On Fri, 8 Dec 1995, Tony Schiebel wrote:

> Greetings,
> 
> As most of you already know, it is *REALLY* Cold up here in "The Great 
> White North".  I have installed a front cover to keep the blustery 
> cold of of the radiator.  It helps quite a bit.  Has anyone installed 
> covers over the BACK intakes to stop the cold air from going inside?
> Would it be a big problem to do this?  I would like the van to heat up 
> a little quicker.  What vanagon owner doesn't, right!!!  ;-)
> 
> Second question, when I look at the heat guage on the dashboard, where 
> is it getting the reading from?  In other words, where is the sensor.  
> I can drive the van and it registers heat.  I can stop the van and 15 
> minutes later, (after not running), I can start it again, and it is 
> registering COLD.  I realize it is cold here but I would imagine that 
> it would be able to retain SOME heat.
> 
> Thanks for your help
> 
> Cheers
> Tony
> 
> Tony Schiebel - Senior Support Analyst  
> >>>>> Tony.Schiebel@esys.ca <<<<<  
> The ESYS Corporation  
> Suite 835, 10040 - 104 St.  
> Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T5J 0Z2
> Voice (403) 424-4922   Fax (403) 424-4925
> http://www.esys.ca
> 
 I don't know Tony I live in Edmonton as well and today it's about minus 
100 (or at least it seems) When the  temperatures are this cold,  it 
shouldn't take too long to completely cool the engine. As for the 
question about the cover,  it would help when  driving to reduce the  
cold air,  but most of the engine heat is lost to the ground when the 
vehicle is parked. It's always amazed me that the common automobile heat 
engine is about 15% efficient normaly with the other 85% lost to heat 
that I can never seem to get into the bus!!

				Duane