The romance of preheating
02/02/2014
Modern diesel drivers no longer notice this, but in the past, and not so long ago, preheating was part of the normal procedure when starting a cold diesel engine.
Depending on the outside temperature, this preparation could take several seconds, during which you watched the light on the dashboard and waited for it to go out. Instead of simply starting up, you could prepare yourself internally for the journey and collect yourself. Only when the engine was ready and the preheating coil had done its job was the engine allowed to start. What a romantic break!
In 1950 , the preheating process on a Mercedes Benz 170 D was described as follows:
"Preheating is carried out by pressing the glow starter switch from its zero position to the right and takes less time than the manufacturer prescribes. At an outside temperature of 0° C, the engine started in a test after just 25 seconds and not after 40 seconds (regulation), and the warm engine started repeatedly without preheating."
In 1976 , Automobil Revue wrote on the occasion of a short test of a VW Golf Diesel:
"Preheating is necessary at temperatures below 20 °C at the first start in the morning and after every four-hour standstill. The required preheating time is a maximum of 30 seconds. A red light on the dashboard indicates that the engine can be started by turning the key with the starter motor. During preheating, the key must be held in the hand and therefore the seat belts cannot be turned at the same time. "
The preheating time was shortened in the course of development. In 1985, for example , a Mercedes Benz 190D still had to be preheated for 3 to 10 seconds. An indicator light went out to show that the engine was now ready.
And today, hardly anyone remembers the romance of preheating.
