Why don't auto manufacturers [not just nissan] use resistors similar to a hair drier to provide heat to the interior before the engine is warm enough to do so itself?

 

hmmm... maybe because W = V * I ??

Though if they still had the current, i guess it would have to run only for few minutes before the engine warms up...

 

yeah, and if anything a transformer could be used to step up the voltage

 

Or a remote start...better yet, walk to your car, open the door, inject the key into the hole, and turn while making the engine turn over and start, and then let it warm up for about 10 minutes while you go back inside and get ready for w/e you are planning

Money saved!

 

Am I the only one with remote start? I thought all 5.5 gens had it! I have the stock keyless entry fobby thing. All I do is hit lock twice and my car starts right up. And I can do it from my bedroom window. All I do is turn the heater on, before I park the car for the night, and It comes on with the car. YOU can also roll down your front windows, by holding the unlock for long enough.

 

That must have been installed by a previous owner because that does not come "stock" on any car.

 

edited for accuracy.

why would they even want to do this? you would have to have one hell of a resistor and transformer to get enough heat out of it to make a noticeable difference. besides, theres already head coming from electricity in the car.

 

I let my run for about 2 minutes, just enough time to go back inside, get my suitecase and wallet and stuff and I am out...

Not to mention that running for 10 mins is a total waste of gas and you are polluting for no reason.

 

A transformer won't do anything. You can't get something for nothing. You can't put 10 amps of 12v into a transformer and get 10 amps of 120v out of it. That's starting with 120 watts and ending with 1,200 watts. If the transformer is perfectly efficient, you're putting 10 amps of 12v in, and getting 1 amp of 120v out. 120w in, 120w out.

Since power is measured in watts, not volts, it won't matter.

Having a really huge resistor would put a ton of strain on the battery. Being that traditional lead acid batteries have reduced current capacity in cold weather, and do not react well to being fully discharged then fully recharged, after a couple of cold mornings, you're going to have yourself a dead battery.

MAYBE with the upcoming advances in batteries (fancy hybrid batteries, or those fancy Optima batteries that can handle many discharge cycles), it might become feasible, but not with today's technology.

ALSO, why not just get a higher temperature thermostat in the engine, to keep it heating only the heater core and not the radiator until it gets warmer?

 

I have the roll windows down on my 4th gen but not the remotre start by hitting lock twice. I have a bulldog security starter and thats what I use to start my car .

 

because then your engine runs at a higher temperature all the time which isn't doing it any favours... not a good solution for this problem..

 

5-10 minutes...and it's because I baby my car and don't like to drive it until the line is at least a little bit "up"

I'd rather waste a little gas now instead of paying big $ for tranny repairs later

I noticed that when I let it warm up every time, I only loose 1mpg according to the computer, so I will take that 17ish mile loss throughout my tank, just so that it can warm up properly. 17 miles=less than a gallons worth, so the $3.35 is worth it to me

Polluting... If the only pollution were to be from cars idling all the time, then I think we would have no global warming for quite some time!

 

letting it idle longer than 2 minutes is bad for the entire car in general, not just waste of gas. it warms much faster/efficiently by moving anyway. sitting causes some areas to be hot, while others remain cold.

just man it up and be cold for 3 minutes.

 

Amem! I also wish all our pollution problems were from idling cars... though I'd be out of job...


But there is a old saying that goes like this: either you are helping solving the problem or making it worse. And whether you see/understand it or not, idling for 10 minutes IS increasing your carbon footprint unnecessarily.

 

 

be careful...with doing this....idiots have been known to steal cars this way..even in nicer areas......

 

hmmm it's not the fact of being cold myself, but rather the fact that I want the car to warm up properly before driving. If I start the car and start driving, the transmission jerks a little in between shifts, but if I let it warm up for at least 5ish minutes, then it is fine.

Opinions on that?

I gotchu

I don't leave my car "un-attended." The car is left in my garage and I am within 20 feet of it, so I can still "hear" it through the walls

 

if you truly want the car to warm up properly, that means idle no more than 1 min. drive slowly (less than 3k rpm) until reaches normal temp. this warms the car the fastest and most consistently. tho 5 isn't terrible, still not the best.

