We had our first frosty morning of the Autumn today up here in Manchester which got me thinking about whether it would be possible to speed up the heating of the water in the heater core. If I were to buy a 12V PTC heat element e.g. one of these (they do a cooler 25W version too) and then stick it to the heater core using some thermal epoxy, do you think it would work? Or would I end up setting the car on fire?! :devil:

Maybe I could add a small sealed battery too, hook it up to a remote controlled relay and warm the car up 10 mins before setting off for work at 7am...:idea:

Good thinking but I would suggest investigating the idea of an electric water pump. Plumbed into the heater hoses, back of the engine bay, you could then place your heater element inside a metal tube and have the heater coolant circulate through it. That way, the heater is fitted in the engine bay (safer).

Also do some Google searches for "block heater" - devices exist that pre-heat the coolant in the engine, particularly for places like Canada. Can be added fairly easily.

It goes without saying that the first check to ensure a quick warmup should be that your thermostat is working - most are stuck open - engine should warm up to exactly halfway on the gauge. Not one-third, or going down while driving, etc.

-Alex