Block heater

[kittyangel]

I live in Waterloo and I always have my car parked outside (I don't have a garage). The temperature these days always stay at around -10 to -20 with the wind chill, which always give me a very unpleasant noise when I start to start up my car every morning. (Sometimes I even have to start up my car twice) Do you think I should install a block heater? I don't think it's very common here right?

[Cosmo77]

I live north of T.O. and have a block heater in my truck and the wifes Mazda3. She loves it. Within a few blocks of starting (starts right up, no hesitation) there is heat blasting out the vents.

Well worth the $$

[Harbour Rat]

I am in Collingwood and I also have a block heater. I cannot say I've noticed the car starts easier or makes less noise when cold but having warm air come out of the heater/defroster almost immediately is very nice.

[kittyangel]

Do you guys use the OEM ones? or is there one that you think is particularly good? The problem I have is that I don't have a place to plug the block heater on. Do you know how I can use it outdoor? (eg. outdoor parking lot)

[Pokey]

You need a power source for a block heater to work. Out west most private parking spaces (like at your apartment) have power outlets, here, not so much until you get to the Kingston area....

[TheMAN]

if you don't have the means to always plug the car in, switch to 0W20 or 0W30 synthetic motor oil... it helps a great deal with those cold days (windchill factor does NOT matter... your engine doesn't feel wind... -5 is -5 to it, doesn't matter if it feels like -15 to you)

[kittyangel]

ah..that's too bad. I don't have another power source to power up the block heater. I might go with a better motor oil instead, like TheMAN mentioned. Thanks! :D

[RECREATIONAL_ANXIETY]

Remote Starter FTW... No need for a block heater around here.

[kittyangel]

don't you still need to make sure your engine is a bit warmer before you start your car remotely?

[RECREATIONAL_ANXIETY]

Nope... that's the point of the remote starter, to warm up the engine before you get to the car.

[kittyangel]

but the problem I sometimes face is that I have problems starting up the car because it's way too cold outside. I was hoping to find a way to warm up the engine more before I start up the car...

[TheMAN]

a bigger/better battery also helps too

[kittyangel]

Is the OEM one good enough? I don't know how good the one I have on my car....it's just the one that comes when the car when I first bought it...

[TheMAN]

the OEM panasonic is decent as far as longevity, but it must be maintained in order to do so... the replacements from mazda are exide and they are crap... go get one from the store instead
group 26R size is the largest battery that will fit in our cars and only some 3s in canada came with them apparently

[kittyangel]

the OEM panasonic is decent as far as longevity, but it must be maintained in order to do so... the replacements from mazda are exide and they are crap... go get one from the store instead
group 26R size is the largest battery that will fit in our cars and only some 3s in canada came with them apparently

Oh I see! How can I maintain the battery so that I can maximize its lifespan? I probably don't need another battery yet as its battery is relatively new.

[TheMAN]

you have a 2010 right? it's still new so I wouldn't worry about it till summer
get some FRESH distilled water from the store and a brand new needleless syringe... DO NOT use tap water, the only alternative is rain water if you're in a bind, but that's 99% unlikely

clean the top of the battery and get rid of any dirt/debris... you don't want that crap to fall inside!
open the caps with a quarter and look inside... you will need a flash light... max level should be about 10mm from the bottom of the fill hole... you can also look at the side of the battery, there are 2 marks on the side... it is hard to see because of how thick the plastic is in the battery

working with only one cell at a time, use the syringe and fill up the water to level as needed... it is recommended that you borrow or buy a battery charger to recharge the battery for at least 8 hours before driving again... not doing so may damage the battery or the alternator as the specific gravity is now different
a cheap battery charger will work just fine... it is worth the investment anyway considering how expensive batteries are these days and the environmental incentive to extend the life of the battery as long as possible... it pays for itself when your battery lasts twice as long as the average


my original battery is almost 6 years old now, and still working pretty good

[kittyangel]

That sounds like a good plan. Thanks for the information, TheMAN. :)