Block Heater Question

[jdtyper3196]

I used to live in SD. Didn't need a block heater with my Ford Festiva. but it definitely will be a plus since your further north. If you were in Winterpeg.....well you'll be pretty close....you would definitely need it. Good luck!

 

[Prolex7]

Put a shovel in your truck...

Once I make the move up there I am definitely going to get one. My car is going to be PACKED already. Moving next week. Whew a 24+ hour drive is going to be crazy

I'm thinking a remote start too ...

I have the factory installed remote start and yes I will definitely use it.

 

[scanny]

Sometimes it's getting pretty cold here in Ontario and in Quebec where go skiing on winter vacation. But so far I've never used block heater and didn't have any problem starting cars. I got my T4R a year ago and I think it didn't get lower than -25C (-13F) here in the last winter (not counting windchill) and the truck always started fine in the morning after sitting on my driveway all night. But of course block heater is a nice feature, just make sure that it warms up transmission as well as the engine.

 

[pattycakes]

They come standard in pretty much all vehicles in the colder proviences. If you are paying for the power get a timer and set it to come on 3 hours before you leave in the morning or you will just be heating the atmosphere after that. They are great , instant heat and saves ware and tare on the engine as oil pressure builds faster also I believe it saves gas as a cold engine wastes alot before it reaches temperature , so the fater it gets there the better and KWH of power is cheaper than gas. Up here in the MAC it gets alot colder than you will see down there and they are a must here for certain temps as the engine will barely turn over without them.You won't need one down there but they make life in the morning much nicer. As stated there are many differen types I tryed pretty much all of them and find the in block one to be the best . Always remember to plug into a GFI receptcale to prevent frying youself.

 

[Prolex7]

They come standard in pretty much all vehicles in the colder proviences. If you are paying for the power get a timer and set it to come on 3 hours before you leave in the morning or you will just be heating the atmosphere after that. They are great , instant heat and saves ware and tare on the engine as oil pressure builds faster also I believe it saves gas as a cold engine wastes alot before it reaches temperature , so the fater it gets there the better and KWH of power is cheaper than gas. Up here in the MAC it gets alot colder than you will see down there and they are a must here for certain temps as the engine will barely turn over without them.You won't need one down there but they make life in the morning much nicer. As stated there are many differen types I tryed pretty much all of them and find the in block one to be the best . Always remember to plug into a GFI receptcale to prevent frying youself.

Thank you for the advice! Yeah if getting a block heater helps my engine not strain as much in the morning then I am going to get one in the next few weeks for sure.

 

[Catchlight]

When I lived in the Cariboo region of British Columbia and Whitehorse in the Yukon, overnight temperatures would drop below freezing for weeks at a time, with the occasional week in the -30s to -40s around the clock. Having no garage, I went with a circulating block heater to keep the oil in a semi-liquid state, a battery heater, and an interior heater with a fan.

I also inserted a sheet of heavy cardboard between the grille and the rad to cut down the flow of sub-zero air while driving. Just had to remember to take it out when temps went up. Newspaper (or something stiffer) spread over the windshield overnight eliminated the need to scrape off ice and snow, and I parked so that the driver's door was on the lee side of the car in case of blizzard conditions.

At work in Williams Lake, the (absentee) employer refused to provide outdoor plugs for our block heaters, so I parked around the side and ran a cord out of the building. It was that important to avoid completely cold starts.

Even at temps a bit below zero, the block heater lessens the wear that winter can cause to your engine and starter, and saves a lot of fuel in your first several miles. I'm just about to get one installed on my 2011 Trail. To me, some or all of the above measures seem essential for the climate where you're headed.

 

[OrdnanceMarine]

I've been using a block heater for 2 years on my Honda and finally chased down the one I need for my 4Runner. From the looks of it Kat's is the only one that makes block heaters for the 4Runner and the part number is 11813. The kit I see on toyotaparts4u.com is a Kat's unit and sells for about $75 all said and done. The cheapest I've found it (and it's not that easy to find) is $40 from Napa. The previous main online seller is closing it's doors and they are out of this model.

I ended up ordering it from Napa and figured it might be helpful to toss the information I found up here on T4R.

 

[NoDak]

Well the local toyota dealer installs block heaters as default in all new toyotas. If the 4runner is going to be parked inside during the nite i see it as pointless.

now the big question is when its parked at work do they have block heater outlets in the parking lot? if so and the 4runner is going to be sitting outside for 8+ hrs or longer, i would say you need a block heater.

regardless of syn or regular oil, its just easier for the engine starting if you have a block heater. once it gets to -20F or lower, the 2nd issue is differential sluggishness. it may take a few miles for that to warm up so take it easy on really cold days.

if you use 87 octane, buy some heet, otherwise run 89 with ethanol to keep water out of the tank.

remote starter is a nice luxury or as my wife says, #1 option (she has a rav4)

if you dont drive 10-15+ miles one way, be careful of muffler replacement within 1-2 years, since the condensation can get really bad.

forgot to add, if you do use a block heater, buy a 3 prong adapter that is lighted. it will piss you off to no end if you plug your vehicle into an outlet that has no power. the lighted 3 prong adapter will light when plugged into a powered outlet.


only the best come north, only the stupid stay

 

[OrdnanceMarine]

Well the local toyota dealer installs block heaters as default in all new toyotas. .........

forgot to add, if you do use a block heater, buy a 3 prong adapter that is lighted. it will piss you off to no end if you plug your vehicle into an outlet that has no power. the lighted 3 prong adapter will light when plugged into a powered outlet.


only the best come north, only the stupid stay

That reminds me of one more bit of advice. Do remember to UNPLUG your block heater before you back out and drive away. As it turns out, the automatic unpluging feature works well to disconnect the plug but man is it hard on the cord! I had to replace the cord recently due to damage to the conductor near the plug that happened a year or so ago when I spaced it and forgot to unplug it. It wasn't until I returned home and was wondering why my extension cord was laying half-way across my garage that it clicked.

