Block Heater vs oil pan heater....or neither

One thing to consider, a lot of new vehicle block heaters won't kick in unless the temp is below -18c. Not sure why that number, or weather this is true for the tacoma heater. Something to check on.

 

Hmmm, I didnt test it out by plugging it in before installing it, no idea if it turns on at a certain temp.

I really think that it turns on once you plug in the cord to a hot outlet.....anyone out there know?? Could always just crawl back under there after its been on for a bit and touch the surrounding area....

 

May be a GMC thing only, the heater on my bro's 2010 has a sticker saying it will turn off above -18c. Something about a temp sensitive plug... Didn't see any such indicator on my tacoma

 

Plugged it in and checked it about two minutes later, and the thing was pretty hot!!! Was surprised that it heated up so fast. Obviously the only part I could touch was the exposed area where the plug in goes into, but it was pretty damn hot after two minutes. I think this will warm the alumininum block pretty well and it looks like coolant surrounds this area.

Its 20F right now so it will work at any temp. Just a little colder and I can USE it

 

The Toyota block heater heats up the minute you plug it in. I checked mine to make sure it worked before installing it.

 

What is the big difference you see with a block heater? I did some work in Minnesota last year and had no problems starting the pos durango in -10F. True I did let it warm up for a good 30 minutes before I drove it.

 

The big difference that I see is that it only cost $37 and took a half hour to put in

But really the reason I got it is I think that it is better for the engine when starting the truck time after time when its below zero vs no heat at all. I figure anything that I can do to make it easier to turn over at those temps is better than nothing. PLUS, Toyota put that hole there for a reason, and it comes standard on trucks in Canada, where -10 is warm

I know that I can start the truck at -20F all winter without the heater, but will feel much better about it if I plug it in for a bit before starting. It started more smoothly when it was -5. I want this truck to go to 300K

 

I would do both. Warm oil will put less wear and tear on your engine. You can get magnetic ones so the instal is super easy. You could take it a step further and get a battery blanket(warmer) as well. The colder it gets the less power your battery is putting out.

 

Can someone provide a link to the cheapest OEM block heater to buy online??

 

I bought one of these for my Taco

$42 Kat's 24100 100 Watt 4"x 5" Universal Hot Pad Heater

http://www.amazon.com/Kats-24100-Wa..._1?ie=UTF8&s=automotive&qid=1291262839&sr=8-1

I know it probably wont have the same heat as a block heater, but it takes 20 minutes to install and there was no coolant lost. According to the book it can take 5L of oil from -30 to +30 in an hour.

 

i put on a circulating heater so when i get in the truck only a minute or so and it pumping warm air

 

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2nd-gen-tacomas/52827-oil-pan-heater-mod.html

http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/showthread.php?t=230789&highlight=block+heater+install

 

Makes sense. This is true, metal doesn't like sudden major temperature changes.

When you say hole for a reason, is there a place for block heaters or does it replace a freeze plug?

 

Check the second link I posted, there is a hole in the back of the block where you can insert the space heater with the provided grease.

 

Thunder Bay?? Crazy, that's where I'm from! Yeah, it gets damn cold.... so cold sometimes that it feels like you're driving on square tires for the first few mins. Block heaters are a necessity some days. The engine doesn't sound too good when starting at -40C without it being plugged in... I can only imagine the damage over time by repeating this. An hour of being plugged in is all you really need. Any longer doesn't really do much good.

 

Please let me know where you purchased your block heater for $37.00? Is it a Toyota product? How difficult was it to install? Could you please share basic directions?
Thanks very much,
Silvert

 

Just install'd block heater on my '06' TRD 4.0 - only took 15 mins. after read this tread - Thanks Guy's. During installation took some Data for the non-believer's. Garage temp. 7 deg. 1/2 hrs. after installation 28 deg. after 2 hours 70 deg.

 

Block heater!

Cheap addition, and you can hear the difference when you start it up. You'll still get the cold start motor whine like with any car, but it sounds (and feels) much much healthier.

I had cold start piston slap on my old Subaru, and after installing a block heater it was barely noticeable. That just shows me how important it was.

 

Thanks for supplying this!

Did you install the OEM heating element?

 

Has anyone out there installed a block heater on a 4 cylinder? I have a 2010 Tacoma 4 cyl., 4x4, 5 speed. Where did you get the best price for a block heater?
Thanks!