Oil Pan stick on heaters???

[sloridr]

I've been looking at https://www.wolverineheater.com for our current vehicles. 04 Jetta TDI and 12 F-350 6.7L. The poor ol Jetta just doesn't like the cold. The truck I just want the oil a little warmer.

With that said, does anyone have experience with stick on oil pan heaters? Experience with Wolverine Heaters?

What are your thoughts? Thank you for your help in advance.

[TinkerinWstuff]

Dad used to use them back in MN with good luck.

know lots of people who used to use them on farm tractors etc.

Block heater in the coolant system warms the whole engine and provides heat to the cabin much MUCH sooner. My Dodge Cummins hates the cold as well. Cranks slow and takes 15-20 minutes of driving to get any heat in the cabin. One day, I started the diesel in the garage and could still put my bare hand on the header after 5 minutes. However, with a block heater in the coolant path, it cranks normally and heats up the cabin much sooner.

Harder to install if the vehicle doesn't already have one but well worth it. On the Dodge, it was an "option". Truth is, the heating element is already installed in the block by Cummins and all I had to do was go buy the electrical cord from the Dodge parts counter. I have a timer in a garage outlet that kicks it on around 3am

[sloridr]

Well the ford has a block heater and a battery heater installed. I just want to warm the oil a little more. At -3 deg the oil is only at about 35 deg when the block heater is plugged in.

As for the Jetta it doesn't have a block heater installed and i do not play in that engine compartment. Damn German technology... So with that said i was trying to take a short cut with an oil pan heater.

I do like the idea of the timer though. I may do that myself!

[TinkerinWstuff]

glad there was at least something useful in my ramblings

[rforsythe]

I have a timer on my truck's block warmer as well, below freezing I give it about 2 hours. When this cold though, 3-3.5. In any event, you can warm the oil up with a pan heater but I don't think it's a major issue. Just run 5W40 in the winter, as your 6.7L diesel supplement instructs for very cold temps. Ford doesn't even suggest block heat unless -10F or lower, though I personally feel some heat anywhere south of 30F is a good thing for the engine.

[TinkerinWstuff]

.....though I personally feel some heat anywhere south of 30F is a good thing for the engine.

if not for the engine, it sure is nice in the cabin!

[madvlad]

block warmer ftw, you can always use thinner oil to help on below 0 start ups.

[Ghosty]

Back in the day, our old '84 Rabbit diesel had a block heater, REQUIRED it on snow days. Worked like a charm. I want some device for my Supra. Cold starts are one of the biggest wear & tear causes on a motor even with adequate & clean oil (besides high compression, PSI, load/revs).

Don't know if I'd get a block (that hooks to one of the coolant lines) heater, or this Wolverine stick-on thingy. I might stick with a (cheapie) trusted block heater...

http://www.google.com/shopping/produ...ed=0CHcQ8wIwAg

Also, O'Reilly sells Kat's pad-type but less than half the cost of the Wolverine: http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/se...0649/C0076.oap

[sloridr]

Cold starts are one of the biggest wear & tear causes on a motor even with adequate & clean oil (besides high compression, PSI, load/revs).

This is my main concern for the Ford. The Jetta just doesn't like the cold period. I don't want to do the freeze plug style on it cuz i feel its out of my expetiece

I looked at the KAT ones a couple days ago. Wasn't sure about there durability/longevity. Have you used them before with good outcomes?

[Ghosty]

I have not used ANY heaters recently. I only know my Dad got a cheapie block heater when I was in highschool, and the Rabbit diesel only need an hour before starting up like a charm everytime, even in subzero temps. Tried and true, but I don't see why the pad style wouldn't work almost exactly the same.

It's the same concept, just a different location for your heater/sink. If anything it would work faster I'd think because it's directly on metal (pan) attached to the block, whereas the block heater (we had) hooked to one of the coolant or heater hoses so that's rubber. Who knows, proabably can't go wrong with either one. But if going the pad route, I'd try the cheapie Kat before the Wolverine, imo.

