Engine block heaters
 

I keep forgetting to throw this out here. My mechanic and I were chatting when I had the car in for the valve cover gaskets. He mentioned that he notices all sorts of gasket problems more in the winter and especially when we get the really nasty cold snaps. He surmised that people didn't let their cars warm up enough before stressing them. He believes that either driving up a big hill or pushing the car hard in any other way before the block is fully warmed can cause issues due to the large temperature differences between the core of the engine and the outer parts.

We were talking about how a simple block heater could solve that problem if it is plugged in about an hour before taking off in the car. And, of course, you instantly get warm air from the heater as soon as it is started so you get the benefits of that as well.

Comments?

Re: Engine block heaters
 

I bought one, but haven't installed it yet. I think it was less than $50 from the local dealer. Probably closer to $30 mail order from Liberty...

Re: Engine block heaters
 

Are you going to do it yourself? Any idea how much, or if all, of the coolant will get drained out? I read somewhere that the plug can be a ***** to get out.

Re: Engine block heaters
 

I suppose that a block heater is better than idling, but quite frankly, neither is necessary unless you live in extremely cold climates.

http://www.thedailygreen.com/living-...warming-up-car

Re: Engine block heaters
 

I think it depends on two things. How low is the temperature and how hard are you going to drive the car before it comes up to temperature? If you will pull out of your driveway and immediately climb a large hill and the outside temperature is 20 below then it may be wise to warm the engine up before setting out.

Re: Engine block heaters
 

You won't get an appreciable amount of coolant out of the block putting a heater in an EJ series engine- I can't imagine the SVX's motor is all that different. I highly recommend a 1/2" drive hex socket on a 1/2" breaker bar with about a 3 foot length of pipe if you don't have air tools. The plug isn't in there all that tight on its own- it's the thread sealant that makes it stick so damn well :).

Re: Engine block heaters
 

My car has always had a block heater and I've always used it when it's below freezing. I haven't driven the SVX this winter, but my 240 definitely sees a benefit. It has a block heater, battery warmer and oil pan warmer and is generally showing something on the temp gauge before I'm out of my parking lot.

It hits -40 and below here on a semi-regular basis, so having a winter-prepped car is important.