[richyrich]

Anyone else have this? Got one on my Touran, not sure if it's standard on MkVs. Anyway, there seems to be very little info about it (zilch in the manual) and I've noticed a few things plus I got a worry:

It's only come to my attention now it's cold - it must only activate at all for cold temperatures - for the first time when the car parked up the other day, some little whirring carried on under the bonnet, along with a bit of a smell of burning diesel! It's great - the car actually gets warm way quicker from cold - no more driving with dangerously misty windscreen and frozen hands this winter!

Anyway, the worry - wife drove onto the drive tonight and I happened to be there. As she shopped a big cloud of smoke enveloped me! There was tons of it, all coming from somewhere under the wheel arch. Definitely the same "burning diesel" smell as I'd noticed recently but loads of smoke! Should it be that smoky or should I give steals a call?

While I'm wondering about stuff, noticed today that my MPG average is still a paltry 36.6. It was similar a couple of weeks ago and I reset it thinking I'd hammered it at some point. I can't remember the long term average on either my Golf or Passat 30TDIs ever being under 40. Anyone else a 2.0TDI and average? Might there be something wrong?

Putting two and two together, maybe my aux heater is burning a few gallons all the time for the smokescreen device. Perhaps there's some James Bond button I've accidentally switched on! []

 

[TouranMan]

It's funny you should mention that as my wife had the same 'smokescreen' effect a couple of weeks ago when we had our first cold snap! She was just leaving for work and went to pull of the drive when white smoke started bellowing from under the car. She ran back in to get me and I had a look under the car and noticed it was coming from a small pipe on the offside of the car. I suspected that it may be some kind of auxiliary heater but rang VW assist to confirm.

I explained it to the lass on the phone who asked me if I was happy to drive it to the dealer or whether I wanted someone to come out but I said I just wanted some advice. They managed to put me in touch with a VW Technician who confirmed it was an auxiliary heater and it was nothing to worry about. Apparently it only comes on when you have the re-circulate on but I'm sure it comes on regardless as I've noticed the 'whirring' over the past couple of days.

So, in short nothing to worry about and you're right, there is sod all in the manual about it!

 

[weeloon]

Well........................

There is a software update and modified fuel pipes to cure this fault on the touran.

If you go into your dealer and ask them to look into the bullitins on there 'vw portal'

The job entails......

1. replacement pipe at the heater, just behind the o/s/f bumper

2. modifying the pipe at the sender unit

3. software update to heater ecu

This cures the excess smoke from the auxiluary heater and is specific to the touran.

but do remember they will always smoke a bit

if in doubt print this of and take it to the dealer with you and let them read it

 

[kenl]

I don't remember seeing the auxiliary heater thing for the Golf.

 

[radox]

I remember this auxilliary heater being mentioning in the early brouchures. I have subsequently heard it was no longer available and may now have been dropped. It was called the Weather Pack or something like that. I was almost tempted but it wasn't cheap. It came with the same full MFD which the Satnav adds. You need this bigger display to be able to set the timer when the auxillary heating comes on. you could then set it to turn on the aux. heater at 6am when you planned to get in at 6.30. There is a section about it in my car's manual. This white smoke might be normal on cars with this aux heater.

Whether you have the aux heater or not, diesel engined Mk5s do have an electrical coolant heater which facilitates quicker warm-ups. The weird sounds under the bonnet on cold mornings might be caused by this but personally I haven't noticed it. On cars with aircon, be warned that having ECONomy mode switched on DISABLES this coolant heater. It is mentioned in the manual.

My SE doesn't have the auxillary heating but I am really greatful of the coolant heater because within a mile of 30mph running the heater is blowing out warm air.

Stuart
http://www.stuartdalby.co.uk/vwgolfmk5

 

[kenl]

Well done Radox you clever chap [^]

Just spotted in an old price guide (issue 7) the "weather pack" ?855 [:O]

"Heated front seats and parking heater/air circulation cooling fan with remote[8D] and timer functions"

 

[TinTin_57]

Yep,this was definately withdrawn. I had it on my original order and it arrived without it. VW were quite embarrassed as they had withdrawn it in beween and not said anything

 

[simfin]

Yep, Thanks RADOX -

I thought I had read the Manual front to back, but I had missed the bit about the Diesel having a coolant heater.

Tried it today without the ECON mode enabled and it really does warm up much more quickly.

 

[richyrich]

Quote: posted by weeloon on 22/11/2004 01:24:20

Well........................

There is a software update and modified fuel pipes to cure this fault on the touran.

If you go into your dealer and ask them to look into the bullitins on there 'vw portal'

The job entails......

