Originally Posted by wag123
Originally Posted by edyvw
Originally Posted by wag123
Originally Posted by edyvw
I start with vent off and on cold so cores are shut down. That helps engine to reach temperature faster, but it is still too long for engine of that size and consumption. I would understand that this is some 2.0 liter turbo-diesel, but 3.5 V6? No sense.
Most modern vehicles do not have water valves in their heating systems, so all of that coolant in the heating system is flowing through the heater cores and engine at all times. This forces the engine to heat up all of that coolant as well as the heater cores, hoses, pipes, brackets, etc (including all of the adjoining cold metal the components are contacting) after every cold start, weather you have the van's heaters turned on or not, the end result being that it takes longer for the engine to warm up. Keeping your van in the garage isn't going to help much, unless your garage is heated. A block heater isn't going to be all that effective either because all of that cold coolant in the heating system is going to flow right into the engine after it starts (a block heater won't heat any of it up). Only a circulating tank-type heater is going to be effective in the Sienna if you want instant heat after a cold start.
Time it, I did. It makes huge difference in time it warms up!
Having heat off and ventilation off, needle on temperature gauge moves approx. 2 minutes earlier in same ambient temperature.
From my house to daycare there is 10.1 miles. Turning heat only after needle moves, coolant reaches operating temperature around 6 miles. Having heat on immediately with ventilation on 2 (front and rear) coolant reaches full operating temperature almost at daycere. This was measured around 10 degrees ambient temperature.
Also, this engine dissipates heat super fast while parked.
Edit:
Parked in garage, Toyota does not radiate almost any heat. Which is strange considering that it looses heat super fast.
When we park VW Tiguan, it is like brick oven in garage. It radiates heat for two hours (not bad in winter) and now in summer, it is actually not pleasant.
FACT: In cold weather, when cold air is flowing through the heater cores (small radiators), it will take the engine longer to warm up. Depending on just how cold it is, heat is being pulled out of the coolant almost as fast as the engine is putting it in. Also, the body structure on the Sienna is a giant heat sink. In cold weather when the body structure is COLD, it pulls heat from the heating system, engine, and everything else warm that it is in contact with, so this adds time to the warm-up as well as quickly dissipating the heat when it isn't running. I reiterate, being slow to warm-up (and fast to cool-off) is a characteristic of the Sienna, it's heating system, and the laws of physics/thermodynamics, not of the engine itself. The 2GR-FE is an excellent engine, maybe the best V/6 on the market.
When I was growing-up in Wisconsin, every time it got real cold outside they kept the school buses plugged-in at night otherwise they would never get warm. They likely still do. The heating systems on school buses are large and have a LOT of coolant in them. They had circulating tank-type heaters. An engine block heater is not going to totally accomplish what it is that you are trying to do, it will only help a little because it is only warming-up the coolant in one cylinder bank of the engine (about 1/4 of the total coolant in the system).
Most of the heat radiating off of your VW is likely coming from the red hot turbocharger and it's plumbing.
You really hate Toyotas edy, your Sienna in particular, and you bad-mouth them relentlessly. I don't understand why you don't get rid of it and buy something that you don't hate. Life is too short to hate something you own as much as you do your Toyotas. In the mean time, do all of us satisfied Toyota owners a favor, please stay out of Toyota threads with your hateful rhetoric.
Rolla, congrats on your new Venza. It is a fine vehicle. You are going to have it a long time and will enjoy owning it IMO.
Of course cold air is going through radiators, that is why I shut it down. Fact: turn heat on, keep vent off, it will again take longer time than with temp. gauge on cold.
Fact, Sienna is big, sq ft wise. It is POORLY built (like Venza and other Toyota's). My BMW before this SIenna could be parked inside Sienna, yet it packs 600lbs more. It is mediocre in insulation, the body is thin as Coors beer can. On top, my BMW had diesel engine that was much more frugal, had more oil, more coolant, and yet still reached operating temperature much faster (it took less than two miles to reach 92c, which of course for heating purposes is irrelevant as it had PTC). Also, it did not loose heat as fast as Sienna, although it did not radiate heat also as Tiguan does, regardless that it had two turbochargers. And I had cars with turbochargers before, and they did not radiate so much heat, though assumptions among Toyota owners about Euro cars are always funny to read.
No, 2GR-FE is NOT best V6, it is good V6, but it is not best. It is lazy at low rpm's, it has very narrow torque band, and unlike similar V6 with short stroke, it is lazy after 5,500rpm.
SIenna still does its job. It takes my kids to daycare, and on HWY is actually pretty good with gas consumption (in city not so much). SO, as long haul family vehicle it is OK, but OK, not great. When my kid splatters something in the car, I do not care bcs. car is not worth of caring about those stuff. That is why I got it. It is as emotional as my GE dryer.
The problem that customers of Toyota have, any time someone mentions issue with Toyota, is that they think it is an attempt by others to question their decision making process. Like someone is questioning whether you made good decision buying SIenna, Venza or whatever.
I gave concrete advice to OP. Get engine block heater. Yet, there are immediately Toyota fan boys to say: nope, you might be freezing inside, BUT, you should be privileged doing so.
