I have done a little test to see how long the windscreen vent take to heat up with and without the PROG button been pressed.

Basically placing a thermometer and stopwatch and starting the engine to see how long it takes to heat up and what temp it reached by 4 minutes

With PROG button Pressed


Without PROG Button Pressed


Basicaly after 4 mins with the Prog Button from 6c it was 24.8c and after 7minutes it was 41.6c

and then without the Prog button from 5.8c it was 31.5c and then 41.6c again at 7minutes

This shows that

1) iPhones are not that good at movies when You Tube compresses them
2) PROG button has no effect on time it takes to heat up
3) slight variant could be due to location of the thermometer
4) I not going to sit in my car watching thermometers for 14 minutes ever again as it boring Former Mod/Member, with the most post & Chicken George Arch nemesis

What a service our beloved moderator adorns us with!... i was just this very minute going out to do the same test.. 14 minutes of my life i can now put to other use!

Mind you, in the 2 years of ownship i've never actually used the prog button (partly as I had no idea what it was for) - does not look like i've missed anything  2008 SE, HSE wheels, Black Premium Leather, Privacy Glass, Sports Kit, Side Steps, various LED upgrades and Clear side indicators.

parking heater? you mean the automatic PTC heater that automatically provides 'some' heat until the engine warms up

no need to run tests, with the fuse pulled the car was cold as soon as the recall was done car was warmer , simples


Dave , where is that humble pie???

 At work
At home

"I can't always believe facts I read on the web" - Charles Dickens

winner by default of the tractor vs caravan race

Last edited by chicken george on 30th Dec 2009 8:09 pm. Edited 1 time in total

Glad to be of service

it was done first to help AndyT to possible determin how quick a car with PTC heats up and secondly the main point to show Dave it makes no difference  Former Mod/Member, with the most post & Chicken George Arch nemesis

The PROG button may have little effect in UK temperatures, but it is a godsend in our winter temperatures. Getting into a frozen snowed down car and pressing the prog button and the ice and snow disappears from the front screen much quicker than without using it. I never have to scrape the ice from the windows and windscreen and therefore save damaging its surface and the wiper blades.

However, having said that, you don't need a button to get the same result , just turn everything on and adjust the airflow to front screen . The prog button is only a defrost for dummy's button  2007 Freelander 2 HSE TD4 Manual with Premium Pack & Moonroof.
Stornoway Grey with Ebony Black Pleather, Clear Indicators, Body Side Mouldings etc.

Andy it also switches on the heated front & rear screens, which makes defrosting a lot quicker  Former Mod/Member, with the most post & Chicken George Arch nemesis

I know we have not had the deep snow and ice on the Wirral that other members have experienced in other parts of the UK and you have my sympathies, however I must disagree with Nick as on several morning we have experienced an inch or so of snow which has frozen on the windscreen and I have opened the car, stated the motor, pressed the programme button and within 2 minutes have driven away leaving my neighbour still scrapping away just as shown in the Ford Motor Company advert of some years ago.
What the actual temperature was I have not tested but within 2 miles I was removing my scarf and my bum was nice and warm by use of the seat heater.

Nick, perhaps you need your heater checking?

Bill Turner. Life Honorary Member of Wallasey Motor Club.
Licenced MSA Radio Operator for 35+ years.
Rallying is the only sport.

I thank you for your patience Nick, and it is all helpful to get to the bottom of the 'Supplementary Electric Heater' (PTC) operation. It does seem to prove (as suspected) that the 'Prog' function doesn't enable the PTC and it is indeed autonomous.
I suspect the difference in the 4 min temperatures is that maybe the fan speeds were different between the 2 tests??

I'll try replicate your test on mine to see how it correlates. I do get some slightly warm air after a couple of minutes from a cold start suggesting that there is a heat source other than the engine but it is slight - no warmer than my own breath

I guess it's possible that operation could vary between owners since it's all likely controlled by firmware and we know how many revisions there's been.....

npinks wrote:

I have done a little test to see how long the windscreen vent take to heat up with and without the PROG button been pressed.

Basically placing a thermometer and stopwatch and starting the engine to see how long it takes to heat up and what temp it reached by 4 minutes

With PROG button Pressed


Without PROG Button Pressed


Basicaly after 4 mins with the Prog Button from 6c it was 24.8c and after 7minutes it was 41.6c

and then without the Prog button from 5.8c it was 31.5c and then 41.6c again at 7minutes

This shows that

1) iPhones are not that good at movies when You Tube compresses them
2) PROG button has no effect on time it takes to heat up
3) slight variant could be due to location of the thermometer
4) I not going to sit in my car watching thermometers for 14 minutes ever again as it boring

Great video, fell asleep after 30 seconds.
Couldn't you have had some music on in the background.

npinks wrote:

Andy it also switches on the heated front & rear screens, which makes defrosting a lot quicker

Thought I made that point maybe I didnt - but yes it does and is still a defrost for dummy's  2007 Freelander 2 HSE TD4 Manual with Premium Pack & Moonroof.
Stornoway Grey with Ebony Black Pleather, Clear Indicators, Body Side Mouldings etc.

Bill Turner wrote:

I know we have not had the deep snow and ice on the Wirral that other members have experienced in other parts of the UK and you have my sympathies, however I must disagree with Nick as on several morning we have experienced an inch or so of snow which has frozen on the windscreen and I have opened the car, stated the motor, pressed the programme button and within 2 minutes have driven away leaving my neighbour still scrapping away just as shown in the Ford Motor Company advert of some years ago.
What the actual temperature was I have not tested but within 2 miles I was removing my scarf and my bum was nice and warm by use of the seat heater.

Nick, perhaps you need your heater checking?

Bill Turner.

I wasn't testing the effectiveness of the screen defrost it was gauging the difference in air flow temp out if the vents as some say the PTC is auto and some say not and only comes on when the prog button is pressed

If I press the button I can drive off 30 seconds later

AndyT all tests done with temp set to full and on full Auto  Former Mod/Member, with the most post & Chicken George Arch nemesis

The button PROG is a very helpful option in our region. I'm using it also sometimes in motion just as snow. 
Freelander II 2,2 TD SE Stornoway Grey

Sorry for my wry English. I began to study it recently.
I'll be thankful for your corrections of my mistakes

Doesnt prog put the air con on as well ? Excellent for demisting (as dry air) but is this why it doesnt get so hot

Bloody hell Npinks you are a heavy breather.

That will give me nightmares tonight