block heater -function? - Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum

laack · 03-09-2011, 10:52 AM

can anyone with a scan gauge living in a cold climate provide some feedback of their water temperature read out before start-up.

I've been getting more and more suspicious of the block heater on my wife's car lately. I checked it this morning again after leaving it plugged in all night and the water temperature was only 21f. Its 16f ambient this morning . Ive done some comparisons the last couple days with not plugging it in, record temp, not plugging in recording data then 4 hrs of plugging in-record with minimal change (2 or 3 degrees) that i can attribute to temps warming from overnight lows.

How warm is your water temp after letting the block heater do its job?

Its cold out and i really don't want to pull it out and test it if i don't have to.

I believe its a 1200 watt, no clue what brand block heater.
car is a 97 civic 1.6

Nevyn · 03-09-2011, 02:03 PM

Mother of pants! Something is definitely wrong with it then. My 400W heater will get my temp up to 90F when outside temp is in the 20's. Got to 50F when it was -17F. At 50 Ambient, I can get to 130! 2.0L Elantra (2004).

Odin · 03-09-2011, 02:37 PM

my 300d block heater keeps my engine right about 50f when its zero or colder but when its in the 20's and 30's i'll start it and my temp is closer to 80f

so i'd agree with nevyn there is something wrong for sure.

Daox · 03-09-2011, 02:48 PM

I only run my heater for about 1.5 hrs in the morning (400W) on the Prius and it gets up to about 80F (ambient of ~25F). Something is definitely wrong.

fjasper · 03-09-2011, 04:23 PM

Block heater on my little car brings the engine up from ambient to a point where the valve cover is warm to the touch, ~100F, in about 2 hours from 20F. I can hear it heating the water within a few seconds of plugging it in.

laack, sounds like yours is dead.

GeneralAnarchy · 03-09-2011, 06:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fjasper

laack, sounds like yours is dead.

I've had some EBHs that just had a bad wire near the plug. If you hook up an audio continuity tester and wiggle the plug wire sometimes it will chirp.

Otherwise, you can take off the plug and test the resistance. If it goes to infinity then the break is probably in the heater itself.

CigaR007 · 03-09-2011, 08:04 PM

Have you checked if the circuit breaker hasn't tripped ?

fjasper · 03-09-2011, 08:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GeneralAnarchy

I've had some EBHs that just had a bad wire near the plug. If you hook up an audio continuity tester and wiggle the plug wire sometimes it will chirp.

Otherwise, you can take off the plug and test the resistance. If it goes to infinity then the break is probably in the heater itself.

Ha-ha, I had a paragraph suggesting putting a continuity tester across it to check it, but I deleted it before I posted. Worth a check for sure.

The latest one I had put in has a separate cord that plugs in to the heater unit. Another opportunity for an open circuit. Make sure the wire has enough slack to allow the motor to shift around without stressing the wires.

laack · 03-09-2011, 08:55 PM

ill agree that its likely dead. I just didn't want to admit it. I picked up a new block heater today, and will install tomorrow.