke  s:oops: :oops: s:oops:

[Anonymous]

Its got to depend on how cold it is also, if its been a really cold night and the radiator and pipes start off frozen, it'll take longer to warm up then if it was room temp.  I'd have thought.

[Darth Paul]

Sounds ok to me. Once, when sat in a motorway tailback (two winters ago), the vents actually started chucking out cold air, despite the heaters being on full heat.  s:evil: :evil: s:evil:   Obviously the radiator cooled so much that the air was no longer warm. I had to resort to a coat. Not good if I had been stranded somewhere remote...  s:shock: :shock: s:shock:  

Moral of this story? Hat, coat and gloves in the storage bins during winter.

[Anonymous]

I have ordered new thermostat from Mr T £8.19 + VAT which is a tad pricey but with the engine running so hot didn't want to compromise with a pattern but £4.06 + VAT for the gasket?? What a rip off even if it as O ring and not just a paper gasket.

[MRMike]

Mine takes at least 3-4 miles before it starts to put out any remote heat, but I have removed the rear trays. Shouldn't think that would make much of a difference though..

[Tem]

I have ordered new thermostat from Mr T £8.19 + VAT which is a tad pricey but with the engine running so hot didn't want to compromise with a pattern but £4.06 + VAT for the gasket?? What a rip off even if it as O ring and not just a paper gasket.

Did you consider a higher temp thermostat for winter?

[filcee]

This sounds about normal to me - I usually reckon 8-10 mins before the temp. guage reaches horizontal/'go' pedal reaches the mat.

I seem to recall that Ford developed some way of using the exhaust heat, presumably from the exhaust manifold, to provide the heat for inside the car.  I suspect this must be some sort of heat exchanger.  This might explain why the Scorpio warms up so quick, as it uses the most immediate form of heat available once the engine is started.

[Anonymous]

Did you consider a higher temp thermostat for winter?

I did ask but they don't list one so I will try a normal version first.

[Anonymous]

I looked today, was about 2 miles before i got warm.

[Anonymous]

im quite surprised how quick the '2 puts warm air though the vents for a rear engined car. id say, about 3/4- 1 mile before warm air

though i do think the '2 seems to take forever before the coolant temp neeedle is in the middle!

[Tem]

im quite surprised how quick the '2 puts warm air though the vents for a rear engined car. id say, about 3/4- 1 mile before warm air

though i do think the '2 seems to take forever before the coolant temp neeedle is in the middle!

I was paying some attention to this...starting the car from cold, about 2C/35F. I can feel warm air from the vents at 0.4km/0.2mls and the temp needle is already touching the "thermometer image" at 2 miles. From that point to fully warm it seems to take forever, the thermostat probably opens at that point...?

[Anonymous]

Yes but doesn't al lof this also depend on how high you're reving the engine.

I'm sure if you canned it from start it'd warm up pretty quickly.

[Tem]

Yes but doesn't al lof this also depend on how high you're reving the engine.

I'm sure if you canned it from start it'd warm up pretty quickly.

Yeah, it makes a difference. Another thing is if you keep driving the whole time, or if you have to stop. And do you start driving right after starting the car, so there isn't a straight answer to this...  s:? :? s:?

Anyway, I try to keep the revs below 3000rpm until the engine is warm...and I start driving right after starting the car. That's why I keep wondering about possible UK/FI difference...