"Paul" wrote in message
...
Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
Steve Walker wrote:
I have noted that my more energy efficient diesel car takes much longer
to warm up than the previous petrol ones I had.

Yes. Some diesels have much larger alternators and an electric heater to
warm them faster - some Focus diesels had that ... a 1kW electric
heater! Unfortunately, mine didn't, and it would often take 4 or 5 miles
to really get warmed up. My current car is petrol and is much better in
that respect.

Surely a direct diesel burning heater makes more sense? You could set
that
going before you get to the car in the morning?


With electric heating (squirrel cage blower, toaster element), you
can have zero thermal mass heating. And you can clear a windshield
in around 60 seconds. With a combustion heater, you need isolation
between the combustion side and the output side, and the resulting
thermal mass takes time to heat up.

And if you've ever ridden in VWs (bug or camper van), you know
what combustion heating smells like. I rode in a car once, I was
sure we were going to be asphyxiated :-/ There was that much leakage.

Never had that with my bug. That one you rode in must have been faulty.