Block heater help....please :D

[Dave M]

I have standard frereze plug block heaters in all my 'non-bimmers' which, of course, work great. However, I've never seen these for M50, M52 etc.

A friend with an e39 touring would like to improve cold starting (-32 C this morning), so I'm wondering what others have tried. Would in-line hose heaters on the lower hose provide heat to the block??

Dave

[Claude]

I have standard frereze plug block heaters in all my 'non-bimmers' which, of course, work great. However, I've never seen these for M50, M52 etc.

A friend with an e39 touring would like to improve cold starting (-32 C this morning), so I'm wondering what others have tried. Would in-line hose heaters on the lower hose provide heat to the block??

Dave

I have a block heater on my M30 it's fine. Lower hose heater device is a technologie of the 70's (perhaps before), i used one long long time ago and it worked well, it's certainly not as efficient as a heater in the block but better than nothing.

Are you sure that new BMW engine (E39 +) can't accept block heater ?

[Tiger]

There are tons of products out there. I think the one that heats the oil pan are much more efficient... go look in diesel engine block heaters and you will get some idea.

[Dave M]

There are tons of products out there. I think the one that heats the oil pan are much more efficient... go look in diesel engine block heaters and you will get some idea.

I've used magnetic oil pan heaters on vehicles without aluminum pans, but they weren't very good (relative to an in-block heater). A good deal of heat must escape out the sides of pan heaters. I've seen stick-on or clamp-on pan heaters for aluminum pans, but I'm partial to the in-block elements.

Please sell me on a pan heater as they are way friggin easier to install, especially on someone elses car :D

Dave

[Dave M]

I have a block heater on my M30 it's fine. Lower hose heater device is a technologie of the 70's (perhaps before), i used one long long time ago and it worked well, it's certainly not as efficient as a heater in the block but better than nothing.

Are you sure that new BMW engine (E39 +) can't accept block heater ?

I'm not certain they're unavailable, but I was unsuccessfull in my initial research. I'll have to look into it further.

Dave

[Tiger]

One step closer to your solution...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ZeroStart-Engine-Block-Heater-BMW-1982-91-2-5-2-7-3-5_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trkparmsZ72Q3a543Q7c66Q3a4Q7c 65Q3a12Q7c39Q3a1Q7c240Q3a1318Q7c301Q3a0Q7c293Q3a1Q 7c294Q3a200QQ_trksidZp3286Q2ec0Q2em14QQhashZitem25 0347025207QQitemZ250347025207QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fT ruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

Call up the guy to see if they have application for your friend's car.

[Tiger]

Inline coolant heater

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ENGINE-BLOCK-RADIATOR-HOSE-COOLANT-HEATER-NEW_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trkparmsZ72Q3a543Q7c66Q3a4Q 7c65Q3a12Q7c39Q3a1Q7c240Q3a1318Q7c301Q3a0Q7c293Q3a 1Q7c294Q3a200QQ_trksidZp3286Q2ec0Q2em14QQhashZitem 310115354138QQitemZ310115354138QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5 fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

[Tiger]

Interesting one...

http://www.jcwhitney.com/ZEROSTART-TANK-TYPE-ENGINE-HEATERS/GP_2000837_N_111+10201+600001648_10101.jcw

I believe with this method, you need two T adapter so this way it only circulate the engine coolant.... And with this one... you can get more powerful heater.

[632 Regal]

Dave,

I have the adapters for like 5/8" heater hose which should work, let me know and I'll dig em up.


Interesting one...

http://www.jcwhitney.com/ZEROSTART-TANK-TYPE-ENGINE-HEATERS/GP_2000837_N_111+10201+600001648_10101.jcw

I believe with this method, you need two T adapter so this way it only circulate the engine coolant.... And with this one... you can get more powerful heater.

[bcohoon]

don't know if they're worth a damn... but they do make dipstick heaters.

[Dave M]

Interesting one...

http://www.jcwhitney.com/ZEROSTART-TANK-TYPE-ENGINE-HEATERS/GP_2000837_N_111+10201+600001648_10101.jcw

I believe with this method, you need two T adapter so this way it only circulate the engine coolant.... And with this one... you can get more powerful heater.

Not sure I follow the two t-adapter bit, but i like the product. I wonder whether coolant would circulate through it when the engine is running, or whether it has valves to prevent that. Anyhow, its interesting.

