RetroFit of Xantia HDi Aux Heater

[martyhopkirk]

My HDi Xantia is firkin freezing at the moment and takes forever to warm up being soooooo thermodynamically eficient.

So I wondered how hard of a job it would be to retro fit the little auxiliary heater some of the higher spec HDi's got? Anyone got a plumbing diagram for this?

Or do I fit a gas heater again (Aka my AX heater - older listeners may remember last winter)

[jeremy]

I think diesel burning heaters are a common fitting in lorry cabs and possibly boats and even caravans - and are supplied commercially as kits.

[wheeler]

have you checked that the 4 glowplugs in the coolant housing are all working ok ? not that they do much anyway but it may help a bit if some of them aint working.

[fastandfurryous]

not just a rather tired thermostat is it? they can fail fairly progressively.

[AndersDK]

I thought all HDI vehicles had the aux heater to reduce emissions ....???
- have you looked inside LHS (passenger side) front wheel arch for a strange small exhaust pipe ?

Reason is that the HDI is not that different from other engines in that it have to reach a minimum working temp rather fast to be at best efficiency.

[jeremy]

Some info on auxilliary heaters on this site

http://www.rthursby.co.uk/

[martyhopkirk]

I thought all HDI vehicles had the aux heater to reduce emissions ....???
- have you looked inside LHS (passenger side) front wheel arch for a strange small exhaust pipe ?

No , only the higher spec models got that as standard, the lower (poverty) spec ones (like the Forte) it was an option only.
Hence switch on in the (winter) morning and it takes forever to warm up inside.

Thermostat fine, glow plugs fine, car heater just takes an age to get hot (about 30 miles) by which time I have arrived at work. Warm air puffs out after about 10 minutes, but its not HOT HOT HOT ( no matter how far into the red the temp slider is).

[samtronic]

My HDi Xantia is firkin freezing at the moment and takes forever to warm up being soooooo thermodynamically eficient.

So I wondered how hard of a job it would be to retro fit the little auxiliary heater some of the higher spec HDi's got? Anyone got a plumbing diagram for this?

Something like this?
Fitting a Eberspächer Hydronic D3W Z to a Citroen Xantia HDI (Swedish, but lots of nice pictures)


Søren A.M.

[fastandfurryous]

car heater just takes an age to get hot (about 30 miles)

Are you *SURE* the thermostat is fine? it may be controlling at the correct temperature, but not closing properly, thus meaning it takes forever to warm up.

An HDI engine should be at operating temperature within 5-8 miles, and certainly no more than 10.

[James.UK]

Take your ZX to work on cold days Marty, they warm up in 800 yards mine will melt nylon socks in 2 - 3 miles. lol

[martyhopkirk]

Something like this?
Fitting a Eberspächer Hydronic D3W Z to a Citroen Xantia HDI (Swedish, but lots of nice pictures)


Søren A.M.

Fantastic - after seeing that plate of spagetti wiring I think I will stick with a gas heater in the footwell

[NiSk]

Fantastic Søren!

Now perhaps I can get the Hydronic working in my '98 XM 2.5 TD! I've been looking all over the place for something like this. All the Citroën agents in Skåne just raise their shoulders and shake their heads when I mention the name . . .

//NiSk

[NiSk]

Sorry about that Marty, I got carried away . . at my own luck. As far as you're concerned, have you tried the old trick of stuffing a bit of hardboard in front of the rad? Might make a few miles difference to the warm-up.

//NiSk