Please help a poor college student with some good advice.

[Hoosier Valk]

Back when i was a much younger man. I visited International Falls, Minnesota. There were electric outlets outside many establishments to plug in your engine block heaters.

My sons girlfriend is going to college in Crookston, MN, near Grand Forks, ND, this fall. ARE ENGINE BLOCK HEATERS STILL NEEDED? She has a 1997 Olds LSS. Thanks for your help!

[fudgie]

Is it carbed? If it FI, I doubt it as long as she keeps water out of the gas, parks inside, and doesnt let it set for days without starting. jmho.

I had a 85 Chevy 1/2 ton that was a cold hearted bitch. 4 bbl carb. Gets cold up here in Ind. Under 35 deg out, forget about it. I put a manual choke on it and it helped. What really helped was not a block heater but rather a lower radiator hose heater. OMG I loved it. Started right up. What was even better was that you had instant heat! No need to set and warm it up. Soon as it started, you had heat. I will put on on my Z-71 next time I drain the antifreeze.
They are available at farm stores. Measure the lower hose and subtract a 1/2".

[MNBill]

SE MN, I plug in my diesel just so it warms up quicker. If her car is fuel injected I would not add the engine block heater, instead if it was my child I would put in a new HD (that's heavy duty not the other HD) battery. Many times when it gets really cold you will get enough battery to turn the car over but not fire a spark (sound like anything else we own?). Parking the car nose up to another car or back to the wind helps. I sent my daughter to Fargo for school, sent a jump pack for her to keep in the dorm room just in case because her Blazer would sit for a week sometimes as she was in the dorm. Tell your son not to worry about her car, there are alot of MN farm boys up here that willingly help out college girls.

[ArmyValker]

Not a block heater, but a battery heater can be really helpful. It's like an electric blanket for the battry.

Tell her to run synthetic too..

[Brad]

I would not worry about it unless the temps are getting around 20 below zero.  They are real helpful at extreme temps.  Do not use a block heater, a better option is the one that goes in the lower rad. hose.  You can do it your self and not much chance of a leak.

[NITRO]

I second the replies- no need for a block heater. I live in northern Wisconsin and back before I had a house, garage, etc. (I was a poor college student then too!) my Dodge Intrepid would sit for a week or so outside at a time. In January it gets well below zero, sometimes to negative 40, and I never had a problem. Just make sure she has a good battery!

[Robert]

The Olds has fuel injection and takes 5w 30 oil and shouldn't have any problem at all. If you  use a synthetic oil it would even be better. I would put a heater in not because of the car but because like some have already stated it warms up faster, most girls I know dont want to be bothered with mechanical things though so it would be a waste of time.

[CISE]

If she is going to go through the trouble of adding battery heater blankets, or lower radiator hose heaters or even a block heater, I woiuld suggest she also go to the trouble of adding an in car heater.

I used to use way way back in the 70s in Montreal, it was unit that you bolted to the bottom of the dash and ran the cord through the firewall. It does not raise the temperature a LOT, but adds warmth inside and reduces the work of scraping windows.

Also, if she is going to add more than one of teh above, tell her to get a 2 or 3 outlet exterior extension cord, plug everything into it, then feed then end out through the grill or bumper, makes a neater appearance and less things to fool with. (Also helps when there are only 2 power outlets available and 1 is in use by someone else) .

[Foozle]

Guys, I grew up in a small farming town just outside of Crookston - and ambient air temps of -25 F and colder are not uncommon in January and February.  Add in the wind chill, and it can easily dip into the -50 F or -60 F range.  On these very coldest days, when we weren't able to plug our vehicles in at work, we'd go out at lunch and start them (the stubborn ones, anyway) - just to keep them from freezing up.  In lieu of a block heater, the advice given thus far is good - especially keeping the vehicle out of the wind, getting a good HD battery, and considering some type of interior heater.  I had a 4-cylinder Toyota when I lived up there and, when left outside overnight, the seat would freeze as solid as a church pew at -25 F.  Moreover, that little engine never managed to crank out enough heat to completely "thaw" it out.  I'm older and smarter now (and live much futher south), but I still chuckle when I recall trying to explain to curious Kentuckians the purpose of the electrical plug hanging out of my vehicle's front grille.  Everyone thought I was just being a yankee smart ass.  (P.S.  Before doing any winterproofing, I'd confirm that UM-Crookston has outside plugs for students).  Terry

[Bobbo]

I agree with using a newer heavy-duty battery and fresh synthetic or blend oil in very cold weather.  A heater shouldn’t be necessary if everything’s in reasonably good shape.  I’m amused at the comments regarding keeping it out of the wind or nosing it up to another car.  Unless you are concerned about snowdrifts, there is no reason to do this.  Someone mentioned wind chill factor, but this is only a calculation of how your skin would feel in that temperature, humidity, and wind velocity.  Skin sweats, and the evaporation cools the skin further.  Unless your car sweats, it doesn’t make a difference to have some wind on it!

[Big Rig]

I am sure that is why they posted that...for your enjoyment...

[POPS 57]

Run 5-20 w oil in the winter. The batt. should have the hightest cca [cold cranking amps] that you can fit in the batt space. Make sure its in tune and you should be in there like a bitting sow. Sorry about that last phase. But they are going to have to lean how to talk. Don't you know,you bet ya.

[fudgie]

 I’m amused at the comments regarding keeping it out of the wind or nosing it up to another car.  Unless you are concerned about snowdrifts, there is no reason to do this.  Someone mentioned wind chill factor, but this is only a calculation of how your skin would feel in that temperature, humidity, and wind velocity.  Skin sweats, and the evaporation cools the skin further.  Unless your car sweats, it doesn’t make a difference to have some wind on it!

I disagree. Sure if you live in the city but if your in the country its a different story. Your car will start alot easier out of the wind instead of in the wind. Cold wind cools things alot faster. Just my expieriences as a country boy.

[Bobbo]

I disagree. Sure if you live in the city but if your in the country its a different story. Your car will start alot easier out of the wind instead of in the wind. Cold wind cools things alot faster. Just my expieriences as a country boy.

While it’s true that moving air will cool something down faster than still air, the fact remains that cooling is a function of the temperature differential between the material and the air.  As the engine approaches the air temperature, the effect of the air movement becomes minimal.  If you are parking a car for an hour or two, keeping it out of the wind may help a little, but overnight it won’t make any difference.

[Foozle]

I disagree. Sure if you live in the city but if your in the country its a different story. Your car will start alot easier out of the wind instead of in the wind. Cold wind cools things alot faster. Just my expieriences as a country boy.

While it’s true that moving air will cool something down faster than still air, the fact remains that cooling is a function of the temperature differential between the material and the air.  As the engine approaches the air temperature, the effect of the air movement becomes minimal.  If you are parking a car for an hour or two, keeping it out of the wind may help a little, but overnight it won’t make any difference.

It's probably true that if you're parking a vehicle indefinitely (or perhaps even overnight, in the very coldest of temps), it makes little difference (drifting snow notwithstanding) whether it faces into or away from the wind.  However, I've found that a frigid wind blowing through the engine compartment can freeze your gas line in fairly quick order. Sorry to hijack this thread; as a going-away present, buy the young lady a case of HEET (and tell to carry some in the car at all times)!  Terry