Winter Oil/coolant heaters

[CanadianR]

That time of year again, and I'm looking for options or opinions on different heaters to make it easier on the engine to start the car in the sub zero temperatures in Canada.

So far, I've found a few options as follows:

magnetic oil pan heaters. Supposedly a magnet heater that you stick on at night and remove before driving away.

Stick on pan heaters: stick them on once and then just plug in. Only downfall I can see is scraping them off on snow/ice but the front bash plate should take care of that.

Rad hose inline heaters: get stuck in the lower rad hose and are supposed to heat the coolant that then circulates through the system warming the engine.

Has anybody ever fit any of these? Or what other options are there to heat the engine up for winter starting?

TIA.

 

[jpward]

That time of year again, and I'm looking for options or opinions on different heaters to make it easier on the engine to start the car in the sub zero temperatures in Canada.

So far, I've found a few options as follows:

magnetic oil pan heaters. Supposedly a magnet heater that you stick on at night and remove before driving away.

Stick on pan heaters: stick them on once and then just plug in. Only downfall I can see is scraping them off on snow/ice but the front bash plate should take care of that.

Rad hose inline heaters: get stuck in the lower rad hose and are supposed to heat the coolant that then circulates through the system warming the engine.

Has anybody ever fit any of these? Or what other options are there to heat the engine up for winter starting?

TIA.

Cant see many of us this side of the pond needing this mod :lol:


Surley theres the sentra or similar in Canada which may come with the plug in system already fitted?? Salvage yard perhaps?

:?

 

[Fast Guy]

Just have plenty of antifreeze in there. A good low grade oil, 5W30 is the lowest recommended for the turbo. It should be OK down to -22F or -30C, but only good upto +15C or 59F before you should change it. Those combined with a good battery should see you OK, as long as it isn't cold enough to freeze the fuel.

 

[PobodY]

Do it the old skool Russian army way?
Light a kerosene burner under the sump and transmission!

 

[CanadianR]

supposedly the stick on pad heaters work wonders. I'll give that a shot this winter and see if it works.

Fast Guy - it's more for ease of starting the engine. The antifreeze wont freeze, but it will thicken to a point (and along with the oil) that even a strong winter battery has trouble starting. There were a few -30 mornings last winter that I was regretting not having any sort of heater installed and had to take a different route to work or school.

 

[PobodY]

Will you be driving around with a plug hanging out of your bonnet?
It'll look like the R has eaten one of your appliances!

 

[jpward]

Will you be driving around with a plug hanging out of your bonnet?
It'll look like the R has eaten one of your appliances!

Not a propper Cannock car without this mod!


:lol:


So you still away lad or you home again? ;-)

 

[CanadianR]

yep still down here in Australia. Didn't get up to Thailand in July/August as I wanted, but all is well as now I have yet another excuse to come down here again some time.

As for the heater, I'll give the stick on pad heater a shot and see how it goes.