How does it install?
Do I need one made for a MMH?
Where should I get it?
Do you plug it in overnight, or in the morning?

Please enlighten me. I don't know anything about block heaters.

thanks!

 

http://www.co.missoula.mt.us/EnvHeal...2012-17-04.doc

http://www.jcwhitney.com/Engine-Heat...n_dim_search=1

I think the best is to take it to the dealer and have them install it.

 

Dealer purchase and installation will set you back around 275.00

Where do you live? How cold does it get? How long (months) does it stay cold? Do you have a garage? Does your daily commute involve a short (less than 1 mile) drive to a 40mph or greater highway? A short drive to the highway might indicate you won't benefit from the engine block heater but a grille block might be a better option. GPSman1 touch upon this in the last 4-5 weeks.

 

What's your goal? If you want to have the highest mileage you can, an engine block heater will increase your efficiency--especially on short drives on cold days where you are leaving from your house. However, when you really get down to brass tacks, that happens at BEST only 50% of the time (unless you are lucky enough to work somewhere with a spare outlet in the parking lot, in which case, increase that number to 75%). If your goal is to save money in the long run, forget about it.

I had one put in our MMH before we picked it up from the dealership. I cost about $300 parts and labor. When I did it, I knew full well that I would never recoup that expense in gas savings, but I consider it a luxury toy. It will improve my mileage on that all important "high score" game we play with ourselves (and the online community ), and it will mean I burn fewer hydrocarbons. Most importantly, I can tease the ignorant that it is the plug I use to plug in my electric car.

BTW, your best bet is to plug it in with a timer so that it has about two hours to heat up before you intend on driving. I forget if it was GPSman or someone else who put up that analysis, but it seems to work well in my experience.

 

For best results, you should probably get the exact part from Ford/Mercury. ( identical ) 2005-2007 come with a battery warmer also.
Don't think 2008 has this option.

It takes 400-435 watts of power to heat the engine, 75 watts to heat the HV battery ( if equipped ) So that's like leaving 6-8 lights on energy wise.

Depending on how cold it is, use it for 2 to 4 hours before driving.

if weather is 30's to 50's use it for 2 hours.
if weather is 20's, use it for 3 hours.
is weather is teens or lower, use it for 4 hours.

Using it longer than 4 hours will waste electricity. IMHO

Using mine for 3 hours in the 20's, I use about 20 cents of electricty to save at best, 35 cents of gas. Net gain, $0.15 but of course you get heat to the cabin and windshield much faster too.

It cost me about $170. And that buys more gas then I'm saving!
-John

 

John, where did you get yours? I'm thinking about getting one however, the dealer will be expensive. But I don't want a crappy job down, either!
My thoughts are to get a heater and a grille cover, too. That might be over kill - what you guys think?

Cathy

 

If a dealer is going to do the install, then the dealer can get you the parts. I got mine via mail-order, and installed it myself.

It was not physically difficult to do. If you, or someone in your household can do oil and filter changes, they could probably do this project. It does NOT come with directions when you just buy the parts, so there was a little detective work involved...one tool I didn't have ( large hex key )... and a bit of "The wires look like they should go here..."

I ordered mine from www.oemfordparts.com aka SouthWest Ford.
Their website is not the best to navigate, but their price was lowest.
You could probably order by phone as well.

These parts are needed for 2005-2007.
2008 may need just one part, the heater plug, not sure.

Items Ordered:
Item: WIRE ASSEMBLY ENG BLK HTR
Price: $49.10
Tax: $0.00
Total: $49.10

Item: HEATER ASSEMBLY ENGINE BLOCK
Price: $26.79
Tax: $0.00
Total: $26.79

Item: CHGR/HEATER ASY FOR HI-VOLT BATTERY
Price: $80.70
Tax: $0.00
Total: $80.70

-----------------------------
Items Total: $156.59
Shipping: $14.64
Handling Fee: $0.00
Order Total: $171.23

That last item turns out to be a HV battery warmer... not really a charger.
Please check for changes for 2008 vehicles.

-John

 

Kristian, does your engine block heater include the HV battery warmer??? That interests me more than the engine block warming feature, but several posts indicate that the HV battery warming feature has been eliminated for the 2008 model? W/o the Batt warming, I'm probably not interested.

Secondly, I only see the EBH being available as a 'fleet option' for 2008, vs. a standard option for 2007 and prior. What is Ford doing, and why??

 

I can't answer this since I don't have a 2008.

It is possible that the 2008 has the battery heater components integrated into one cord/plug, thus there is not a separate part# for it like there was in 2005-2007.

In my 2005, I have a 120v cable with std. house "plug" on one end.
This goes into a Y splitter.
One end of the Y goes directly to the block (water) heater.
One end of the Y goes to a 120v AC to 24v DC transformer.
The 24v DC is sent to the back of the car and warms the HV battery.

So I had to buy:
A) Plug with Y
B) block heater
C) 24v transformer ( the actual battery heater is in every car )

C) may already come "as built" in the 2008, but that is pure speculation.

 

Which part(s) would I purchase if I wanted only the battery heater, not the engine block heater for a 2006 FEH?
Just the $80 "CHGR/HEATER ASY FOR HI-VOLT BATTERY"?