Block heater info for Mr.Roboto

[potskie]

Ok man I tried a little experiment this week in your name. Using my new Scan gauge I now know my van goes closed loop at 52* C. This week the temps rose to above 10* so I tried something we had discussed out. One night I plugged the block heater in and at the time it was 10*C and when I went to start the van it was also 10*C the next day. Immediately at start up the engine was at 48*C already. So by the time I hit the end of the driveway the Scan gauge said coolant temp was 54*C and the LP read out said it was now closed loop. Inside of a minute.

So when I got home that night I didn't plug in the van, ambient temp was 12*C. Next day when I went to leave the ambient temp was 9* and when I fired up the van the gauge said coolant temp was 12* ( I don't leave for work till 2pm and it was sunny which I think is why it warmer than ambient). I waited at idle for about 30 seconds before I started moving and then I drove to tim hortons got a tea and as I was leaving it hit 52*C and went closed loop according to the gauge it was 6 minutes and 47 seconds.

So the idea may be worth trying on the long term even int he summer. Also I noticed the tranny was warmer after being left plugged in over night as well. I especially noticed that after seeing the temp as I left my house for work compared with leaving work where it's not plugged in to go home. even the tranny is about 10* warmer

[Mr_Roboto]

Very interesting, the only question left in my mind becomes how fast the block heater works and the power consumption; I can't see how it would be more expensive than gasoline, and if you only needed to set it on a timer for an hour, it would be super easy to set that up. The trans temp is probably not the worse of things either tbh, esp. with the thicker fluid I usually run.

[Someone]

a block heater is usually reccomended as follows.

below -8C 8 hours
above -8C 2 hours

that is for a diesel, it should be pretty similar though.

I was trying to get a diesel started the other day... this truck would only start if it was warm... it just keeps cranking if its not, it was around -6C, I plugged it in and tried it after two hours and had no luck.. got it started about an hour after that... so I would say 3 to 4 hours should do you in the winter... maybe an hour in the summer.

on a side note, the other day when it was 10C this same truck, wich had been plugged in all week started first crank with none of those freshly started diesel knocks or noises, It started like it had just been stopped for a coffee or something... so how much power does a block heater use?

[potskie]

IIRC My block heater is 55W I pay $.053 per kWh so it's approx $1.06 a year to run it an hour a day. So definitely cheaper than running the engine even once to bring up the temp that much if you only need to run it for an hour.

[astrozam]

Interesting,so at what point do you believe it to be not worth plugging in the block heater,with the cost of Juice being what it is,I can't see the cost savings (less gas used) vs (juice used) to be worthwhile in warmer temps,unless of course you have a nearby neighbor,LOL

Still,that scangauge looks like an interesting tool.

[potskie]

Interesting,so at what point do you believe it to be not worth plugging in the block heater,with the cost of Juice being what it is,I can't see the cost savings (less gas used) vs (juice used) to be worthwhile in warmer temps,unless of course you have a nearby neighbor,LOL

Still,that scangauge looks like an interesting tool.

zam yes it is a nice tool 'm loving it. Now that 1.06 a year is exactly that running my block heater an hour a day 356 a year would cost me 1.06 dollars. So if it saves even 10 cents in fuel over the course of a summer it paid for it self I would say.

I have to agree with someone tho In the winter it probably needs 2.5 hours or so.

Also dude if it's having that much trouble starting in the cold. Flip down the drivers visor and the cold weather starting procedure should be there. IIRC from my burb that had a 6.2 it was press and hold the throttle 3/4s of the way to the floor and start cranking but don't crank longer than 45 seconds at a time. Also at the first sign of catching back off to 1/4 throttle.

oh and at -8 it should just fire up like butter soon as the glow plug light goes out. my old 6.2 would fire right up soon as it went out even in -20 with out having been started all week. So in other words the glow plug system may need a good once over. I know the glow plug control module was know for going south in em.

[Someone]

thanks for the starting tips.. thankfully that was in the truck that I sold to buy this one... this one starts smooth as butter... except for when the connection goes bad at the starter, but I have a stick incase that happens!

[Water Boy]

Since the block heater is the way to go for you northern people, I've got a new in the box GM block heater.waiting for to be installed. Reimburse me for the shipping and it is yours.

I have one on my 90 and used it for years on a plug in timer.

[ihatemybike]

I wants, will it fit my '99?

[Water Boy]

Installs in a freeze plug position on a '90 4.3Z.
I'm guessing it will fit most anything.
The included instruction sheet is date coded 10/93 (made and printed in Canada) (drawing # 1155097).
Part number on the box looks like 996246 (guessing on the first number).

[Mr_Roboto]

My question out of this becomes not if there would be long term savings but how much. I mean, lets think of it this way you could be talking 4-5mpg difference by going to closed loop earlier (the engine also enrichens the fuel mix when the engine is cold) so if you have 6 minutes or .1hr difference in going itno closed loop and average 30mph (.5mi/min) over that trip, you have traveled 1.5 miles by the time you hit closed loop roughly. That being said, if you gained 40% mpg (or 5mpg) you're talking about .6 gallon less gasoline being used for that 1.5 miles. At $3/gallon, you could very well pay off the electricity the first time you do it. The results could be this dramatic, especially for someone like me who runs a van with out a heated oxygen sensor (need to plug it back in)

[potskie]

My question out of this becomes not if there would be long term savings but how much. I mean, lets think of it this way you could be talking 4-5mpg difference by going to closed loop earlier (the engine also enrichens the fuel mix when the engine is cold) so if you have 6 minutes or .1hr difference in going itno closed loop and average 30mph (.5mi/min) over that trip, you have traveled 1.5 miles by the time you hit closed loop roughly. That being said, if you gained 40% mpg (or 5mpg) you're talking about .6 gallon less gasoline being used for that 1.5 miles. At $3/gallon, you could very well pay off the electricity the first time you do it. The results could be this dramatic, especially for someone like me who runs a van with out a heated oxygen sensor (need to plug it back in)

lol that's what I was trying to say with a lot less math...lol I've got heated oxygen sensors in mine so the result may be more dramatic for you. I kinda want to put a receptacle meter on my receptacle that the extension cord is plugged into and get data including loss across the cord and exact usage.

Last night when I left work it was -5 and I idled for about a minute then drove for 10 minutes. I had used 1.26L of fuel before it went closed loop. Then the remaining 22 minutes of the trip home I used another 2.27L which was mostly on the highway as it took me about 11 minutes to get to the highway. Figured I'd throw some more data at you. Especially since in the same -5 temp range when I leave for work the van goes closed loop after about .05L fuel usage and I use a total of 3.06L average including a tim hortons drive through wait. I don't usually stop on the way home. The trip is also a little longer as I drive a guy form work home since by the time we leave the buses have stopped running.

[Water Boy]

I installed mine on the 90 because the wife would turn the key to start and then immediately into R to back-out of the driveway and then onto work.

No warm up at all.
I've tried a few times to get her to give it 60 seconds before moving but it was not worth the effort.

Didn't care about KW cost since I used a lamp timer.