Let me put it this way.......

I have a 2009 TDV8 and I've used the pre-heater on several occasions. After 30mins, the interior is toasty, but when the ignition goes on, the engine temp needle doesn't move at all. I've also lifted the bonnet before starting to check the expansion tank and it's ice cold.

Furthermore, the effect of the cabin heater is almost immediate in that you can feel the air in the ventilation system getting tepid almost as soon as it starts. I reckon there is possibly less than a litre of water in the heater matrix which is being warmed to transfer to the cabin.

I wish it did warm the whole 'cooling system' as this would ultimately be beneficial for the engine but then it would take a lot more energy to get a decent temp going in the first place.  The older I get, the more I realise that people confuse wrinkles for wisdom

I got mine from page 526 of 777, a bit further on from your section I think?

It IS confusing. Discovery 4 HSE
1998 110 TUM HS FFR Hard Top XD WOLF
1982 Series 3 Hard Top

*Gone:L462 D5 HSE LUX, L663 Defender 110 HSE, Discovery 3 HSE, 2014MY Range Rover Sport 5.0 Supercharged AB Dynamic; L405 Exec Vogue SE 4.4, 5.0 Supercharged Autobiography, Defender TDCi XS CSW, Defender TD5 HT, Vogue SE TDV8, Vogue TD6, RRSport SC 4.2V8, Classic 3.9 Vogue Auto, Land Rover Series 3 SWB

In theory.... If you disabled the valve it would heat the whole engine, maybe not to full operating temp, but prolly to 50 degrees easily?

D 

I agree with JMC, the FBH only warms the cabin, I use it every day in the winter plipping the remote just before I get dressed and drive to work. Even when it has run for 30 minutes (waiting for Mrs Claud!!) the engine temperature is cold.

When it is really cold (-6 deg in balmy Surrey) it the engine takes a little longer to fire up when starting.

FBH will warm the engine after starting to speed the warm up cycle if the temperature is below 6 deg C and will cut out when the engine is warm. This is the same for all current UK spec Land Rover diesels as far as I am aware. My Disco 3 TDV6 had one too. 2018 Range Rover Autobiography
2010 Land Rover Freelander XS
1959 Series II
1950, 1952, 1954. 1955, 1957 Series I
1952 Minerva Ambulance

The FBH on my old 2002 Vogue Diesel used to heat the engine coolant as well as the cabin. It took about 10 minutes before the cabin started getting any heat through at all. I needed much less time to wait for the glow plug light to go out before cranking the engine on cold mornings when I had used the FBH.

My TDV8 warms the cabin from the minute it starts. The wait time for the glow plugs remains the same with or without FBH.

At my last service, I asked the senior mechanic at the dealership if here was a problem because it wasn't warming the engine and he said that on the TDV8 the FBH is purely a cabin warmer. So has no effect on engine starting, apart from draining the battery further, of course!

Modern Desisals are thermaly very eficiant but the irony of this is it takes them along time to warm up when they are cold, and when they run cold the emit alot more noxious gasses. To counter this a FBH is fitter to all Land Rover engines to bring them up to temprature for emisions reasons. This heater can also but not exclusivly be used to heat the cabin. It was this function tha D3 owners were all after until they found the Webasto control unit. The way I see it is a solanoid vave is fitted to speed up cabin heating when this alone is needed but what it can't do is pre heat the engine block. 2008 MY Supercharged
Rimini Red / Jet
four zone climate
remote park heater
and no ugly kid windows.
magnus satis quod turpis satis

Stocky wrote:

The FBH on my old 2002 Vogue Diesel used to heat the engine coolant as well as the cabin. It took about 10 minutes before the cabin started getting any heat through at all. I needed much less time to wait for the glow plug light to go out before cranking the engine on cold mornings when I had used the FBH.

My TDV8 warms the cabin from the minute it starts. The wait time for the glow plugs remains the same with or without FBH.

At my last service, I asked the senior mechanic at the dealership if here was a problem because it wasn't warming the engine and he said that on the TDV8 the FBH is purely a cabin warmer. So has no effect on engine starting, apart from draining the battery further, of course!

My info was obviously duff then, as the TDV8 isn't covered in RAVE and they have obviously changed the FBH setup.

On a related note I have an electric pre-heater I'm about to install when I can find a suitable place to fit it.

Dan 

dan_uk_1984 wrote:

a cuitable please to fit it.

what's one of those?  Discovery 4 HSE
1998 110 TUM HS FFR Hard Top XD WOLF
1982 Series 3 Hard Top

*Gone:L462 D5 HSE LUX, L663 Defender 110 HSE, Discovery 3 HSE, 2014MY Range Rover Sport 5.0 Supercharged AB Dynamic; L405 Exec Vogue SE 4.4, 5.0 Supercharged Autobiography, Defender TDCi XS CSW, Defender TD5 HT, Vogue SE TDV8, Vogue TD6, RRSport SC 4.2V8, Classic 3.9 Vogue Auto, Land Rover Series 3 SWB

RRUK wrote:

dan_uk_1984 wrote:

a cuitable please to fit it.

what's one of those?

Lol, spell check fail. 

I was in Aviemore late last year where it -17oC. The car usually started within 2-3 of turns. Before getting to Aviemore, I topped up the oil with Castrol Edge 0W-40 which the manual suggested for temperatures up to -35oC. Not sure how much of a help it was but it seemed to do the trick. The windscreen washers froze up though.

One thing to remember is if you are going to drive in snow and are using the traction control, be sure to be switch back to normal before switching off the car. I almost fell on my butt trying to get into the car as the suspension was still raised Maybe I should grow longer legs

Hi I am back from the Alps and minus 20 c - I can confirm that it only seems to heat the TDV8 cabin and clears windscreen etc. Very toasty after just a few minutes. Mine starts first turn even down to -20 c.

Bit confused though as I thought the point of the heater was to help warm the Diesel engine quicker. So does this happen when the engine starts and the pre cabin heating automatically stops?

Yes that's how mine seams to work.Now I need to ask my Dad if it is the same on his 2010 Vogue SE.
(just read my post and spotted the missing word) 2008 MY Supercharged
Rimini Red / Jet
four zone climate
remote park heater
and no ugly kid windows.
magnus satis quod turpis satis

Last edited by axle on 22nd Feb 2010 2:01pm. Edited 1 time in total

axle wrote:

Yes that's how mine seams to work.Now I need to ask my if it is the same on his 2010 Vogue SE.

In my opinion anybody having starting problems should:

1. Get car serviced if that nearly due.
2. Buy a new and heavy duty battery.

Range Rovers are all about having a good battery

think a lot of it is people buying FFRR and then trying to run on a budget, a goosed battery is a goosed battery - would need replacing sooner or later.

Also having given this some thought, I thing the batteries are the wrong type, they should be deepcycle - especialy if you have a pre heater running for 30 mins each morning...

Mine says "aux ventilation" in the menu and I had a play with it when I bought it, but it just blew cold air. Never tried it since. I have noticed sometimes when I start it, the text "pre-heating" displayed on the dash but I disregard it. 2010 MY Vogue SE TDV8 3.6 Stornoway Grey- fully loaded