I just purchased my first Touareg ('04 V8). Woke up this morning to a temperature of minus 26 degrees Celsius outside. Talked to my VW mechanic and he agrees with me that he my Touareg doesn't have a block heater installed! According to the CarFax report this Touareg was originally sold in Alberta so no reason not to have a block heater. Is this normal for 'eggs sold in Canada? Pretty lame if you ask me.
Nhr908
I thought cold temperatures extend battery life. Once I left my Subaru on the side of a mountain near Healy AK, and when I came back to recover it a month later it was buried in snow but the battery was strong as ever. Turned the engine over no problem and it even started on the first crank.
Yeah but a Subaru didn't have 110 appliances running off it to drain it. 
siberian
PS Lower temps lower the rate of chemical reactions thus your battery may have been protected UNDER the snow from -50 ambient, but the cold would eventually kill it.
siberian
PS Lower temps lower the rate of chemical reactions thus your battery may have been protected UNDER the snow from -50 ambient, but the cold would eventually kill it.
Trickle Charger
I found out about the trickle charger after calling around in Fairbanks and getting quoted at around $130. Went to Napa and got it for around $80. It clips onto the battery post under the hood and the you plug it in with your other warming appliances. It reads your battery charge and determines either to re-charge the battery or maintain it's charge by suppling a trickle of a charge to it. The Touareg died overnight at -40 without it. So far no problems since hooking it up with the charger. Pretty dang simple.
Siberian,
yeah I just drove up from South Carolina last week. I'm an instructor at the USAF Arctic Survival School here on base. The Touareg was shipped up and I winterized prior minus the battery care. I actually have asked about winterizing the Touareg in other threads and in this one if you look at the history below. I get a little fed up with the irrelevant comments that had nothing to do with the question. It's been a stressful move and all I wanted was a straight forward answer so I could take care of my wife's car, hence the frustrated comment from me. The Touareg is such a special puppy that this site is the only resource most do-it-yourself-ers have so I get a little impatient when I get smart ass comments that waste my time (that's not aimed at you). Normally I have a pretty good since of humor but this past week has been a stress-fest acclimating baby, wife, dogs, cat and cars to the unseasonably long cold snap. I'll leave my purse and emotions at the door and keep the threads to what I would like them to be..a professional place for questions and answers. Mia Culpa.
On a lighter note at least I do not have to worry about the AC not working anymore and the Alaskan Pale Ale up here is delicious.
4 Days Ago 12:42 AM
justino411
What about an inline coolant heater?
A gas tank heater? Really?
How can I hook up an internal cab heater? Is it as simple as plugging it into the 12 volt cigarette lighter?
3 Days Ago 08:38 PM
nickm
I don't get why this thread continues on...they don't need block heaters. they start just fine at all temps that humans live in. use the correct oil and you won't have startup wear issues. the TDIs already have heated fuel lines. the TDIs already require specific synth oil.
I found out about the trickle charger after calling around in Fairbanks and getting quoted at around $130. Went to Napa and got it for around $80. It clips onto the battery post under the hood and the you plug it in with your other warming appliances. It reads your battery charge and determines either to re-charge the battery or maintain it's charge by suppling a trickle of a charge to it. The Touareg died overnight at -40 without it. So far no problems since hooking it up with the charger. Pretty dang simple.
Siberian,
yeah I just drove up from South Carolina last week. I'm an instructor at the USAF Arctic Survival School here on base. The Touareg was shipped up and I winterized prior minus the battery care. I actually have asked about winterizing the Touareg in other threads and in this one if you look at the history below. I get a little fed up with the irrelevant comments that had nothing to do with the question. It's been a stressful move and all I wanted was a straight forward answer so I could take care of my wife's car, hence the frustrated comment from me. The Touareg is such a special puppy that this site is the only resource most do-it-yourself-ers have so I get a little impatient when I get smart ass comments that waste my time (that's not aimed at you). Normally I have a pretty good since of humor but this past week has been a stress-fest acclimating baby, wife, dogs, cat and cars to the unseasonably long cold snap. I'll leave my purse and emotions at the door and keep the threads to what I would like them to be..a professional place for questions and answers. Mia Culpa.
On a lighter note at least I do not have to worry about the AC not working anymore and the Alaskan Pale Ale up here is delicious.
