So, earlier this winter I installed a 1kw block heater on the Metro. It is absolutely wonderful. 20 minutes of preheat and I jump into a car that is almost ready to blast my cold face with heat, and it doesn't idle high at all. I am
really enjoying this modification.
However, I am also worried about it. When I go to unplug the heater in the morning, I can hear my coolant boiling in the heater itself. The heater is designed this way purposefully. Here is a quote from the installation manual.
Quote:
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This unit operates on the principal of thermosyphoning. There is no mechanical pump contained in this unit. This unit boils the coolant and this action will move water from the top of the heater into the engine block and continue to circulate the coolant until it reaches a temperature of at least 150 degrees.
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My question is, does boiling the coolant degrade it in any way? I know polypropylene glycol (used in solar hot water setups) is definitely degraded by getting too hot. I'm not sure about ethylene glycol (used in cars) though. Everything I looked up online was about cars overheating, not the effect on the coolant itself.