Engine Block Heater Success

[MetroMPG]

you need to get info from honda (shop manual?). find out where the OEM block heater goes on your engine and what diameter it takes.

sounds to me like maybe you're not sure what a frost plug is? they're (relatively) thin metal (think mine was aluminum) circular "caps" that fit snug inside holes in the block which lead to the water jacket.

in the event that you mistakenly fill the cooling system with a mixture that freezes, the frost plug(s) job is to crack/rupture and relieve the pressure as the ice/water expands, thus saving the block from cracking. depending on the size of the block, there will be multiple frost plugs in various strategic locations.

i stupidly did this once with my first car (put straight water in the cooling system, forgot about it and it froze when the weather changed). fortunately, the frost plugs did their job - they burst and the block was fine.

[SVOboy]

I'll look in my manual now. I hope I can find it, should I just look under engine or something?

[MetroMPG]

not exactly sure where it'll be. sorry. (could be under cooling system too.)

[SVOboy]

It's nowhere. I checked engine and cooling system, damn thing. Mehbe I should just guess. Or call the dealer, which is just a pain.

[Flatland2D]

What's a block heater? Predicted highs in the 60's to 70's next week where I live. I love Texas.

[SVOboy]

Heat = suck for me, I wish it were 60 to 70 degrees colder. If you weren't being sarcastic: a block heater heats up the block to eliminate some of the cold start problems.

[rh77]

Even though the car is garaged, the block heater helps minimize open-loop time. I'm thinking that during the summer, the heater can run on a timer for like one-hour before startup -- quicker to closed- loop. Even if it's 100 degrees outside, my thermostat is set to 192, so the closer to that temp, the better (I'm guessing).

RH77

[krousdb]

So I snagged a 850W tank type EBH on ebay, $19 shipped. Evidently the way they circulate coolant is by convection rather than a circulating pump. The problem is that there is no easy way to install it such that the cold water comes from the bottom of the block and the warm water enters the head, which would enable convective flow. I ended up splicing it into my heater core feed line. And as I expected, the water in the heater and nearby hoses get hot but nothing else. The EBH cycles on and off without doing much good.

So I am thinking of a freeze plug type. Gonna check it out today at the dealership.

[JanGeo]

Just a thought - put it in a separate tank that is insulated and keep that hot and then let the water pump circulate it with the heater hose to the block when the engine starts - less energy loss this way and you should be able to really heat up the water and dump it to the engine when it starts as well as the heater if you want some cabin heat plus you preheat the water with the engine for start and stop driving during the day in case you can't plug in. A few pound of extra water for much better warmup. I think I need to do a test with a bucket of hot water in the car to see how it cools off.

[SVOboy]

Originally Posted by JanGeo

Just a thought - put it in a separate tank that is insulated and keep that hot and then let the water pump circulate it with the heater hose to the block when the engine starts - less energy loss this way and you should be able to really heat up the water and dump it to the engine when it starts as well as the heater if you want some cabin heat plus you preheat the water with the engine for start and stop driving during the day in case you can't plug in. A few pound of extra water for much better warmup. I think I need to do a test with a bucket of hot water in the car to see how it cools off.

I have actually been thinking of insulating my coolant reservoir in order to help it retain heat better for why I have to do short trips and other such annoyances.