Block heater -- waste of $$$?
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From: Maggie Valley, NC
Originally Posted by ThuG LyFe,Dec 15 2008, 06:36 PM
man! and i thought it was cold in nyc the other day!! sux for the people that live in really cold weather...
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From: s/n 00011, Langford, BC
[QUOTE](soulicious @ Dec 15 2008, 06:28 PM)
It's not a waste of money since it doesn't cost much for a block heater. From experience with my other car, it helped with cold starts (below -30 degrees F), but that was in the sub-arctic (Fairbanks, Alaska). However, I also had a oil pan and battery pad heater. Personally, I would not install one for Chicago weather, but it's your car.
It's not a waste of money since it doesn't cost much for a block heater. From experience with my other car, it helped with cold starts (below -30 degrees F), but that was in the sub-arctic (Fairbanks, Alaska). However, I also had a oil pan and battery pad heater. Personally, I would not install one for Chicago weather, but it's your car.
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From: Calgary, Alberta
The S2000 battery is relatively small and if older you could have problems below about -18C (0 deg. F). I have a much more powerful battery now (less than a year old battery and about 30% more amps - Sears' best battery whatever that was ... gold something) and the S started in -30 deg. C the other morning (was in Edmonton).....barely.....not plugged in (block heater that is).
Still cold here today in Calgary ... but driving my old beater Toyota 'ruck..... :^)
Reijo
Still cold here today in Calgary ... but driving my old beater Toyota 'ruck..... :^)
Reijo
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From: Oak Park, IL
Thanks for the replies. I don't think I'll waste the money on it.
I always go easy on the car until it is warmed up, and I don't let it idle for 15 minutes in the mornings....silly thing to do.
I always go easy on the car until it is warmed up, and I don't let it idle for 15 minutes in the mornings....silly thing to do.
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From: Long Island, New York, US
I let the car warm up for ~1 min as per the manual, even on cold days, and just drive off slowly shifting at 2.5k until I get 3 bars, then 3k for a few more minutes until the engine is fully warmed up. Probably a good idea to warm up the engine and other other drivetrain components simultneously anyway. I use the fuel vapor hissing noise as a point of reference.
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From: Culpeper Virginia
Originally Posted by ncsu-tc,Dec 15 2008, 06:21 PM
Incorrect, as said before that is nothing but a waste of gas. One of the car mags did a write up on this with info from the major car makers. They determined that if you fully warm up your modern car you are wasting gas, shortening the life of your oil, and can acclerate the wear on the rest of the drive train. If you drive the car easy for the first several miles you are warming up the entire drive components and that is better for the car.
That is unless you have converted your car from Fuel Injection to a Carborator, if so then, yes you need to warm the car up.
That is unless you have converted your car from Fuel Injection to a Carborator, if so then, yes you need to warm the car up.
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We used them when I was in Finland. (Moi, Reijo!) Our little VW Polo wouldn't start unless it was plugged in during the colder parts of the winter.
I think generally good advice has been posted all through. For you, it's probably not worth the trouble to use one.
I think generally good advice has been posted all through. For you, it's probably not worth the trouble to use one.
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I'm from the Chicagoland area and we have never used a block heater, and I've seen the worst of winters.
If you can't park in a garage, I suggest a battery pad setup on a timer, and a trickle charger if you're not going to be driving every day. Both can be had for under $50, and will save you a headache.
If you can't park in a garage, I suggest a battery pad setup on a timer, and a trickle charger if you're not going to be driving every day. Both can be had for under $50, and will save you a headache.
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We have block heaters on all of our cars. Only plug them when it's -15C and below and the cars sit outside.
If you've tried starting a car that sat during the night by -35C, you'll know how much strain the near-solid oil puts on the starter!
Plugging it just 30min makes a great difference already.
If your car is garaged, I wouldn't worry about it.
If you've tried starting a car that sat during the night by -35C, you'll know how much strain the near-solid oil puts on the starter!
Plugging it just 30min makes a great difference already.
If your car is garaged, I wouldn't worry about it.
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