Thaks for the help Tiger,

Dave

[Dave M]

Dave,

I have the adapters for like 5/8" heater hose which should work, let me know and I'll dig em up.

Thanks Jeff, I'll let you know.

[Tiger]

I think that one has a pump to circulate the coolant. You need to check.

The T adapter... just think of a hose... from engine to heater core and back. We know there is a heater valve that may block the flow when engine is off... so we have to use a pair of T to bypass that heater core.

I don't know if when engine is off... that heater valve is open or close.

[gale]

Pyroil (Canadian, go figure!) still makes the block heater style for most vehicles:

http://partimages2.genpt.com/partimages/255441.jpg

Napa has them for most vehicles. I just put one in our Toyota Land Cruiser for a very frigid trip to North Dakota, minus 23 when we were there a couple weeks ago. It works great, 400 watts. I have to respectfully disagree with the comments that an oil heater is better. A heater element in the water jacket will distrubute heat throughout the motor and will also circulate heat to the radiator via convection currents.

Go to www.napaonline.com and select the ProParts SE on the left side. Search for "block heater" and then do a down-select for specific auto.

Balkamp part number BK 6051470 for an e39 528i

[Dave M]

Pyroil (Canadian, go figure!) still makes the block heater style for most vehicles:

http://partimages2.genpt.com/partimages/255441.jpg

Napa has them for most vehicles. I just put one in our Toyota Land Cruiser for a very frigid trip to North Dakota, minus 23 when we were there a couple weeks ago. It works great, 400 watts. I have to respectfully disagree with the comments that an oil heater is better. A heater element in the water jacket will distrubute heat throughout the motor and will also circulate heat to the radiator via convection currents.

Go to www.napaonline.com and select the ProParts SE on the left side. Search for "block heater" and then do a down-select for specific auto.

Balkamp part number BK 6051470 for an e39 528i

I've installed these frost plug 'in-block' heaters on a number of other cars, but I hesitate to drain coolant and punch out a frost plug on an M52 without knowing someone else has done this successfully. Not only does it need to be the correct diameter, but the element must also be the right length / angle. It must also be placed in the corerect frost plug loaction. What scares me is that the dealership only sells an oil pan style stick-on heater.

Strange that out of all the regular member son here, noone has an in-block heater. I suppose we need more Canadians..... ;)

Thanks for your suggestions,

Dave

[Bill R.]

whats that?:p




I've installed these frost plug 'in-block' heaters on a number of other cars, but I hesitate to drain coolant and punch out a frost plug on an M52 without knowing someone else has done this successfully. Not only does it need to be the correct diameter, but the element must also be the right length / angle. It must also be placed in the corerect frost plug loaction. What scares me is that the dealership only sells an oil pan style stick-on heater.

Strange that out of all the regular member son here, noone has an in-block heater. I suppose we need more Canadians..... ;)

Thanks for your suggestions,

Dave

[tim eh?]

cool thread... -32' holy whatever! dammit it's cold this year!!!!!!!

i think the coldest i've tried is around -25' but it didn't seem to make a difference to mine. starts great - i have been very impressed so far as to the cold weather performance of this car, last year's water pump/HG disaster excepted :(.

[Tiger]

I got one on my diesel, but never used it!

[Tiger]

I experienced -52 wind chill factor... I was outside for about 30 minutes or so... waiting for a bus. LOL

[tim eh?]

I experienced -52 wind chill factor... I was outside for about 30 minutes or so... waiting for a bus. LOL

i can sympathize - not b/c the car wouldn't start tho?

but as far as car starting temps i wasn't factoring wind, i didn't think it would have much effect on a car, just us wimpy humans :D.

[gale]

... Not only does it need to be the correct diameter, but the element must also be the right length / angle. It must also be placed in the corerect frost plug loaction.

Dave

If you plug the vehicle specific info into the Napa Parts Pro SE down-select, it will give you the correct freeze plug diameter, which hole to put it in, and will be the correct match as far as heater element length and curvature goes. I know what you mean tho, you're pretty much committed as soon as the old freeze plug is punched in. I was kinda nervous doing the truck a few nights before a long road trip but it ended up being the correct one. Shoulda gone thru the wheelwell tho to get to it instead of working between the frame rail & block with a mirror. Doh! -- next time I'll think it thru a bit more thoroughly.

[Tiger]

I was actually on the way to pick up my car that day... LOL.