| clb4life |
Hi all,
i been browsing through the forum for a while now, and haven't heard much discussion about the engine block heater, although i don't really live in a cold climate, i always wait a few minutes for my engine to warm up a little before i take off...does anyone have the engine block heater install? does it helps? |
|
|
| hondacuraworld |
| Don't know how much response you'll get....in almost 3 years on the internet I can only recall selling 2 or 3..... |
|
|
| m2pc |
Tim,
how does it work? Is it a heating element in the dipstick tube? I may be way off on this one :2: |
|
|
| hondacuraworld |
There are types that do, but the Acura factory one screws right into the engine block, replacing the engine block coolant drain plug.
As for the effectiveness of engine heaters, I'm not sure. Incidentally, Acura used to have this really cool accessory called a battery warmer. It looked like a little yellow armband that went around the battery, and you could keep the battery warm over cold nights to increase your starting power on those -20 degree mornings. IIRC they were about $40. |
|
|
| renov8r |
there probably aren't more than a dozen installed in all of the USA.
They are 'standard' in the Great White North, correct?
The problem I have with 'engine block heaters' is IF you have a garage you don't really need the heater BUT if you DON'T have a garage you end snaking hundreds of feet of electric cord out to the vehicle -- not very safe or 'sano'.
Even if you do have 0W20 oil, it WILL flow better WARM than cold, so the logic behind the heater is fine -- it is just such a pain in use (and the little plug sticking out of the grill makes every vehicle look like they are on the way to Anchorage...) |
|
|
| wckrause |
| Are the block heaters very hard to install yourself? |
|
|
| ndabrens |
My MDX came with the Block Heater installed (yes, it is standard for us sorry saps in the Great White North. Won't have to use it on a daily basis as I go from heated garage to undeground heated at work.
Normally block heaters are not difficult to install. At least they weren't in my early model vehicles that had lots of room to manoeuver around. Trouble with today's vehicles is you need a triple articulated wrist about one inch thick to do anything around today's engine compartments. Not sure where a handy frost plug is located on the X but call the dealer or your mechanic and get an estimate. Might not be worth doing if you have to get under the vehicle, pull out a frost plug after partially draining the coolant, having coolant run down your arm into your armpit ....
If you do live in cold climate and park outside definitely get a Block heater installed. It is easier on all the internal componets and battery if the coolant/engine are not at -30 when you start up. |
|
|
| wckrause |
We have a lake home about 50 miles from the Canadian border. It does not have a garage, so I've had to start the X a few times at -20 to -30 temps. I've been meaning to get the block heater installed but haven't.
I used to live in Alaska. Cars up there typically had a block heater, a battery blanket, and an interior heater (vinyl freezes and cracks at -40). Most parking lots had outlets for plugging cars into. |
|
|
| BaldEagle |
I've got one of those (engine block heater) on my other car: :2:
http://www.winnebagoind.com/html/pr...ago/vectra.html
Worked great the one time I had to use it. Made a trip in the early AM when it was below 20 and the heater started working in only a few minutes after starting the beast up. |
|
|
| dbauchat |
Having lived in the Upper Pennisula of Michigan (before moving South to Buffalo!) I have used several different types of heaters.
1. Dipstick heater - Just what it says, replaces your standard dipstick. All this does is heat the oil, so you get lubrication at start-up. Really doesn't help heat the car up faster. Note: Need to watch these, as they get old the temperature control can fail and they can actually overheat the oil that is in contact with the heating element. Breaks down your oil. So check the dipstick often for signs of build-up.
2. Block heater - Typically screws into the block coolant drain (sounds like this is the Acura OEM design). Heats the coolant, some convection heating of the block and oil pan. Definitely provides some heat at start-up. Easy to install.
3. Block Recirculation Heater - Typically installs in return coolant hose from radiator. Has internal low flow pump design that actually pumps heated coolant thru block (may not be compatible with all thermostat valves). These are the ultimate in block heaters, (they even melt the snow off your hood). I have seen these with ratings up to 1500 watts, so they can really do the job. They simply cycle on & off as required. Might be hard to install on MDX, not much room under the hood.
