Testing OEM block heater: how hot after how much time plugged in?

[mohammad]

For comparison purposes has anyone ever made a chart of how long the engine takes to warm up to certain coolant temperatures via idling?

[dspace9]

No but anecdotally, driving my Mirage going on 8 years now, and owning no other car, I got a pretty good idea.

*Even in winter time, I would say within 5 minutes or less, that cold engine light is off. Not that long after getting out of town on my way home commuting every day. That light is off. And in the hot weather obviously it's off much sooner. I don't know the numbers for viscosity of all the liquids running the engine.

So 3-5 minutes engine 3 pot is hot, even if the rest of the car is mostly frozen.

[MetroMPG]

For comparison purposes has anyone ever made a chart of how long the engine takes to warm up to certain coolant temperatures via idling?

Never tried that.

Do you have a Scangauge?

[mohammad]

Never tried that.

Do you have a Scangauge?

I dont no, I have considered getting one. But im not overly concerned about my fuel economy. Maybe one day in the future if I try doing eco-mods and/or start driving a lot more ill consider buying one.

[MetroMPG]

OK.

I am unwilling to idle my car to answer this question.

[dspace9]

This might be a stupid question, but a block heater... just makes it easier to start your Mirage in the middle of the winter?

Never had one before. Anyways not related to this thread, however I had my driver's door key go unworkable this week. Had to go into my Mirage from the passenger side for 2 days.

So then I bought Jig-A-Loo graphite spray, and success, my Mirage's lock is good as new again. Used the same spray on my side door at home, and that is now working again like new. Yea, I couldn't turn my wrist left to lock my driver's door - left to lock, right to unlock

[mohammad]

This might be a stupid question, but a block heater... just makes it easier to start your Mirage in the middle of the winter?

It also gives you heat in the car faster and saves you gas as the car uses extra gas to warm up and to power the electric element in the cabin heater and less gas is wasted heating up coolant. These are the main reasons that shorter drives experience much worse fuel economy than longer ones.

Power doorlock upgrade kits are like $50 on Amazon. No need for those peasant mechanical keys.

[Wallythacker]

Never tried that.

Do you have a Scangauge?

I've got one. What's the test you guys want to run? I also have the Veespeak bluetooth OBD module and can compare all three, SG, Vpesk and Mirage lights.

I've decided I want to try minimizing cold engine wear. It all comes back to heating the oil as the best thing you can do. With that in mind I wonder how well a dipstick heater would work? I get it's only 90 watts, so on the low end, but in terms of wear the oil is the best thing to heat in the winter. The dipstick would only be about 30-40mm down into oil. Is that really far enough to move enough heat to the oil? The heater is a Katz. My cost $85. Has anyone here ever used a dipstick style heater?

Or, would it be better to go with the silicone stick on pads. Amazon has this https://www.amazon.com/KENUOS-Thermo...28&sr=8-5&th=1 which seems like a good deal for $30. I can do both my cars or the oil and the transmission. Is there any value at all in heating a manual transmission? Maybe at -60F but even then.

I think 150w directly into the oil is probably more effective than 400w into a fairly small water jacket that's not moving. The blurb does say it takes 15 minutes to bring the oil to 194F.

Well, I ordered the $30 silicone stick ons. Where and when I'll have a change to really clean the oil pan is the next question. I suppose I could drag out my ramps.

[MetroMPG]

I've got one. What's the test you guys want to run?

I think mohammad was interested in seeing a graph of coolant temp vs. time, while idling after a cold start.

I've decided I want to try minimizing cold engine wear. It all comes back to heating the oil as the best thing you can do. ... in terms of wear the oil is the best thing to heat in the winter.

Do what my gramps did with the farm tractor: drain the oil when you park at the end of the day and bring it inside the house! Heat it on the stove the next morning.

I'll be curious to see how your stick-on oil pan heater works. I'd stick one on the transmission too.

[Fummins]

I think mohammad was interested in seeing a graph of coolant temp vs. time, while idling after a cold start.



Do what my gramps did with the farm tractor: drain the oil when you park at the end of the day and bring it inside the house! Heat it on the stove the next morning.

I'll be curious to see how your stick-on oil pan heater works. I'd stick one on the transmission too.

I might try just that. I have a that I have to get into the shop this morning. It's -33C(-27F-Feels like -42F) right now and the car isn't plugged in. It's been sitting outside since last week(waiting for a rear wheel bearing to come in).

I have a feeling the green cold engine light is still gonna be on after 5 mins. Cold is a very relative term.