Engine block heater
 

Just wondering if anybody had a Honda engine block heater installed in their HCH. I was looking into getting one before this winter and want to know if it's worth it. Due to the temps last winter, the conventual starter kicked in at least 10 times and a few of those starts were taxing the battery real badly.

I'm hoping someone out there had it done.;)

Re: Engine oil heater
 

Living in Phoenix, I bought a house with a "built-in engine oil heater."

It's called an Uninsulated Garage.....100+ degrees in there during the day from May through October....:D

But no, in seriousness, I have not read of anyone installing an engine oil heater. Maybe a block heater. I'll Google something and post it here....

Dipstick-based engine oil heater, $15.99:

http://auto-parts.bagsfull.com/morei...item=54ZX1417P

or:

http://www.jcwhitney.com/webapp/wcs/...&storeId=10101

Re: Engine oil heater
 

:confused: Sorry, a block heater is what I meant. I was looking into oil heaters after looking at the 2004 HCH accessories and found out that they only had block heaters. I still have to call for Honda part and labor pricing.

I think both would have the same effect.

Re: Engine oil heater
 

don't you mean a sauna.

A garage would be a nice accessory to have :P however unlikely to happen. My car is at mother natures mercy 24/7, 365.

I think both options would get the job done. Although the oil heater would be a cheaper route (can't beat 16 bucks), I believe the block heater will be the best way to go, as long as it won't cost too much. I'm hoping that this route will reduce the wear and tear on the car and also save me time and gas.

I'll call Honda tomorrow and get the details and post them.

Thanks for the help Larry

Re: Engine oil heater
 

Hey, not a prob....Hope you find something affordable that does a MAHVELOUS job - we people who deal with extremes (hot or cold) need to stick together !!! :D

Re: Engine oil heater
 

If you get a block heater, I would suggest picking up something like the Kill-A-Watt or Power Angel so you can measure how much power is used by the block heater. If you use $1 of electricity to save $0.20 in fuel, then obviously it may not be real cost effective in teh short term. In the long term, obviously a warmed engine should have better wear characteristics, but it would still be interesting to measure exactly how much electricity is used.

Re: Engine oil heater
 

I have purchased, but not yet installed, my block heater. The installation looks straight forward, and I will do it at my 50k oil change, when I would normally change my antifreeze.

I intend to use it on nights when the temp would be below 20F. I believe that the wattage was 25w, which means that for a 12 hour burn, I would use .3kw which would cost me about $.05. If my mileage is 2 percent better, or about 1 mpg, that translates to 12 miles per tank or .24 gallon or $.60 vs $.35 for the electricity.

I am hoping, however, that the mileage is much better than 2 percent, as my winter mileage slumps more than 20 percent from summer highs.

Re: Engine oil heater
 

Wow, that's pretty low draw. Do you have any pictures of it? I'd be really curious to see the true power draw. I mean 25w is less than half as much as a standard light bulb. I guess maybe if it's not intended to make any more heat than a light bulb, then that would be normal. Seeing that I live in Phoenix, Arizona, I don't have a lot of experience with extreme cold climate stuff. :)

Re: Engine oil heater
 

Thanks for the specs Charlie
Not sure what you meant here. Are you replacing your antifreeze? Honda recomends 120,000 miles or ten years before the first coolant change. The instructions says to drain coolant into a clean drain pan so you can reuse it when your finished the installation.

I called today and only got the price off them (left a message with the service department) and the block heater cost $60.00.

I found the block heater installation manual for the Odyssey. The heater for the Civic should be about the same.
http://www.hondapartsdeals.com/Honda...ngineblock.pdf
There's very little information about them on the web.

Re: Engine oil heater
 

Has anyone installed an engine block heater in their HCH yet? Wondering how well it works. Does anyone know the wattage? I see that 600 watts is pretty typical for a block heater. The dealer wants $150, installed. I see you can get them on the web for about 50 bucks including shipping.