Block Heater

[Vicrog13]

Hi,
Im hoping that someone out there can offer some advice.
I recently moved to Calgary from London, and have never seen or heard of a Block heater before.
Im guessing that i need to fit one to my 1995 ford explorer; the car has just been brought into Canada from Florida (one hell of a road trip.)
If anyone could offer some advice as to the best places to get it done and roughly how much it will cost, i would be very grateful.
Thank you

[pylon]

If you use synthetic oil, a block heater isn't really neccesary. All a block heater does is prevent the oil from thickening or "gelling" in cold weather. Synthetic oil typically needs to hit temperatures past -50 C before it starts to change viscosity due to tempurature. But make sure you have your engine coolant changed to a Canadian spec if it is an American spec vehicle. The last thing you want is a cracked block from an improper antifreeze mix. If you decide to go with a block heater, most mechanics can install a frost plug style one for around $150-200 bucks. I would recommend booking in with someone like Fountain Tire or Blaskin and Lane, getting it fully winterized (they usually have specials), and have them put in your block heater then. I would do this by the end of october since thats when the winter temps can startb hitting, and after that, you could be waiting a while to book it in.

Hope this helps.

[Ironhorse]

Like Pylon says, bring it to a mechanic and have one installed. I personally don't like the "mechanics" at Blaskin & Lane or Fountain Tire, there is a reason they are tire shops... For a little more ($20-40), the Ford dealer will put one in too (and then at least you know it was done right).

Chances are that he doesn't have synthetic oil. Good call on checking the antifreeze.

[Hemi-Cuda]

my Mazda 3 doesn't have a block heater and i've never felt the need to get one installed, and i'm pretty sure the dealership where i usually get my oil changed uses conventional. i've never had a problem with it starting even in the -35 stints we get, and since we only usually get a few weeks like that all winter i'd say go without it and worry about getting one put in only if your vehicle does struggle starting

[ken0042]

Originally Posted by Hemi-Cuda

i've never had a problem with it starting even in the -35 stints we get,

That's just it- while a block heater will serve the purpose of allowing your car to start in lower temperatures; the main reason to have one is to reduce engine wear on cold startups.

This winter, take a litre os 5W30 and leave it outside when the temperature hits -25. (Not wind chill- temperature) Then try to pour it out. It will be slow like molasses. What happens when you start your engine and it's that cold is you get an extra period of metal on metal wear until the oil can make it up there.

I agree with the others, just take it to your mechanic to have one put in.

Edit- and I'm actually curious HC.... when was the last time you saw a stint of -35 in Calgary? Aren't we talking about 1996-97?

[Hemi-Cuda]

Originally Posted by ken0042

That's just it- while a block heater will serve the purpose of allowing your car to start in lower temperatures; the main reason to have one is to reduce engine wear on cold startups.

This winter, take a litre os 5W30 and leave it outside when the temperature hits -25. (Not wind chill- temperature) Then try to pour it out. It will be slow like molasses. What happens when you start your engine and it's that cold is you get an extra period of metal on metal wear until the oil can make it up there.

I agree with the others, just take it to your mechanic to have one put in.

Edit- and I'm actually curious HC.... when was the last time you saw a stint of -35 in Calgary? Aren't we talking about 1996-97?

i've lived in Calgary since '02, and by stint i'm more referring to those weeks of -25 with the odd spike in the 30's. i know this last winter there were a few days that low, at least according to my Firefox weather plugin

[sclitheroe]

While I won't dispute that a block heater makes starting the engine easier, consider this article: http://www.gi.alaska.edu/ScienceForum/ASF7/747.html

How many people can actually say their cars wore out from cold weather starts? As opposed to wearing out from something else...

It would be interesting to drain some oil from a car that was left plugged in overnight on a -25 Calgary night - I wonder if the oil really would be that much lower viscosity considering a block heater is only about 400 watts at most.

Someone else can try though - I'll plug mine in for the time being.

[wooohooo]

A couple years back I drove this beat up POS and had problems starting in the winter. The block heater was busted and my battery was weak. Even in -15 weather, the thing wouldn't start up. Being a very poor University kid, I replaced the block heater. The thing's very easy to replace... I'm sure it'll be a little more difficult to put one in. However, not by much. All you really have to do is follow the instructions which is knock some metal thing in, put the heater in, screw tight and voila! But the car still had troubles starting up in really cold weather so I finally forked out the 100 bucks for a new battery and the thing now never has troubles.

Having a good battery is a very important. I don't think the block heater did much for me, but I just do it just because.

[Barnes]

I sell slightly used block heater cords. 'Shipments' arrive nightly.

[pope04]

You may wish to consider an in-line heater that heats the coolant, not the block.

Back in my flaming youth, I purchased a '79 AMC Spirit with, I believe, a VW block. I took it in to install a block heater, but it was insanely expensive: IIRC, the engine had to be pulled to install the block heater, so I installed the in-line heater myself.

It worked great!! Warmed 'er up for cold-weather starts and, as an added bonus, it'd defrost the windshield if the controls were left on defrost.

[BlackArcher101]

Originally Posted by pylon

If you use synthetic oil, a block heater isn't really neccesary. All a block heater does is prevent the oil from thickening or "gelling" in cold weather. Synthetic oil typically needs to hit temperatures past -50 C before it starts to change viscosity due to tempurature.

Hope this helps.

Um, don't the oil weights behave the same at different temperatures? IE, a 10W30 sythentic vs regular will flow the same at -25? If synthetic didn't "thicken" until -50, then it wouldn't be a 10W30. It's the weight of the oil that matters when it comes to viscosity and temperature, not the type of oil. I call BS on your post.

As for the OP... yes, get a block heater. It's only useful a handful of days in the winter, but you'll thank god you have it during those days.