If watercooled VWs were ever known for their great heat, they aren't now.  It's -25C today, and my 09
Jetta wagon takes 20-30 minutes to warm up.  Same with my former 03 Beetle.  I've never had a worse
car for heat.  The vanagon actually warms up faster (at least in terms of blowing heat, not necessarily
warming the large cabin).

I miss my gas heater.

Jeff

>
> From: Edward Maglott <emaglott3@GMAIL.COM>
> Date: 2010/01/07 Thu PM 12:05:07 CST
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Re: No heat at stoplights.
>
> I believe the Thermostat in closed position sends all flow to the heater
> cores.  That's why water cooled VWs have been famous for their great heat.
> Edward
>
>
> On Wed, Jan 6, 2010 at 2:26 PM, Don Spence <dkspence@telus.net> wrote:
>
> > Thermostat is highly unlikely. It's function is to close and curtail
> > circulation within the engine until operating temperature is reached
> > then slowly open to permit circulation to the cooling/cabin heating
> > system.  If it fails closed, the engine overheats and will be
> > apparent on your temp gauge which has it's sender in the thermostat
> > housing. If it fails open it slows the engine coolants rise to
> > operatingt temp.
> >
> > Your situation is one of circulation (as in little circulation at low
> > rpm) not temperature as regulated by the thermostat.
> >
> >
> > On 6-Jan-10, at 11:42 AM, Automatic digest processor wrote:
> >
> >  Date:    Wed, 6 Jan 2010 13:19:35 -0500
> >> From:    David Prendergast <dprendergast@TRIAD.RR.COM>
> >>
> >> Subject: Re: No heat at stoplights.
> >>
> >> The coolant bottle is full with no leaks anywhere, someone earlier
> >> said it may be the thermostat and the symptoms do match (thermo is
> >> about 4 years old).  It blows hot out of both rear and front heaters
> >> until I stop at a light then it blows cold.  Not really a big deal
> >> since the weather is relatively mild here in central North Carolina.
> >>
> >
>