Do any of you Highlander Hybrid owners have an engine block heater? I've called two Toyota Parts departments. The first guy said that Toyota didn't make any block heaters and didn't recommend an aftermarket one. He said they have too many issues with them leaking over time. The second guy I spoke with said that Toyota does not currently offer a block heater for the Highlander Hybrid, but he expects them to in a few months.

Any comments or suggestions?

I installed a Toyota OEM block heater in my HiHy last fall. It helps improve fuel mileage by pre-warming the engine so the hybrid system gets to full functionality quicker in the morning. It wall also help reduce engine wear when starting the engine in extremely cold winter temperatures by allowing the oil to flow more freely on startup. Running the heater on an automatic timer for a few hours will get the temperature up to 100 TO 135 degrees F depending on ambient temperatures.

US Toyota dealers will not have this part and probably will not even have a reference for it. This is a Toyota Canada part that Canadian Toyota dealers will carry. The part number is CO140-00644 and it has been designed to be used on the 2006 and 2007 HiHy’s 3.3L engine.

I purchased it over the phone from LangleyToyotaTown in BC and had it shipped.

An excellent timer for this heater is the Intermatic HB88RC which has a particularly heavy-duty switch contact rated for this heater. Cheap timers will self destruct over time with this 600 watt block heater due to the turn-on surge current.

See:

Hybridchat.com – forums – Highlander Hybrid – performance modifications

for excellent step-by-step installation instructions with photos.

Thanks for the information. I already have a block heater on my Civic and would like to do the same on my Highlander. My morning commute is typically 8 miles, so a block heater makes a huge difference for me. I just found that website that you referenced yesterday afternoon, but I had not come across that thread yet.

Thanks again.

How much is the heater, and how much is installation? I'm seriously considering this is the costs aren't outrageous...

I paid $47 to have is shipped from Langley Toyota in Canada. I can PM you a contact email if you are interested. I installed it myself.

Here are the installation instructions.
http://www.greenhybrid.com/wiki/inde...n_Instructions

Questions. How long do you need to heat it? Can you get summer like MPG if you use it?

I just had a block heater installed in my 06 HiHy by the dealer in Madison WI last week. They charged me $255 parts and labor, and I even gave them the online instructions you can find at PriusChat or other hybrid sites by user "efusco." And I had to take the car back one day later because it was leaking coolant and they had to tighten up the connections. But it's fine now. Little by little, we hybrid owners educate our service technicians!

And it IS a Toyota part, from Toyota of Canada. Have your dealer check at Toyota Associated Products. You can view the parts online, but you have to be a dealer to order from them. It's Pyroil Engine Heater 644, SKU: 001130021300644.

I got the same song from my dealer about not wanting to install it because it could leak, probably in 2-4 years, possibly with a catastrophic loss of coolant. They did admit that block heaters were different years ago and they hadn't done one in a long time. We agreed that they would check it for leaks when I bring it in for service (they'll probably charge me extra to look!), and that I'd take the risk. I asked other users on PriusChat and CleanMPG, and no one had much experience except "efusco," who installed his own and it's been fine for nearly 2 years.

But I have to admit that the dealer/service guys couldn't understand why I wanted this, as they still think block heaters are only for being able to start the car in very cold weather.

Good luck - I'll be interested in hearing how you do with yours!

Tracy, assuming I didn't miss it, would you mind posting the name of the dealer in Madison & maybe the name of someone involved in the service. I'm not far from there, and although my dealer is willing to try install themselves, I might consider going somewhere where they have already done this once. Even if I go to my dealer, they might be able to trade info with the other location.

Thanks!

Jonathan, I had the work done at Smart Motors. Talk with either Matt Jones (who was my rep) or David Marks (who helped order the part/set up service). Tell them the instructions are in T. Perkins' service folder and see if you can have the same technician do it that did mine. I'm sure they'll know me, as I'm kind of the "crazy hybrid lady" around there.
Good luck!

I suspect that I'll never see "summer-like" MPG, but it will be better than starting at ambient temp in the winter! I've been told to heat it for 3-4 hours, so we're setting a timer to go on about that amount of time before the anticipated morning drive time. My car can get 30MPG in the summer, but was at about 19 in the winter so I hope to bring it up into the 20's with the heater.

I'm a "worst-case" driver - no garage, and only about a 5-mile commute. I never even got the car warmed up last winter on the drive into work, so I think this will help. I'll let you all know!