4) Other good things - battery heaters can sure help older batteries. Grill covers - manual covers that cut down flow thru the engine compartment & radiator, not much available for current vehicle designs. Garage "Pad" heater - T-shaped pad that sits on your garage floor under engine and transmission, provides heat to these components.
Note: If you use any of these devices, make sure you buy heavy duty extension cords that are rated accordingly.
5) Heated Garage - for the height of luxury in the North... |
|
|
| Kev-man |
Engine heaters can also provide invaluable assistance in simply getting the engine up to its peak operating temp quicker than normal, regardless of outside temperature. Most folks know that starting your car is what does 95% of the damage to an engine, and the quicker you can get it up to "normal operating temp" the better. Once you're up to the engine's NOT, wear is minimal.
Robert Sikorsky discusses this at length in his book, Drive it Forever. Worth a good read, although it may affect your driving habits more than you'd like. ;)
"Drive it Forever" |
|
|
| deltajetfixer |
quote:
Originally posted by Kev-man
Engine heaters can also provide invaluable assistance in simply getting the engine up to its peak operating temp quicker than normal, regardless of outside temperature. Most folks know that starting your car is what does 95% of the damage to an engine, and the quicker you can get it up to "normal operating temp" the better. Once you're up to the engine's NOT, wear is minimal.
Robert Sikorsky discusses this at length in his book, Drive it Forever. Worth a good read, although it may affect your driving habits more than you'd like. ;)
Though I agree with you that a warm engine will reach NOT (Normal Operating Temperature) faster, I don't think that an engine block heater by itself will do that much to affect that 95% of wear during starting.
I think that an Engine Prelubricator is The Ultimate Solution in killing that 95%. Having all your bearing surfaces freshly oiled when you turn the key is hard to beat
Engine Prelubricator
I don't have one of these systems installed as I'm not too concerned with that 95%. Would be interesting to compare two identical vehicles, one with and one without to see if there was any difference in engine life though... |
|
|
| Kev-man |
quote:
Originally posted by deltajetfixer
Though I agree with you that a warm engine will reach NOT (Normal Operating Temperature) faster, I don't think that an engine block heater by itself will do that much to affect that 95% of wear during starting.
I think that an Engine Prelubricator is The Ultimate Solution in killing that 95%. Having all your bearing surfaces freshly oiled when you turn the key is hard to beat
Engine Prelubricator
I don't have one of these systems installed as I'm not too concerned with that 95%.
I'm not sure if those would do nearly as much, but I'm much more willing to try a $20 solution that's independently tested and proven, vs. a $400-$500 one that's only being touted by the company that making them. Or are there experts who like the engine pre-lubers? |
|
|
| gulu |
quote:
Originally posted by deltajetfixer
Though I agree with you that a warm engine will reach NOT (Normal Operating Temperature) faster, I don't think that an engine block heater by itself will do that much to affect that 95% of wear during starting.
I think that an Engine Prelubricator is The Ultimate Solution in killing that 95%. Having all your bearing surfaces freshly oiled when you turn the key is hard to beat
Engine Prelubricator
I don't have one of these systems installed as I'm not too concerned with that 95%. Would be interesting to compare two identical vehicles, one with and one without to see if there was any difference in engine life though...
another simple solution is an oil pan heater. It is cheap about $25 and just sticks to the bottom of the oil pan and when used in conjuction with block heater its warms your oil so when you start your car not only do you get heat quicker( block heater) you also are sending pre heated oil (oil pan heater) thru the engine reducing friction drastically.
I have been installing them in alll my vehicles for 10 years now. If you do the install yourself you do a better job as you can hide wire behin the front license plate holder betwen the rad and the bumper. When you need it you can pull it out. So when you are driving no even notices you have them. |
|
|
| Kev-man |
Gulu,
so do you use both block and pan heaters, and where do you buy them? I'm in Tenn. and there are very few available. Is there one for the MDX yet? Most folks think there's a big difference in engine damage between starting your engine in 0 degree weather vs. 20 degree weather. |
|
|
| gulu |
| I have some family up north in the Yukon and they can get it at all their dealers as temperatures go down to -50 . |
|
|
|
