Trying to keep warm in Canada

[SyntheticAtmosphere]

Although the F-bomb starts like a champ in winter weather (-30C/-22F) test passed, this was Friday am about 1 hour into my day at work...

To help deal with this cold I have installed a 1500W space heater mounted under the passenger side dash to pre heat the car. With a timer circuit, the car gets warmed for 1 hour before I leave. Helps greatly with clearing the windows too so I dont have to idle the car as long waiting for defroster to provide safe visibility. For about 10 cents a day I save a lot in fuel. This is the 3rd car I have added a heater to...works well!
However, I am looking for information on block heater and remote start units.

I do not have a block heater cord in the usual location, and havent been able to find it hiding elsewhere either. Where on the block is the element normally located? If there is still a blank plug I will need to buy a complete kit.

Also, is anyone using a remote start on a manual transmission fiesta with a keyed ignition? What brand? I installed a remote start on an older manual car 10 years ago. I was required to put the car in safe mode before leaving so the car could be started remotely. Most kits now seem to be only geared to automatics. This would be useful when my car has been parked at work all day.

 

[Handy Andy]

As you know, you have two switches in the clutch pedal.

One for "off idle" and one for the "Clutch all the way to the bottom" - which in older days, meant you simply pushed in the clutch to hit that switch and that completed the circuit to make the Starter solenoid kick over the engine - and in the remote start option - you had to select or it chose - which light to "look at" to determine the engine was started and it's now running.

It's that "added switch" that goofs up anyone's true attempt to transfer over the remote that they had from another to this model - mostly for safety reasons and theft/drive offs but either way, that "off idle" switch is needed to confirm to the system that the integrity of the passive anti-theft system is working like it should. This switch also provides the mechanism for clutch action detect when the Cruise control is engaged.

When you look at this, many manual shifters (referencing enthusiasts) never really cared about cruise control or if they used it - it was on rarer long-haul occasions. By the level of clutch work that has to be done in ordinary commutes in high-volume traffic areas prohibited using it effectively unless you're on a highway.

You'll have to use a DPDT relay (two really as one is needed to loop the condition into the wiring) - with it wired in a passive (parallel) mode so that you can mimic the starter and clutch action - but let the system operate normally when you were in the seat.

No, just "shorting out the wires" doesn't work - for the system (because of the passive approach) routinely checks the integrity of the stater circuit and disables the clutch and cruise control side of the starter system if it sees no change in condition. The clutch Switch A and Switch B make in a "pulse train" that your foot action makes that allows the passive side to let the starter engage one is open to close the other close to open condition - toggles this.

So the DPDT switch will have to wire in with one set of Normally closed and one set of normally open contacts used to "set" the condition of when the key is turned to on, then a SECOND relay is used for that Passive effort - where the contacts used are normally open (both poles) to cut the effect (bypass) the relay once the engine is started - they Close when the Start condition is set - then once the engine is started, that second relay then pops open to release the physical pedal switches to operate and be seen as normal condition.

So that means one Relay to complete the circuit to show the switches are changing condition - and another relay is the loop - one pole on each loop to complete the circuit in the START condition to show the pedal switches have gone opposite what they were when at rest - and once the engine is seen working - that loop relay can then drop - breaking the circuit you wired in - and the relay used to show the start condition is cutoff from being seen because the SECOND relay has broken that loop in the circuit you added in - your bypass.

The one relay to show the start condition change - can be left on in that state because the loop relay is not on.

The loop relay is done so you'll use the normally open contacts at rest while the closed when on contacts are only needed to complete the START mode - this lets the system see those switch changes when you press down the clutch pedal.

Now, you can also remove the clutch switches and just let the brake pedal and it's position switch be used to start the car - you decide, but you still have to use two relays to form the conditional change. (Brake On and Pedal off-rest position) (You still lose cruise control and the ability to press the clutch in as an instinctive maneuver to restart)

Why use two relays? Because of how the Off Idle clutch pedal position sensor gets sensed. (Switch B) Otherwise, all you'd have to do is ground the Starter relay to make the system turn over.

Heres a thread that might help you with this...
https://www.fordfiesta.org/threads/need-help-to-diagnose-car-not-starting.8830/post-24050

 

[scotman]

I believe that the “winter package” Ford used in Fiesta was a freeze plug type that fit into the side of the engine block.
I have used one called the “Red hot” tank heater. It is a 120V ac convection type heater that is spliced into the return heater hose at a point where it will remain level. They are offered in several different wattage outputs for different engine displacements.

 

[SyntheticAtmosphere]

Well, the remote start is looking like quite an involved process, lol...Atleast for us who like to row our own. I am not adverse to building a small control module to facilitate the clutch shuffle requirements, however the new remote starter units are mostly plug and play and you dont get the option of just "cutting the yellow loop wire" to switch it to manual mode. Gone are those days.

I have considered other options, the circulation heaters are common on diesel tractors and construction equipment, and that is an option as well. Frankly Im surprised my car dosent have one, but nothing is certain 100% of the time, short of death & taxes. Id like to take a look at the expected location to see how much effort I feel like applying to get a solution in place before next winter...if you catch my drift

 

[scotman]

I am going to dig around in my attic. I have a new in line type of block heater that i never installed on my 86 Ford Tempo diesel. I dont remember what wattage it is. I will see if it's viable tk install on the fiesta. I will post pics tomorrow.

 

[gfh77665]

Although the F-bomb starts like a champ in winter weather (-30C/-22F) test passed, this was Friday am about 1 hour into my day at work...
View attachment 7730
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I can't even imagine... We have been running our A/C much of this "winter".

 

[Handy Andy]

Well, we're always known for having a city named after a famous place, most confer, that is not really where you want to be...

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[gfh77665]

Hell froze over!! Love it!!