# Instant car heat **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Tags:** lesabre, buick\ **Created:** [March 24, 2011, 10:40pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/instant-car-heat/62958 "2011-03-24T22:40:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![crankyfranky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b77776/32.png) [@crankyfranky](https://community.cartalk.com/u/crankyfranky)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2011, 10:40pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/instant-car-heat/62958/1 "2011-03-24T22:40:49Z")
How can new cars give heat instantly. Old cars had to wait until car was warmed up ---
**Author:** ![twotone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@twotone](https://community.cartalk.com/u/twotone)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2011, 10:44pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/instant-car-heat/62958/2 "2011-03-24T22:44:42Z")
Aluminum engine blocks. ---
**Author:** ![missileman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/missileman/32/1366_2.png) [@missileman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/missileman)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2011, 10:48pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/instant-car-heat/62958/3 "2011-03-24T22:48:06Z")
The only “instant heat” I can think of is a vehicle that’s equipped with an engine block heater. The block heater keeps the engine coolant in the block heated in extreme cold weather. I used one in Alaska and Northern Maine. They do sell electric heaters for vehicles but I’m not that familiar with them. ---
**Author:** ![crankyfranky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b77776/32.png) [@crankyfranky](https://community.cartalk.com/u/crankyfranky)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2011, 10:49pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/instant-car-heat/62958/4 "2011-03-24T22:49:02Z")
Aha! Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Goldwing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@Goldwing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Goldwing)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 1:26am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/instant-car-heat/62958/5 "2011-03-25T01:26:27Z")
Hybrids or electric cars may use their battery power to deliver heat right away. Smaller engines probably heat up faster. ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 1:29am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/instant-car-heat/62958/6 "2011-03-25T01:29:27Z")
Even with an Aluminum block I have to wait 2-3 minutes on a real cold morning… ---
**Author:** ![mark9207](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71c47a/32.png) [@mark9207](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mark9207)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 1:38am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/instant-car-heat/62958/7 "2011-03-25T01:38:32Z")
If your air conditioning works properly, you can get instant heat out of that if it’s bitterly cold outside. Regardless of outside temperature, that evaporator core always runs 40-45 degrees F, which can feel plenty warm on a freezing day. Automatic climate control probably does this automatically. ---
**Author:** ![Triedaq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Triedaq](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Triedaq)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 1:59am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/instant-car-heat/62958/8 "2011-03-25T01:59:56Z")
Some cars in the 1930s and 1940s had Stewart Warner gasoline heaters that gave instant heat. In those days, the heater was an option and Stewart Warner sold quite a few of these aftermarket heaters. The last car I saw equipped with one of these South Wind heaters was a 1949 Chevrolet. ---
**Author:** ![lion9car](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/59ef9b/32.png) [@lion9car](https://community.cartalk.com/u/lion9car)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 4:09am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/instant-car-heat/62958/9 "2011-03-25T04:09:50Z")
My wife’s diesel BMW X5 has a ceramic electric heater that kicks in very quickly, which is needed because diesels heat up slowly. I think some of the other diesels out today also have this feature. ---
**Author:** ![Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/joseph_e_meehan/32/21_2.png) [@Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Joseph_E_Meehan)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 11:56am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/instant-car-heat/62958/10 "2011-03-25T11:56:48Z")
How can new cars give heat instantly. Old cars had to wait until car was warmed up ``` Not true. Some old cars, like some new cars, heated up fast and some slow. Many of the old VW's had gasoline heaters. Turn it on and you would be turning it down before you got out of the parking lot. My little Sunbeam Imp would have me turning the head down on the oldest of nights when I was headed home from work. Frankly I don't see any real meaning full difference between old and new cars in this area. ``` ---
**Author:** ![meanjoe75fan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/meanjoe75fan/32/552_2.png) [@meanjoe75fan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/meanjoe75fan)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 8:06pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/instant-car-heat/62958/11 "2011-03-25T20:06:29Z")
You’re saying a modern AC can double as a heat pump? I know, in principle, an AC can function as a heat pump, but I was unaware that any automotive versions actually did. ---
**Author:** ![impala61](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/77aa72/32.png) [@impala61](https://community.cartalk.com/u/impala61)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 8:14pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/instant-car-heat/62958/12 "2011-03-25T20:14:25Z")
Do you own a toaster? Does it need to warm up?