Scottish Audi owner in Kajaani

[Erola]

Hi! And welcome to Kajaani nj-scotti!! :)

My english is worse than your finnish, but nevermind! :D Hey other AudiMans and -girls!! Do we have any Audi meeting in Kajaani? Im also new in this site and read only few topics here, so i don't know details...
If we dont have a meeting, we MUST get one!!? :)

[nj-scotti]

Thanks Thomas, yes I remember chatting a couple of months ago. Good to almost meet you again.

Heikki - That's as far back as they will go. I would prefer them to be almost level with the edge of the bumper but I'll need to cut a bit off and weld them (they tighten on a removable bracket just now). I'm keeping an eye out for an S4 rear bumper so I don't want to weld the tips just yet in case I want to move them again. But anyway, for now it looks like I have 2 steps to help me tie things onto the roof :)

By the way can someone tell me should I get an email or something from the posti after I fill this form in for membership http://www.audiclub.fi/index.php?mid=8

[nj-scotti]

Erola, thanks. There is no way your English is worse than my Finnish - no problem there :)
I don't know about any meetings in Kajaani so maybe we need to start one. even if it's just 2 of us in a cold carpark. You'll recognise me driving around Kajaani if you see me. I'm the guy with the steering wheel on the wrong side and a loud exhaust (I've ordered the resonated centre pipes to calm it down a bit)

[perrier]

You will receive invoice and membership number after Ville has had enough time to process it. It might take few weeks. So don't worry about it. It will come. + you get sticker for your car (ACF Member).

This process is manual, so there are human feedback time (1day-30days). ;)
After you receive membership status for this forum. You will get extra access to forum meetings area. I cant remember is there regular meetings at Kajaani (and I'm too lazy to check it right now).

[nj-scotti]

ah, great. thanks. I wasn't sure if an email was due but if it's a manual process then I'm happy to wait.

[Erola]

Erola, thanks. There is no way your English is worse than my Finnish - no problem there :)
I don't know about any meetings in Kajaani so maybe we need to start one. even if it's just 2 of us in a cold carpark. You'll recognise me driving around Kajaani if you see me. I'm the guy with the steering wheel on the wrong side and a loud exhaust (I've ordered the resonated centre pipes to calm it down a bit)

Jep! I'll flash my lights when a see you! Then we'll drive in nearest carpark and get first KajaaniAudiMeeting! :D My Audi is deep dark blue, with nothing special parts :D

[nj-scotti]

If a girl with long dark hair looks back at you a bit confused that will be my wife
As long as your car has 4 circles on the front then it's special :)

[Erola]

"As long as your car has 4 circles on the front then it's special."

Excellent :D

[nj-scotti]

Can I ask for a bit of advice? 3 days ago I found ice on the inside of my car windows but i'm not sure why. moreso on the rear windows. My car stayed in a garage last year but it's just outside in a parking space this year at my apartment. It was fine until a few days ago and after scraping the ice away yesterday there is still a little bit this morning. Is it possible that ice is melting in the car when it gets warm and then the condensation is freezing on the windows when it gets cold again?

[jasso]

Is it possible that ice is melting in the car when it gets warm and then the condensation is freezing on the windows when it gets cold again?

Yep. The humidity is pretty high inside the car when warming. Most of it propably vaporizes from the snow on the floor that comes from your shoes. The B-pillars are so damn thick in modern cars that especially the rear side windows tend to be covered in mist all the time even if there is no snow on the floor. They just don't get warm enough (or stay cold enough). When you park your car all that humidity freezes and forms ice.

[Mr.Crossfire]

It occurs if a lot of snow gets into your car and/or you drive short distances so the snow melts but the floor mats do not have the time to dry out.

[nj-scotti]

brilliant, thanks. So I need to get my wife to leave the snow outside the car instead of bringing a few kg inside every time with the sledges and on my boys...

Also, I don't think my DEFA collant heater is very good so I will probably fit the frost plug version that goes straight into the engine block. Do the guys here have a preference for which is better?

[Mr.Crossfire]

I think that the consensus is that the frost-plug version is the best. The coolant-hose mounted is the second best and the oil-pan mounted radiation heater is the worst of the electric heaters. Unfortunately, the frost-plug model cannot be mounted in all engines due to lack of space.

[nj-scotti]

Again, thanks. DEFA recommend the in-line 707 coolant hose version for my car as 1st choice and 2502 frost plug version as 2nd choice for some reason. I don't think mine is able to heat the big V6 well enough though. So I'll try the 2502 now.... if I can get access to the frost plug that is

[alpi]

This might be the right heater for your car. There's apparently a possibility of some kind of water circulation pump for your engine too?

I myself have the frost-plug version on 3.0's predecessor, the 2.8 V6. It's way more effective than the coolant-hose mounted version, which I had on my previous car, the A4 1.8T.

[Paranormalix]

Just don't scrape inside rearwindow, there are heater wires there and those are very easy to break. And inside rear side window there is radio antena. I'd suppose it will be damaged pretty easy too.

And at the same time when You get that engine heater installed, get an interior heater also. Car will be warm from inside also, not just the engine. And much less ice inside windows also. Been there, done that...

[nj-scotti]

oops. Alpi, yes it's the 2502 that I linked to but i typed 2505 by accident. Yes, that's the one I need to buy. It's good to know that you had the same in your 2.8. Did you have any trouble taking the frost plug out?

