electric motor vehicle warmers

[franksolich]

Now, I have to be really careful how I write this, because I have no idea what I'm talking about, and a conversation with the mechanic this afternoon failed to illuminate me because I was too tired to "listen."

Once in a while during the coldest days of winter, one sees an electrical cord, and also usually an extension cord, running out of the front of a motor vehicle, usually a truck out in the open air.

Some sort of "warmer."

I never paid attention to them.

Today, the motor vehicle was frozen solid, or rather, the motor was.  It's since been taken care of, no damage, no problems, and now I'm wondering if I should maybe perhaps invest in one of these things, even though I'm still not quite sure what they do.

There is a garage here, and it's empty other than bags of cat litter and a few miscellaneous power tools, but I'm not inclined to use it, because it's easier just to leave the motor vehicle out in the open air.

I know it sounds stupid, but I never claimed to be a bright bulb; I like having the motor vehicle out in the open, where I can see it.

The mechanic explained what these things do, but I wasn't paying attention, being too tired.  I did however catch that he thought it a good idea that I get one, and that I could get one through him.

This mechanic is of impeccable integrity and character; he's not trying to sell me something he knows I don't really need.

Any idea of roughly speculatively how much these things cost?

And what exactly is it, that they do?

[Eupher]

Engine block heaters generally keep the coolant, well, warmer than normal. That, in turn, keeps your engine's oil from getting to the consistency of syrup because it's so cold it won't flow well.

The end result is that your car starts easier and warms up faster.

Here's a bit of info:

Arctic Blasts are No Fun

[franksolich]

Wow, that's the sort of information I was looking for.....and probably the sort of information the mechanic was explaining to me, but I wasn't "getting."

"Block Heaters" -- that appears to be what I'm thinking of, but question.

The coolant in this radiator is for up to -50 degrees F, and so what is the point of having it?

"Car Warmers" -- apparently keeps the interior warm; not an issue here because I'm more concerned about the vehicle warming, than myself warming.

"Battery Blankets" -- that was something the mechanic mentioned, but I wasn't paying attention.  The current battery is 4 months old.

Between "block heater" and "battery blanket," if I took only one, which one would be the more useful one?

[franksolich]

I forgot to add.

For the record, generally usually most of the time nearly always, northern Nebraska sustains bitterly-cold weather for circa two weeks in winter, before and after which it's generally usually most of the time nearly always circa 10-40 degrees (which of course brings those famous Nebraska blizzards).

There have been exceptions, but generally usually most of the time nearly always, the above's the case.

In my own lifetime, I can't remember long sustained periods of below 0 winters, like more than maybe three weeks in a rough winter.

[Eupher]

Wow, that's the sort of information I was looking for.....and probably the sort of information the mechanic was explaining to me, but I wasn't "getting."

"Block Heaters" -- that appears to be what I'm thinking of, but question.

The coolant in this radiator is for up to -50 degrees F, and so what is the point of having it?

"Car Warmers" -- apparently keeps the interior warm; not an issue here because I'm more concerned about the vehicle warming, than myself warming.

"Battery Blankets" -- that was something the mechanic mentioned, but I wasn't paying attention.  The current battery is 4 months old.

Between "block heater" and "battery blanket," if I took only one, which one would be the more useful one?

Well, as the linked info indicates, block heaters are especially useful when things get bitterly, bitterly cold. Like in Manitoba!

But when your engine coolant is kept slightly warm, that tends to help things across the board. Your battery, for example, doesn't take the beating it normally would. The chief enemy of batteries is cold, and crappy connections.

Your coolant might be rated to -50 deg. F., but that simply "assures" that your coolant won't freeze, thereby cracking your engine block. If your block cracks, you're toast. (Cold toast, that is.)

By the time you add wind chill, really cold temps, and all of that to the equation, you really don't want to take a lot of chances. Running a block heater keeps things on an even keel.

Folks living up in Alaska, Canada, etc., tend to use 'em more than the lower 48. For obvious reasons.

[thundley4]

Also, the block heater will make the engine turn over easier, which makes the battery 'work' less, and is also easier on the starter.  A block heater and a trickle charger would be better together.

[Thor]

Block heater and a battery blanket. That's all one needs. A trickle charger can prematurely damage the battery.

[franksolich]

This is a little bit off-topic, but not by much.

When I typed yesterday that I park the vehicle outdoors, rather than inside the garage, it struck me, "Yeah, why do I do that?"  I've been doing it ever since I lived out here, in the middle of meadows and plains and steppes, under the looming shadow of the William Rivers Pitt.

Circa noon today, I suddenly remembered, when I had to go to town.

If there's a blizzard, such as what's going on right now, I wouldn't be able to get out of the garage onto driveable terrain.

Where I park it outside is all clear, despite the drifting snow.

It costs a fortune out here, to have a farmer bring his tractor to clear the way, and so far I've always avoided that.

So that's why.

[Thor]

When I lived in Minnesota, I had one or both trucks stuck outside. The reason being was that the garage was where the wife and daughter parked their vehicles. I have remote starters on both trucks and always kept them in tip-top shape (mechanically) Even at -20° I never had a problem unless one of the trucks had been sitting for more than a couple of weeks. One had a block heater and the other I used a magnetic block heater on the oil pan, etc. If it got REALLY cold, I'd throw in a dipstick heater along with the magnetic block heater.

[RobJohnson]

When I lived in Minnesota, I had one or both trucks stuck outside. The reason being was that the garage was where the wife and daughter parked their vehicles. I have remote starters on both trucks and always kept them in tip-top shape (mechanically) Even at -20° I never had a problem unless one of the trucks had been sitting for more than a couple of weeks. One had a block heater and the other I used a magnetic block heater on the oil pan, etc. If it got REALLY cold, I'd throw in a dipstick heater along with the magnetic block heater.

Good advice.

[Ree]

The Exploder had a plug(block heater) on it...I had to park outside the whole time I was in school in ND, and it never failed to start. The heaters works...

[Chris]

The Exploder had a plug(block heater) on it...I had to park outside the whole time I was in school in ND, and it never failed to start. The heaters works...

D'oh!  I looked at a car a while back that had a 3-prong electrical outlet coming out of the grill.  I had no idea what it was.  Now I know.

[Thor]

D'oh!  I looked at a car a while back that had a 3-prong electrical outlet coming out of the grill.  I had no idea what it was.  Now I know.

I'm pretty certain that it wasn't an "outlet", but a plug......

[Chris]

I'm pretty certain that it wasn't an "outlet", but a plug......

That's what I meant