Geo Metro Block Heater How-to

[canhonkey]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

Hi knowbodies - I've never seen more than about 130 F above ambient using my 800 watt heater (almost identical to yours, bbjsw10).

So if the thermostat on the car opens at 170-180F, how effective is this tank heater at warming the block?! Just a question..

Ken

[bbjsw10]

Canhonkey,by tying into the heater hoses it bypasses the thermostat and only warms the block and not radiator.

[canhonkey]

Originally Posted by bbjsw10

Canhonkey,by tying into the heater hoses it bypasses the thermostat and only warms the block and not radiator.

Ah ic..In that case, I'm going to buy one.

Thanks

[TestDrive]

Originally Posted by MazdaMatt

hm... i clicked the link and it says "make sure it fits your vehicle" and it tells me that it does not fit my 2k2 mazda protege5... is that just silly (because it is not oem bolt-on), or does my car maybe have different sized hoses?

As long as there is room in the engine compartment to mount it, you should be able to make it work.
Instruction sheet from KATs
(Take special note of points 2 & 3. Also be aware that it's best if the tank heater is mounted lower than the upper most hose connection.)

You might need parts not included in the package (example: if your heater hoses aren't 5/8").

[Chris D.]

just curious why you didn't go for a freeze plug replacment heater?

[Coyote X]

Amazon also lists 1000W, 1500W, and 2000W heaters. Is there any reason to stick with the smaller ones? I figure some people might need a long extension cord and pulling 19 amps might be a bit much, but if the power is available at a nearby outlet that is wired good, then what would everyone estimate for the time to heat up a metro with a 2000W heater?

I have been meaning to convert from X10 controls in my house to Z-wave and that would give me the ability to put a remote switch in the house and the switched plug in my garage so I could turn on the heater remotely, like say 15-30 minutes before I plan on leaving. I don't really have a consistent enough schedule to use a timer so I would pretty much just have to work it manually. Plus if it heats up quickly that means even for unplanned trips I can just hit the switch right when I am first thinking about leaving so even with just 10 minutes it would still heat up pretty good.

[Formula413]

Boy I wish I had an outlet near my car.

I too was under the impression that all engine block heaters used an actual element in or on the block, this setup is a great idea.

[Peter B]

I just picked up the 500-watt version of this heater. I live in Minneapolis (it gets COLD here), and have to park my car outside, year-round, but have an outlet to plug into. I am sick and tired of going out to a frozen car when it's below zero outside. I bought this item from an outfit in Redding, Calif. and when the package arrived by UPS, it looked like this item could have been sitting on a shelf for 20 years or more. The illustrations on the box and the instruction sheet are really old-fashioned looking. Kinda weird. But anyway, the item is actually made in USA, which is cool.

My car is a 1990 Acura Integra (Honda Prelude). I can see that there is very little room in the engine bay to mount this thing. But I think I can see a spot that might work. I have studied the instruction sheet that came with the heater, and also the heater hoses in my engine bay. If I understand all of this correctly, my best bet is to tie this unit into the heater core INLET hose. That way, the Kat's heater will be heating/pumping warm coolant into the heater core, and from there it will be returning to the engine block, circulating around the cylinder jackets, and out to the heater core again. Does that sound right?

[MetroMPG]

ChrisD: because the freeze plug types typically don't offer the wattage you can get with a tank style heater.

PeterB: sounds right.

Coyote: go for it! I thought I was pushing boundaries going with 800w on a 1L, but why not? Also you hit the nail on the head: the faster it works, the more likely you'll use it for "spontaneous" trips.

And now the fun part: I just realized mine must be installed wrong. I was sure my instructions told me to mount mine horizontally (outlet), but bbjsw10, and now Mullet, both installed theirs with the outlet pointing UP, which makes far more sense considering these are supposed to rely on convection for circulating the coolant. (I realize the PDF you linked to points up.)

I checked to see if I still had my documentation, but I don't.

So I'm going to have to have another look at mine. Supposed to be getting a warmer spell this week, so I may turn it 90 degrees and see what happens.

[Peter B]

One thing that is not totally clear to me about these kat's heaters, not having installed mine yet:

Do they actually pump the coolant besides heating it? (Guess that would require a small mechanical impeller or piston-type pump). I can't see much trying to peer into the pump with a flashlight.