Paranormalix - yes, I don't think I will touch the inside of the back window in case I damage anything there. And I will probably fit a cabin heater too. It definitely sounds like a good idea.

Where is the cheapest place to buy these? I have just received an email about my audi club membership so I will pay that tonight. Maybe I can get discount somewhere?

[jounii]

DEFA accessories are probably under some dictated pricing, pretty much same (high) prices everywhere, sometimes you might find some cheaper offers. The interior kit parts and the armored cables you can get much cheaper from used parts garages. Ie. new interior kit (couple of cables, power socket and T-adapter) can cost over 60 euros. You can get pretty much same used parts for 20 euros.

For cabin heater I recommend termini series. Easy to fit under glovebox. I personally used round hex screws to mount it (I recall M4 fits perfectly to the DEFA mount holes).

[alpi]

The heater was already installed when I bought the car, so I really can't say anything about the installation. I have seen the spot last time when I was under the car, but my memory ain't exactly photographic, so it's hard to say anything else :)

[+RISU]

For cabin heater I recommend termini series.

I agree, I had this in my previous car and it was worth the ~60 euros. A fortnight ago I went to Prisma to buy one for the current car and came across to this china copy of Termini, Motron car heater. It's 20 euros cheaper than the original and my experiences so far have been satisfied. A budget option worth to have a look at.

[andre_]

For cabin heater installation.. I fitted mine under the glovebox, upside down. Just take the glovebox out (you can google the instructions) and install that defa-bracket to the bottom of glovebox. I drilled some holes to glovebox and fitted some screws so that there are nuts (and washers) inside glovebox. I have one of those old school defas, those big ones.. and it isn't in your (passengers) way in anyway. Maybe you could fit those newer defas at side of centerconsole and point it towards middle of ceiling? Older, bigger defas are too big to fit that way.

[jasso]

DEFA accessories are probably under some dictated pricing

So true. They are insanely expensive. Even the couple of meters long cable that you use to connect your car to wall socket costs around 30e. Pretty high price for short piece of just plain cable...

All the cables for the car and one interior socket propably will cost a bit over 100e. And that's just for the cables. The heaters will cost aproximately same as the cables.

If I remember the prices right...

And we just have to bear the prices. It's 220 volts of AC flowing through those cables inside of your car which is metal, so DIY-cables would be a bit hazardous game :)


edit: Hint: Always buy cable kits. Invidual Defa-cables tend to cost almost the same as a kit of couple of cables and mountings/sockets.

[arppe]

if i were living in Kajaani, I would propably consider installing a fuel operated heater. They are significantly more powerful than electrical ones. And of course much more expensive too...

Eberspächer or Webasto

[jounii]

fuel heater is best option, especially if you don't have AC power available where you park.

[nj-scotti]

thanks for all this help
jounii, is a used parts garage a place that sells used parts? I will need to ask and see if there is one in Kajaani. There must be surely.
alpi - no problem, i'll just have to get under my own car and look :)
rissaspena - thanks, i'll check in Prisma. Does it still work with Defa cables?
andre - thanks, I think that sounds like a good plan
jasso - yes I think that's probably a more accurate price. I already have cables for the in-line coolant heater and just to buy the extra cables for the interior heater is expensive. DEFA INTERCONNECTION KIT. I definitely won't be using DIY cables :)
arppe/jounii - I would absolutely love a fuel heater but I can't justify €1500 to €2000 for one and some days we don't even use the car because I can walk to work. I plan next winter to be in an house with a garage so I really hope I don't need it.
Now I need to find a friend with a garage to use for fitting my heater parts because my wife's father has a nice double garage but with no doors :(

[+RISU]

Yes it does, I have Defa-cablekit in my car.

[jounii]

thanks for all this help
jounii, is a used parts garage a place that sells used parts? I will need to ask and see if there is one in Kajaani. There must be surely.

Yes that's what I ment.

Regarding the inside frozen windows. Good tips here already and the causes (snow from shoes). One thing wasn't mentioned that you should clean inside surface very carefully so you get rid of all dirt (even that you really can't see even if it looks clean) on the windows. After that never wipe the mist or ice, just let it melt and go away by it's own with the defogger. Of course hard to tell your kids not to touch the windows :)

The thing is that the small dirt particles are the point of origin where ice starts forming. You surely can see swirls, etc, in the ice as patterns. Without the dirt, there is much less icing.

[quattro20v]

Also if you can leave your door open for a minute after you have driven the car, just to let the warm air out before you leave it locked to the cold. Like if you leave the door open for the time you connect the defa cable or something. :)

[nj-scotti]

aha!! These are things I definitely didn't know, thanks. As soon as I get a chance to put it into a warm garage somewhere I'll defrost, dry and clean all the windows thoroughly. Then, I'll tape my children's hands to their legs each time they get in :) Of course it's harder to control my wife, especially when i'm not in the car.

I got under my car yesterday to look at the access for the frost plug since I want to fit that kind of engien heater instead of the coolant heater. It looks possible to get in there OK but I just don't know what it will be like to remove the frost plug or even how. Does anyone know if they usually unscrew or how are they fitted in there?

[Mr.Crossfire]

The frost plugs are just hammered in. You have to destroy it somehow, make a hole in it and pull out or something, no threads etc.