4 Days Ago 12:42 AM
justino411
What about an inline coolant heater?
A gas tank heater? Really?
How can I hook up an internal cab heater? Is it as simple as plugging it into the 12 volt cigarette lighter?
3 Days Ago 08:38 PM
nickm
I don't get why this thread continues on...they don't need block heaters. they start just fine at all temps that humans live in. use the correct oil and you won't have startup wear issues. the TDIs already have heated fuel lines. the TDIs already require specific synth oil.
@justino411, A trickle charger is excellent insurance, but any way you slice it, it is still a band aid solution to cover up the root problem. Unless you allow your Touareg to sit for many days to weeks on end, there is no excuse for your battery to be dying, even at those cold temperatures. A newish battery doesn't nesessarily mean it is off the hook either. A defective battery or even a weak alternator may not be doing its job for starters. If the battery and alternator are solid, then there can be other evil electric parasites that need to be dealt with. A Vag-Com would be quite beneficial in this situation.
There is nothing wrong with using block heaters or "whatever else heaters" for the sake of the peace of mind it may give to some, by alleviating the harshness of cold weather conditions on certain engine components. The fact though remains, that they are not needed on a 100% fully functioning Touareg. Obviously, should that number drop to say 80%, adding the said supplementary appliances, will allow for a broader, more forgiving window to operate in.
To others who inquired in the past.
-Keep your gas tank topped if you are concerned about tank condensation
-Do not park your car in a heated garage after it has been sitting outside at -40 or anything sub freezing. Think of what happens when you take out a frozen bottle from the freezer and let it sit on your table at room temperature. That is correct. That extreme wetness you are witnessing, is precisely what is occurring to your Touaregs skeleton, frame, tank, you name it.
- Use of correct viscosity oil comes first, then the block heater.
Take a bottle of 0W-40 synthetic oil, and stick it in your freezer or leave it outside if you live in Alaska. Bring it in 24 hours later, and pour it into a container. If the viscosity concerns you due to any observations made after said experiment, then by all means install a block heater. Otherwise....
There is nothing wrong with using block heaters or "whatever else heaters" for the sake of the peace of mind it may give to some, by alleviating the harshness of cold weather conditions on certain engine components. The fact though remains, that they are not needed on a 100% fully functioning Touareg. Obviously, should that number drop to say 80%, adding the said supplementary appliances, will allow for a broader, more forgiving window to operate in.
To others who inquired in the past.
-Keep your gas tank topped if you are concerned about tank condensation
-Do not park your car in a heated garage after it has been sitting outside at -40 or anything sub freezing. Think of what happens when you take out a frozen bottle from the freezer and let it sit on your table at room temperature. That is correct. That extreme wetness you are witnessing, is precisely what is occurring to your Touaregs skeleton, frame, tank, you name it
.- Use of correct viscosity oil comes first, then the block heater.
Take a bottle of 0W-40 synthetic oil, and stick it in your freezer or leave it outside if you live in Alaska. Bring it in 24 hours later, and pour it into a container. If the viscosity concerns you due to any observations made after said experiment, then by all means install a block heater.
Otherwise....
My V8 nearly died on me tonight... EPC and CEL came on. No idea... will have to check tomorrow with the VAG-COM to see what other than the variable intake motors conked out due to the cold.
Justino, you need access to a VAG-COM let me know. PM me for phone etc.
siberian
Justino, you need access to a VAG-COM let me know. PM me for phone etc.
siberian
Must be a change as in previous years VW discouraged block heaters due to fire hazards. Several cars burn due to faulty wire, corrosion or other due to the cold.
siberian
siberian
Don't think so...
siberian
Confirm that... -59F no problems. V8 FSI (with variable intake motor CEL) and V6 FSI with no CEL.
siberian
Two TDIs (Jetta and Passat) 05 and 06 both run great and one with brand new battery - parked outside overnight in -29C - neither would start this morning. And sadly no block heaters to help get them running. had to push into the garage and turn on the heater to thaw them out.
I’m nervous to leave my ‘13 Touareg outside overnight at -31C but my 05 Passat and 06 Jetta definitely won’t start in the morning if I don’t keep them in he garage.
VW should have put block heaters in their Canadian vehicles.
VW should have put block heaters in their Canadian vehicles.
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