Other option might be to select a plug that doesn't fit too snug so the prongs can pull out before damaging the cord. It's a human factors issue and bound to happen given enough time. Hats off to those that have used block heaters for years and have never had this happen.

 

[kingpin748]

That reminds me of one more bit of advice. Do remember to UNPLUG your block heater before you back out and drive away. As it turns out, the automatic unpluging feature works well to disconnect the plug but man is it hard on the cord! I had to replace the cord recently due to damage to the conductor near the plug that happened a year or so ago when I spaced it and forgot to unplug it. It wasn't until I returned home and was wondering why my extension cord was laying half-way across my garage that it clicked.

That happens all the time up here in Alberta. You see either:

A. Extension cords lying in the middle of the road
B. Cars dragging extension cords
C. Block heaters with the plug ripped off

I always get a chuckle and yes I've done it a couple of times.

 

[Prolex7]

I was in Billings one weekend and finally broke down and got the local dealer to install one for me. It was $159 installed. $59 for part and $100 for install. A little pricey of course but it saved me time. They ran the plug through my lower front grill so it's real easy to plug it up.

I went to WalMart to get a ext. cord a couple of weeks ago and they didn't have the cord with the light on the connector! So now when I plug in to a random outlet I plug my iPhone charger and phone in to see if it is live.

They make these winter heavy duty extension cords (blue in color) that stay flexible in cold temperatures so its easier to wrap them up. About $15 more than a same gauge regular heavy duty ext. cord.

 

[NoDak]

I went to WalMart to get a ext. cord a couple of weeks ago and they didn't have the cord with the light on the connector! So now when I plug in to a random outlet I plug my iPhone charger and phone in to see if it is live.

its not a whole extension cord with lighted ends. its a 3-prong to 3-prong adapter with internal light.

here is a link to what i am talking about.

Single Outlet Lighted Plug Adapter # 4325C by Woods Industries

they are not $25 at walmart, somewhere around $4-5 i think or you can find them at the local automotive parts stores in town.

 

[Prolex7]

its not a whole extension cord with lighted ends. its a 3-prong to 3-prong adapter with internal light.

here is a link to what i am talking about.

Single Outlet Lighted Plug Adapter # 4325C by Woods Industries

they are not $25 at walmart, somewhere around $4-5 i think or you can find them at the local automotive parts stores in town.

Awesome I will probably go look for one this weekend. Thanks for the info!

 

[934x4]

I haven't seen antifreeze mentioned. I think most American 4R's have a 45/55 mix and in Canada it's 50/50. I believe the higher glycol content drops the freeze point from about -30C to -37C (-22F to -35F) or somewhere around there. Some of the smarter guys in here will know the specifics.

 

[NoDak]

I haven't seen antifreeze mentioned. I think most American 4R's have a 45/55 mix and in Canada it's 50/50. I believe the higher glycol content drops the freeze point from about -30C to -37C (-22F to -35F) or somewhere around there. Some of the smarter guys in here will know the specifics.

well pure antifreeze if i remember correctly has a freezing point of 0F. adding water lowers that. best bet is to read the owners manual and or the antifreeze container.

norm is 50/50 or 60/40 water or 70/30 water.

i preferred distilled water or mineral less water or buy the pre mixed stuff.

also dont mix some factory antifreeze (i think its dex-cool) with stuff like prestone regular antifreeze.

i usually run mine to -32F and in really cold snaps, you can always cover the grill with cardboard so you can actually get some heat inside the car.

 

[Jtraskell]

well pure antifreeze if i remember correctly has a freezing point of 0F. adding water lowers that. best bet is to read the owners manual and or the antifreeze container.

norm is 50/50 or 60/40 water or 70/30 water.

i preferred distilled water or mineral less water or buy the pre mixed stuff.

also don't mix some factory antifreeze (i think its dex-cool) with stuff like prestone regular antifreeze.

i usually run mine to -32F and in really cold snaps, you can always cover the grill with cardboard so you can actually get some heat inside the car.

Thanks NoDak, I never realized. Here is a good article supporting your comments above. Don't Fill Her Up with Antifreeze, Alaska Science Forum

Again, thanks for bringing this up. Be safe and have a Merry Christmas.

 

[NoDak]

also some winter temp humor/fact.

-40F is the same as -40C.

 

[Titanpat57]

I just ordered a block heater.

Although I have remote start....I still like that option for colder nights (20 or below)

Toyota Block Heater (see description) 00113-00902

Pretty cheap protection...55$ with shipping

 

[Biggcrisp]

How is that global warming working out for everyone?

We barely had a summer up here in the frozen Midwest. :couch2:

 

[Alwayselks]

Am in position to get one. Have had SAABs 1987,1997both with block heAters. Always started. Purchased JEEP 2004 installed heater after one no start. Rolled that into creek now have 2003 4 runner AWD and today is first day no start. Did not start yesterday as my day off. Temp yesterday -24. Today -16 at 7:15 am. Need to get it jump started. So I learned lesson. I am purchasing heater.