[old jupiter]

(In the Unicorn Corral forum, "Cd" started a thread asking about using some variety of engine pre-heater to get the catalytic converter to light-off earlier. For the various speculative answers to his specific question, go there. I would like to make a broader statement about the more usual employment of pre-heating devices.)

IMOH, plug-in pre-heaters for the engine, engine oil, transmission oil, differential lube, fuel, etc., comprise a topic which ought to be of high interest to mechanical types who are modifying their vehicles for increased fuel efficiency. Yet I see little discussion of them on sites of this kind; I took a quick look at the "65+ Efficiency Mods" without spotting any reference to pre-heaters.

So I want to suggest that an engine heater is a wonderful thing to have on any engine, saving fuel and reducing engine wear during warm up, with the likely added benefit of somewhat-reduced emissions. Furthermore, there are quite a few engines that have a propensity to crack cylinder heads because the manufacturers wanted to save weight and material with thin-wall casting techniques. Ask any old and experienced auto machinist, and he can rattle off names a dozen engines that crack heads. My opinion is that the use of an engine heater, by reducing the range of running temperatures the engine has to stand up to, makes life easier for these thinwall castings, among its other benefits.

There are a number of types and makes of engine heaters. And there are transmission heaters and differential heaters which reduce "churning losses" of cold, viscous lubricants. There are even fuel-line and fuel tank heaters which could aid atomization and vaporization of gasoline, but should be of particular interest to anyone thinking about home-brewing his own bio-diesel or greasil.

Plug-in pre-heaters are a natural for plug-in hybrids (you're plugging in already, and just adding another circuit). Incidently, battery-warmers are in wide use in places with seriously cold winters, as are all of the other pre-heaters.

I personally am only using engine heaters so far, but am interested in them all. I feel that these devices, which are easy add-ons, are not talked about nearly enough on fuel economy sites, and should be considered among the basic improvements you can make to your vehicle. About the only kind I don't think much of is the "dipstick heater" a cheapo variety of engine oil heater that replaces your regular dipstick with one that plugs into 120VAC. I had one long ago, and found it ineffective. Other types work well. Obviously they are more useful when and where it can get cool or cold, meaning anywhere outside of southern Florida or San Diego. And they often offer the same benefits of reduced wear and fuel consumption on powerboats, welder-generators, and so forth.

Nope, I don't sell 'em or own stock in the companies that make 'em.