Greetings,

Girlfriend has a 07, FEH, came with the block heater, anyone know where the plug is? The manual does not say, I checked the front end, no can find.

Thanks...Dan.

 

Are you in Canada or overseas? U.S. models do not come with the block heater.
It was not even an "option" for 2005 or 2006. Maybe 2007???

I for one would like to have one!
-John

 

I thought I read that models sold in Minnesota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin did come with engine block heater. I know there is a kit to add one. I saw that somewhere.

 

I am in WI, the block heater is listed on the window sticker.

I will call the dealer Monday.

Thanks...Dan.

 

The block heater cord can be found hanging out ot the lower grill opening. The heater only draws 60 watts, and I have found it cuts warm up time in half, over night low temps. have been dropping into the upper 20s here in Minnesota, since plugging in the heater my mileage has increassed from 27.5 mpg to 30.3mpg.

 

I just installed ( for the second winter ) a FREE block heater that draws ZERO watts.

It's a sheet of cardboard in front of the radiator. ( can be painted black for a nearly invisible look )

Works great all winter long in temps of +50'F degrees and below.
The tricky part is unpredictable days of much over 50, when overheat becomes possible. I've never ever come close to an overheat during days lower than 50, and have had 5 minute total warm-ups in +10 degrees and EV driving at 0'F.

This is one benefit of having an aftermarket temperture gauge or MultiFunction tool such as a ScanGauge or similar. Let's you keep an eye on things.

I'm still curious about the 60w block heater, but I can't beat the price of mine.
If the Block Heater is expensive, it would be hard for me to justify.

-John

 

So, on any given winter morning, your hybrid is ready all nice and warm for you when you first start it? Wow!

 

Found it, tucked behind and above the lower grill opening.

Thank again...Dan.

 

Hmmm... I'm a little surprised that works. My father told me once, that in winter in order to get heat in the passenger cabin quickly most cars intentionally shunt water away from the radiator and straight into the heater core when they first start up bypassing the radiator. That way the cabin heats up faster. Only after the water temp gets fairly high will they shunt it to the main radiator.

He's been in the car business over 40 years, but maybe he has that fact wrong.

Of course your cheap block heater won't help those in Wisconsin etc. because they are trying to heat up their oil and engine block to get the car to start easily. Your trick will heat it up faster once its started.

 

I think that "shunt" is called a Thermostat. The thermostat is closed until the water in the engine is hot enough to require cooling by the radiator.

The design differences between cars, is that some take the water from before the thermostat routing it to the heater core, and therefore get at least a little heat before the thermostat opens, and some cars take the water from after the thermostat, and therefore can't get any heat until the engine is warm enough to open the thermostat.

BTW, I don't think the cardboard trick works with any vehicle that has a working thermostat. When the engine is cold, the thermostat should be closed and no water will be flowing through the radiator. So, making the radiator less effective by blocking some of its air flow, should do nothing in getting the engine up to normal operating temp faster.