Engine block heaters
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From: Corn Country
Engine block heaters
I've never owned an engine block heater before nor have I ever been in a car that was plugged into one all night.
Last winter when I drove my car and it wasn't fully heated up yet my gas millage was HORRIBLE, going from high 20's to about 20 mpg.
If I drove my car after it had been heated up like late spring to early fall my gas millage stays about 27-28mpg.
I'm thinking if I kept my engine heated up a tad, it wouldn't take as long to heat up therefore improving gas millage.
Anybody with experiences on this?
Last winter when I drove my car and it wasn't fully heated up yet my gas millage was HORRIBLE, going from high 20's to about 20 mpg.
If I drove my car after it had been heated up like late spring to early fall my gas millage stays about 27-28mpg.
I'm thinking if I kept my engine heated up a tad, it wouldn't take as long to heat up therefore improving gas millage.
Anybody with experiences on this?
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Here in Alberta (Canada), most people have them because the temperature can drop to the -40*F (or lower) range in the winter, at times. A car with a block heater will start easier and will get up to temperature faster. I saw a bit of data from a guy that had a temperature sensor readout and with the engine block heater, he was seeing the engine come up to the operating temperature a fair bit quicker AND it was easier to start, enough of a difference to cover the cost of electricity to heat the car overnight.
For 10*F weather, I don't think I'd bother. For anything below 0*F or so, I'd start thinking about one. For -15*F or lower, it's almost a necessity to help your engine out and keep down premature wear. That said, a good synthetic oil will help mitigate some of the "cold start" wear and tear....
For 10*F weather, I don't think I'd bother. For anything below 0*F or so, I'd start thinking about one. For -15*F or lower, it's almost a necessity to help your engine out and keep down premature wear. That said, a good synthetic oil will help mitigate some of the "cold start" wear and tear....
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No experience but I think the multi-weight/viscosity oils take care of cold pumping situation pretty well. My guess is block heaters won't matter too much with respect to gas mileage since the plenum and whatnot will still be ice cold for a long time and the computer probably checks all that stuff out. Probably a better solution is a thinner oil in the winter, but really, if it is THAT cold where you are, it would probably not be a bad idea to get one, it couldn't hurt.
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From: MAHT-O-MEDI
Computers have a "cold start cycle" that runs very rich for drivability and longevity until it comes up to temp so a block heater can make a big difference. Electric heaters are not super efficient so they can use a lot of juice. You could run one on a timer that kicks in an hour before you go to work and they are nice at getting heat out of the car fast if you don't have heated seats.
I have never had a problem with a OEM one, but added an aftermarket frost plug heater that warped from the heat after about a year of use and broke off while driving. Lost all my coolant and got stranded overheating in 10 below, but that was 20 years ago.
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I'll go along with the consensus here, block heaters can make a big difference. Synthetic oils can help with cranking and flow at low temps but engines simply aren't efficient until they reach operating temperature. If it takes 4 minutes instead of 10 to reach that temp, you've reduced warmup time by 60%. If you're only driving say 40 minutes to work, that's 10% of your commute that the engine's not running efficiently rather than 25%. For shorter trips it's worse. For longer trips it matters less. And then there's the personal comfort factor. Wanna freeze your butt and hands for 4 minutes or 10? And lastly, a block heater can help reduce demands on a cold battery. For their cost, block heaters a one heck of a value in cold climates.
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Did you know that using a block heater to warm up your vehicle could save you fuel?
According to research by Environment Canada, on a -25 oC day, using a block heater can reduce your fuel consumption by as much as 25 per cent at for a single short trip.
Science has long known that during colder months, vehicle engines and their emission control systems take longer to warm up to their optimum operating temperature. That optimum temperature is critical for keeping engine efficiency at its peak and harmful emissions at a minimum. But until a vehicle warms up, its engine burns significantly more fuel and spews out additional pollutants. As well, when an engine starts up in frigid (aka Canadian) weather, the oil that lubricates its parts is thick and slow, making the engine work harder to get going, thereby using more fuel and increasing harmful emissions.
Give your vehicle a head start by using a block heater. This will warm the coolant in your engine and allow it to start warm and rise to its optimal operating temperature faster. And that means warm air will flow to the inside of the vehicle through the ventilation system faster as well. To limit the amount of electricity used to operate your block heater, put it on a timer so that it runs for 2 hours before you have to leave.
According to research by Environment Canada, on a -25 oC day, using a block heater can reduce your fuel consumption by as much as 25 per cent at for a single short trip.
Science has long known that during colder months, vehicle engines and their emission control systems take longer to warm up to their optimum operating temperature. That optimum temperature is critical for keeping engine efficiency at its peak and harmful emissions at a minimum. But until a vehicle warms up, its engine burns significantly more fuel and spews out additional pollutants. As well, when an engine starts up in frigid (aka Canadian) weather, the oil that lubricates its parts is thick and slow, making the engine work harder to get going, thereby using more fuel and increasing harmful emissions.
Give your vehicle a head start by using a block heater. This will warm the coolant in your engine and allow it to start warm and rise to its optimal operating temperature faster. And that means warm air will flow to the inside of the vehicle through the ventilation system faster as well. To limit the amount of electricity used to operate your block heater, put it on a timer so that it runs for 2 hours before you have to leave.
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