Elgrand rough running cold PTC heater

That's a pickle. I had a similar issue with my Elgrand. From your description, it certainly sounds like the PTC heater could be the culprit. Have you checked the blower motor to see if it's functioning correctly? Sometimes a faulty blower can indirectly affect the heater's performance. Also, is the temperature control acting strangely at all? Any weird fluctuations?

Thanks for that! The blower motor seems to be working fine – it's blowing air, anyway. The temperature control seems alright once the engine warms up, but it's definitely all over the place during that initial cold start. What exactly happened with yours? Did it throw up the same symptoms? And how did you eventually sort it?

Yep, pretty much identical symptoms. Rough running on cold starts, error codes, and the fuel consumption was through the roof. I suspected the electric auxiliary heater right away, but couldn't confirm it myself. I ended up taking it to a workshop. They ran some diagnostics and the PTC heater was indeed defective. It's not something you can easily fix yourself unless you're quite confident with electrics. Honestly, I'd recommend getting it checked out by a professional.

Cheers for the advice! Sounds like a trip to the workshop is on the cards then. I was hoping it would be something simple, but I guess not! They've quoted me around 350€ for the heater repair, which seems steep, but if it sorts out the running issues and fuel consumption, it'll be worth it in the end. Thanks again for sharing your experience!