Thread: D4 Dual Climate Control - am I missing something?

Originally Posted by Tombie

What mode were you in?

Tried it both manual & auto, made no difference, ideas?

OK.. Only one more question before I run out of ideas...

Was the A/C button on?

Originally Posted by Tombie

OK.. Only one more question before I run out of ideas...

Was the A/C button on?

Looks like you're now out of ideas..lol, yeah it was on but when the engine was turned off and some time later re started, it worked reasonably good, until I stopped, turned it off, went into a shop, restarted & nothing close to warm from the passenger side.

I don't know if these have blend doors like my old Grand Cherokee did, but this is exactly have the GC behaved?buggered blend doors.

Back to the dealer i think along with the blue smoke on start up and the drivers seat that won't stay at the height I set it too.

Disappointing to say the least with these issues.

tiddy

Seat height is likely you accidentally pushing down on the height adjuster as you climb out.
Dealer test is to set height and then tape a spacer in for a week and see if it stays at height.

Blue smoke - 3.0l ?? Maybe turbo drain issue...

Hevac may just need a reset...

Originally Posted by DanW

I have the Nuvi 3790 and the dongle is called the 'Garmin ecoRoute HD'. It will give you;

Current fuel use
Battery Voltage
Intake Manifold Pressure
Air intake temp
Coolant Temp
RPM
Plus a couple of others

I think the whole thing was designed to help you drive more efficiently, but it does have a little screen that lets you configure about 5 little analogue looking dials.

It also claims to be able to read and reset fault codes but I've never been in a situation to have to do that.

I just had a quick look on Garmin's site and I can't see them there any more but there are plenty out there on ebay etc

Wow wow wow!!!

I want this.

I have had charging issues in my van ... and a good way to know what is going on, is to check the alternator voltage ... evidently there is a secret code so you can view this on the screen ... but I've not found how to do it. Your device might achieve that!!!

Originally Posted by nat_89

...

When i had a Lexus RX350 jeeze it had good air con most summer days it had to be on 25.5c otherwise it was just to cold!!

My wife has an RX-350. It does heat up quickly.

But then ... so too does my 1997 Prado petrol (no diesels then) GXL auto. I drove it the other day, and the heater is fantastic!

So - why does the Disco take a while to heat up?

Well - one reason would be the mass of metal.

The other reason too, is that its not consuming much fuel. Starting up, a 3 litre when cold and running at 60kmh, might be using 9 litres/100km fuel usage until warm (my guesstimate). The RX-350 would be using I reckon 16 litres per 100km, and the Prado 3.4 litre 20 when warming up. So considering the Disco is using a lot less fuel, its logical it would take longer to heat up.

Maybe its the fuel use, and the metal in the block too. I know that cast iron retains heat like almost nothing else (which is why cast iron stove cook so well), but the metal that the Ford/Peugeot diesel is unusual, and quite brilliant, but I do wonder if it has some different thermal characteristics compared to traditional iron in the Prado V6 circa 1997, and of course, very different from the all alloy Toyota RX-350 (Lexus) donk that's drinking lots of fuel while warming up.

Originally Posted by Melbourne Park

My wife has an RX-350. It does heat up quickly.

But then ... so too does my 1997 Prado petrol (no diesels then) GXL auto. I drove it the other day, and the heater is fantastic!

So - why does the Disco take a while to heat up?

Well - one reason would be the mass of metal.

The other reason too, is that its not consuming much fuel. Starting up, a 3 litre when cold and running at 60kmh, might be using 9 litres/100km fuel usage until warm (my guesstimate). The RX-350 would be using I reckon 16 litres per 100km, and the Prado 3.4 litre 20 when warming up. So considering the Disco is using a lot less fuel, its logical it would take longer to heat up.

Maybe its the fuel use, and the metal in the block too. I know that cast iron retains heat like almost nothing else (which is why cast iron stove cook so well), but the metal that the Ford/Peugeot diesel is unusual, and quite brilliant, but I do wonder if it has some different thermal characteristics compared to traditional iron in the Prado V6 circa 1997, and of course, very different from the all alloy Toyota RX-350 (Lexus) donk that's drinking lots of fuel while warming up.

To right there my thinking was the difference between an alloy and cast iron block. But your right it would chew fuel warming up. I can't say I pay to much attention to fuel usage. Most Toyotas have great air con and heaters with the exception of the new 79 series.

Originally Posted by nat_89

To right there my thinking was the difference between an alloy and cast iron block. But your right it would chew fuel warming up. I can't say I pay to much attention to fuel usage. Most Toyotas have great air con and heaters with the exception of the new 79 series.

I think there are three broad issues, none related to how good the heating system is compared to for instance Toyotas.

The "issues" are IMO for me.

1- Turn off the Rear Air Outlets Manually to provide full heat to the front row (3rd Row Cannot be closed though), turn off the fan in the roof climate controls, plus manually close the air outlets low down ( at the rear of the centre binnacle ) that feeds air from low down to the middle row.
2- Thermal characteristics of Compacted Cast Iron
3- Lack of fuel use compared to other Chassis 4WDs
4- Radiator Cooling Fan rotates at start up which can't help.

1 - I found that the rear air vents (for the 2nd and third rows, in the roof and in the rear coming from the roof inside the pillar), do in fact output air at start up, I think at all times. I have now closed the circular air vents that feed the middle row seats from the roof, and after doing that, is now a heap more heated air coming out in the front seats during warm up.

2 - the motor does hold its heat for quite a few hours in Melbourne currently 10 degrees ambient. I started the vehicle after maybe three plus hours and there was a lot of heat in the motor, because the heating was producing warm air, straight away. This characteristic is due to the thermal characteristics of iron, but the D4 is holding heat much longer than for instance my 1997 Prado V6 3.4 litre cast iron V6, or my now sold Prado 150 series Kakadu 3 litre 4 cylinder Diesel did.

So, I thought perhaps the thermal characteristics of the metal block might be a bit of an issue

And so it is. Thermal conductivity W/m?K :

Compacted Cast Iron: 36
250 Grade Grey Iron: 46
Aluminium: 130
Link: http://www.foundryworld.com/uploadfi...2130928203.pdf

There are various Grey Iron grades but the 250 is common for motors. Which conducts thermally 28% better than the compacted caste iron, while alloy conducts heat over 3.5 times better.

So even my Prado 3.4 litres petrol V6 with its caste iron grey metal block, will conduct heat much better than the Land Rover diesel, which also uses less fuel hence would take longer it seems to get heat out of the heater. And the old Prado does heat up much quicker. It also looses its heat quicker too, quite a lot quicker IMO.

4 - Start-up to operating temperature is perhaps not as efficient as it could be? I'd have thought that was a major issue, as pollution equipment (like catalytic converters) work when the engine is warm, and pollution penalties maybe come into play with a slow warm up. But I do not know if that is true. I do not think fuel economy runs are performed from a cold start either. And economy was judged from a cold start, how such tests could be have a uniform test. The Disco's radiator fan does rotate while the motor is cold, which must slow warm up. But it's a better system than an all electric one IMO.

The D4 though has excellent heating when warm, and its auto adjustments are better than Toyota's. Which is saying something. I'm not sure aobut the air effectiveness yet, as I've not been is severely hot conditions yet.