Block Heater

[DaRockwilder]

I'm willing to bet a large portion of this site doesn't even know what these are, but does anyone know if the block heater on an Ecotec makes any noise? I've plugged mine in many times, with different cords, checked the connections, and I can't get it to make a sound. Usually when you plug a car in you can hear the block heater hissing.

Its getting cold here tonight. I'm sure it'll start fine tomorrow morning even if I didn't plug it in, but I wanted to anyway, just in case.

Thanks for anything!

[Oldsnut]

Give us some credit Rock. I can't help ya on this one.

[racin4JC]

I don't know for sure about the Ecotec but generally you can tell there is current going through them. Oh and if you don't want to bother with plugging your car in, switch over to synthetic motor oil. I've got some in mine (I live in North Dakota) and my car doesn't even have a block heater (I also have 3.4) and it will start on first or second crank when it's -20 F.

[Mischief007]

I've never used the block heater in any of my cars and they always started with some issues :).

[alerored04]

racin and i are in the same town, same motor, i have never had an issue starting it at -20* without the heater. Im on semisyn.

[super white alero1]

Not cold enuff to use them here sorry bud. And give us a little credit, some of us do know what cold wheater do to cars.

[DaRockwilder]

haha sorry guys, didn't mean to offend. I just meant that alot of you guys are from the southern states.

I fully intend to switch over to Mobil 1. It saved my Quad-4 from total obliteration 8 months ago.

It can get much colder than -20*c in Alberta during the winter. There have been periods, in the two years I've lived here, when it was -40. Home in Manitoba its not uncommon to dip below -50 factoring in the wind.

Anyway, car started normal this morning, so it must be working. Before I fire up tomorrow morning I'll feel around on the back of the block and see if its warm. If it is, I know it works.

Sorry to piss everyone off! lol.

[Alero2k4]

Last year I had it get down to -15 and even -20 with no issues and that is farhenheit(sp) btw

[Redog]

I used to have to plug in the company's pick up in the winter, it was a diesel though (Isuzu Pup, and GMC S-15)

They had a very low tone hum, very low. You had to pop the hood and put your ear on the air cleaner to hear it. never a hiss

[2fst4u]

i've been to alaska. every mofo had a cord hangin out the front of their cars. i wonder if they have them here in iraq? lol

[Redog]

^^ No they have engine a/c units lol lol

[steve-o]

I had to on my old winter beater cavalier, it hated cold starts.

[Cliff8928]

I plugged mine in to make sure it works, and it makes no noise at all. There are no moving parts to it so that makes sense.

[Wreckless]

Rock man,some block heaters you can hear others you cant,but if when you start it in the morning and it turns over hard,your block heater isnt working.if it cranks over fine then its good to go.Also its not a question if wether your vehicle will start or not its not good for a motor to go from sub zero temperature to 190 degrees,no matter what kind of oil you use.What happens when you take a frozen glass(empty) and put it in boiling water?chances are that its gonna crack.Same could happen to your block.Another reason its called a block heater not an oil heater.Remember as well, wind chill doesnt affect anything other than living things,so if its -25 with a windchill of -35,your car is is still only -25.Its good to see some other Albertans on here.Stay warm out there cuz I know its cold as f@ck out there.

[DaRockwilder]

Hey! Yeah its always cranked over fine. Its been especially cold the last few days and I've had no issues starting it, so its gotta be working.

I also agree that even though it starts fine in cold temperatures, its still a very good idea to plug it in regardless, as it helps reduce overall wear and tear. I'll be making the swap to Mobil 1 within the next few weeks.

If you're right in Calgary, theres a J-body board I hang out on that a few guys from there whipped up. Its been around a while but we just switched over to a different software so everything is new again. I'm a moderator there.

http://www.jspeed.ca/beta/forum/

Check it out sometime!

[b1alero]

I have had afew in the past that never made a noise, at least I couldn't hear it but they worked. Don't have one on my car now, wish I did though. SD get's pretty cold. Last night's wind chill was -2 F. That's when I left work. I guess that would be when everyone else goes in. 7:30 am MTN time.

[DUSTIN0285]

The 2.2 ecotec blockheater wont make any noise because they are an external blockheater. It doesn't have a heating element that is inside your block to heat the coolant, it is an external one that just bolts to the outside of your block.

[Cliff8928]

The Ecotec heater replaces the freeze plug, so in that sense it is internal. There are no moving parts however.

[DaRockwilder]

I don't know of any block heaters that have moving parts. The one on my 2.3 Quad-4 I could hear easily. Just sorta hissed or hummed. This, nothing.

A friend with an '03 Ford Powerstroke says he can't hear his either, but the truck always starts in the morning. *shrug*

It was -30*c here last night, and will be tonight as well, and she fired on one crank this morning. I don't think it would twirl at all if it wasn't plugged in last night.

[DUSTIN0285]

no cliff is does not replace the frost plug! it just bolts to the back of your block. Im a tech at a gm dealership and ive installed many of them.

[Cliff8928]

no cliff is does not replace the frost plug! it just bolts to the back of your block. Im a tech at a gm dealership and ive installed many of them.

Well, the last one I worked with was on a 2.4 which does go into a coolant passage. My Alero came with the block heater from new, so i never really looked at it, but i just looked it up in SI and that sure is a weird looking thing.