1. replacement pipe at the heater, just behind the o/s/f bumper

2. modifying the pipe at the sender unit

3. software update to heater ecu

This cures the excess smoke from the auxiluary heater and is specific to the touran.

but do remember they will always smoke a bit

if in doubt print this of and take it to the dealer with you and let them read it

Thanks weeloon.

However, as with anything not too serious on the car, I think I'd rather live with it than have the local VW garage go anywhere near it. Bet it would come back with a rattle or something if they got their hands on it.

 

[sithefire]

funny you should bring this up..last Sunday i had to call vw-assist up as i thought my car was i danger of catching fire, sounds funny but there were clouds, and i mean clouds of white smoke coming from under the bonnet when i stopped after a long journey, the fitter who attended (within an hour despite getting lost) informed me that it could be the auxiliary fuel heater that is situated near the offside front wheel arch.....(new to me). anyway it turned out to be the fact that when i had the car serviced the week before they had spilt oil all over the rocker cover that had then made its way onto the turbo, hence the smoke when stopping after long journey....it was ridgeway of reading that done the service btw...1st and last time them cowboys get near my car!!!!!!![}]

 

[Stevo]

My car has spent 4 days on the operating table re the Auxillary Heater which basically had taken early retirement, Thanks to the forum especially the knowledge of Weelon all is now well. You should of seen the look on the service managers face when i hit him with i few ?ss and then told him the answers.

Thanks Weelon for taking the time to read my email and respond back so quickly with so much Knowledge.

Regards Stevo

 

[richyrich]

Wife is getting tired of the smoke coming into the car - I've not seen it again but apparently when she opens the door to get sprog out on a cold day after just stopping, it often clouds in from underneath.

Rang the dealer the other day as per weeloons info and they didn't hesitate - it's in today for 1.5 hours to get it fixed.

 

[sadsack]

My mk5 does about 42 to the gallon if i boot it a bit i get about 38 to the gallon.Pretty happy with that like!

 

[TouranMan]

How are you getting on with the fuel consumption richyrich? For the first time since we got the car ours has dropped below the 40 mark which I'm kinda suprised about. It's always been fairly constant at around 41-42mpg but dropped to about 38 last week. It doesn't seem to matter how it's driven either, you can take it easy, thrash it or go on long yourneys and you get about the same. I must say that is the only thing that disappoints me about the car as I expected to get at least late 40s from it. Long journeys get about 43!!

 

[Tooks]

TouranMan,

has the drop in fuel consumption coincided with a cold snap up there in Northumberland?

Diesels use more fuel when it's cold, basically, owing to fuel being metered in dependant on air density. (Cold air denser etc) Same for modern petrols I guess too...

Also, I've done 15k in my car now and the fuel economy has taken a bit of a nosedive since around the 10k mark. Mind you, the performance of the engine seemed to jump up at around the same point, so I can't complain too much!

The drop of 3 to 4 mpg could well be caused by the cold air effect.*

*Disclaimer - could be wrong though!!! []

 

[richyrich]

I think it's actually due to the driving we do. Since September the car has stopped doing a couple of hours a day at 50mph. Now it just does local stuff, sitting in traffic, popping to nursery etc. A week or so ago I reset it and did a couple of hours of A roads/motorway and kept it in the mid 40s no problem.

[:O] [:O]

Shocker on the heater - that 1.5 hours is now three days next week! I think they checked it, found it was the defective ECU version or hardware and are going to change it all. How can it take three days though??? The car was probably assembled at the factory in less time than that! It makes me nervous letting them loose on it for that long!

Just hope they give me a decent loaner - wife turned down a Beetle so they said a Golf. Knowing my stealer it will be the lowliest, cheapest, oldest little Golf they've got with a single drop of fuel in it! [^]

 

[TouranMan]

Yes Tooks, it does seem to have coincided with the cold snap. Filled up again and worked it out (I don't have an on-board computer to do it for me!) and it's dropped to 37!! Will keep an eye on it and maybe get it booked in for them to take a look along with a few other niggling little faults inc. the aux heater!

 

[Stevo]

Now got a water leak , rear nearside footwell, inside the storage compartment really not that impressed , nice drop of water sitting proud of the carpet, the car was also frozen this morning and the aux heater never came on i am not sure it works even after 4 days at my dealer this week. Any one got a box of matches?

Stevo

 

[TouranMan]

Bad news that Stevo mate, but hope you get it sorted and keep us posted!

 

[jd2005]

Some of the fuel consumption figures that are being quoted here are rather worrying. I've averaged 52mpg over the first 1.5k in my 2.0tdi. Should i expect a drop into the mid 40s as the miles add up?