[TinkerinWstuff]

It's the same concept, just a different location for your heater/sink. If anything it would work faster I'd think because it's directly on metal (pan) attached to the block, whereas the block heater (we had) hooked to one of the coolant or heater hoses so that's rubber. Who knows, proabably can't go wrong with either one. But if going the pad route, I'd try the cheapie Kat before the Wolverine, imo.

not exactly.

an element in the coolant system uses convection to heat the whole engine even when the engine isn't circulating water. Heat rising creates it's own circulation.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convection

[rforsythe]

This is my main concern for the Ford.

I think you're making more of it than you need to. The block heater works well and the engine retains a lot of heat. Just because the oil is colder in the pan doesn't mean the whole thing instantly freezes back up as soon as you turn the key. We also don't live in the arctic here.

not exactly.

an element in the coolant system uses convection to heat the whole engine even when the engine isn't circulating water. Heat rising creates it's own circulation.

Yup. Plug the truck in for a few hours and go stick your hand on top of it. You have a 1000 watt convective heater in that thing, stuck in the coolant stream inside of the lower block.

[Ghosty]

Yeah, I know about convection, but I'm saying the pad is heating the metal pan which is directly attached to the iron or aluminum block. As opposed to that rubber coolant hose which might take a little longer to heat up and transfer the heat to the block where it attaches because rubber is a lesser conductor.

Yep, they'll both work well, and the differences might be negligible, without testing.

[sloridr]

Thank you all for the input, i think the ford will be ok with out any added heaters. But the Jetta is def in need of some extra heat. I'll try the small KAT pad first and see how it does. The KAT pads at AUTOZONE were only $29. A lot cheaper than the Wolverine setup. Thank you again!

[TinkerinWstuff]

There sure could be stuff I'm not aware of - but all the hose heaters I'm familiar with have a heating element in the water. You cut the lower radiator hose and the unit splices in very easily.

[sloridr]

There sure could be stuff I'm not aware of - but all the hose heaters I'm familiar with have a heating element in the water. You cut the lower radiator hose and the unit splices in very easily.

This is the other option I was thinking of. And installation is exactly the way you stated it.

[sloridr]

UPDATE: I put a 150w stick on KAT's heater on the Jetta. This morning it started like it was a hot engine! Well worth 30 bucks!!! Thank you guys for your thoughts on this

[irdave]

Yeah, where I used to live we would use 0w-30 full synthetic, block heater, oil pan (glued on pad) heater and battery blanket, and the instant you turned the key off you plugged the thing in- and you used an extension cord with a glowing end so you knew it had power- otherwise it wouldn't start.

And all that with a gasoline engine.

Welcome to Fairbanks, Alaska.

[MattTLS]

http://www.frostheater.com/
I have one of these on my '01 Jetta. Instant starts and heat even when well below zero° F. Simple to install and looks like factory equipment. If your TDI isn't liking cold weather starts, have you checked operation of the glow plug system?

[Aaron]

Good luck on your Kat's system, I hope it keeps working so well. I was going to buy one for my car, but all of the negative feedback drove me away.

[Ghosty]

Good luck on your Kat's system, I was going to buy one for my car, but all of the negative feedback...

What sorta things?

[sloridr]

http://www.frostheater.com/
I have one of these on my '01 Jetta. Instant starts and heat even when well below zero° F. Simple to install and looks like factory equipment. If your TDI isn't liking cold weather starts, have you checked operation of the glow plug system?

Good find!!! If the KAT heater fails I will get one of these!

[Aaron]

A high percentage of the Amazon reviews were saying it worked great for a week to a month, but then wouldn't work at all after that. There were a couple that reported years of trouble-free use, and I hope your's works as such, but a lot of people were reporting pre-mature failure. That's why I didn't pick one up.

I'd get a Frost Heater, but that is just too much to spend on my car, since my car is gas, and doesn't need the heater in this climate. My only point in purchasing would be to quicken warm-up time.

[Ghosty]

Thanks for the heads up. I'll have to check those reviews myself. I'd like to get something for my Supra. Even in Summer it's good to warm up the oil a bit after cold nights. Can't hurt.