 

 

My husband is a mechanical engineer and actually worked on a project like this one year. I can't remember all the ends and outs but in the end, "instant heat" didn't work. I'll ask him what happened and post back with more info.

This will be my first winter with the Max, so I'll probably get some seat covers since I don't have a spot in the garage. I doubt DH will get me a car starter, so I'll warm it up, go back in and grab my lunch, then come back out to leave for work. I have a longer commute now (I used to work 2.5 miles away from home), so at least I can warm up before I have to get back out again.

 

let me know - im very interested^

 

Get a block heater, or two. (V type engines need one on each side I believe) Instant heat and the engine will always be at temp. That will also radiate to your transmission.

Plus its an auto, who cares about those :P

~Alex

 

one day I didnt warm her up as long as I normally do and when pulling out onto the main road I had to press the gas hard to fit in traffic and the shift into 2nd felt like a ton of bricks...

 

Warm up for a minute, then drive slowly. The car will warm up better while driving. Wear some gloves and a jacket.

 

I have auto climate control so I can't tell when it's blowing cold air. It blows downwards if I'm trying to get warm air. It seems to only take mine about 2 minutes or so to warm up though.

 

IIRC the tesla roadster has electric heat because it is battery powered... so it is possible if that is what you are getting at

 

Just plug the car in 30 minutes or so before you go some where. Or have it on a timer. Before we had the garage, I had the timer come on an hour before I expected to leave. Or perhaps a timer with a little portable heater inside the car. I have done that as well.

 

Mercedes Benz S-Class (55) has instant heat option part of the cooled seating package, so does the big Lexus if I remember correctly.

Remote start with auto climate control puts you in a warm or cool car every day.

 

Prius uses an electric heater as well (first generation did anyway). Novel idea.

Remote start works as well. Waste of gas though if you let it run to the point where the interior is climatized to one's liking...

 

nah.... heated steering wheel FTW that warms up in 30 seconds, youd be amazed at how much less the cold seems to affect you with the nice toasty steering wheel

 

remote start

/thread

 

of course is possible. Now feasibility is another issue. and obviously the Tesla MUST have electric heat, it doesnt have a combustion engine, not to mention its battery is not the standard 12V so you can easily get heat out of it....


The point was that the circuitry for a 1500W heater in a 12V battery it's not easy do accomplish. doable, yes. Easy, not.

 

Remote start, heated sterring wheel, seats and climate control, for FTW,my wife has neven got into a cold or hot car.. And We, I have always let our cars warm up at least till the needle begins to move and them slowly for a block or two the she is fine..

 

Remote start is great but for some us who drive manual... not likely... also Id never be comfortable with my car being on without me being in it anyway

 

what is this "for FTW"


remote start if you don't care about wasting gas and shortening the life of you car.

no one's going to change their mind though. car still warms faster by driving versus idling. and still better for it to warm uniformly instead of just the motor while idling.


some value maintaining and the longevity of their cars, others a couple minutes of comfort.

 

FTW = For The Win. I had no idea for the longest time, I don't game.

As for remote start on manual, there are specific remote starters made for Manuals. I have one. Cost a pretty Penny, but I seen simple ebay ones (you can even make your own) for cheap. the12volt.com tells you how to make a remote start, and with a little tinkering, you can make it safe for manual tranny like mine.

Dr J

 

oh i know FTW. just about "for For The Win"


boy is it cold out. almost single digits here. still wouldn't remote start tho.

 

Heated garages (or at least those underneath your living quarters) work the best - at least for when you are at home.

 

about how much did that cost you? think you can get at me in a message or something? i'm getting my first maxima soon and i definitely want a manual tranny. and was wondering about getting a remote starter, but wasn't sure of a price or how much of a pain it would be to actually install.

 

pansies. put on a freaking coat and some gloves.
(no I havent' lived in Houston all my life. I know what it's like to go to class in the morning and it's -10 outside).