Block heater vs oil pan heater

[KITT222]

Greetings all! This is regarding my sister's 2004 Chevy Aveo. She'll be moving waaaaay up north to Crookstone to go to college for the next four years, and my dad wants to know which would be better for her come winter time - an oil pan heater or an engine block heater. Just generally what would be best for her car which would rarely get driven. I doubt that she would need an oil pan heater because oil won't freeze up due to the SAE ratings and all that (Yay automotive classes for teaching me this!!) but, personally, I love my block heater. So what is your input on this? She leaves the 18th.

[DressedInBlack]

The best solution? Transfer to a school in South Florida. That way, she could trade the block/oil pan heater for some suntan lotion and a beach towel. I vote block heater. Why? Because you said the oil won't freeze. I have no experience in the matter and I will shut up now and let some Northern experts chime in.

[06pvibe]

IMO, the block heater all the way.Why?1) An oil pan heater is a small submersion heater that heats the oil directly. This is not a good idea because it can only heat a small portion of it at a time. They tend to burn the oil.2) A block heater heats the coolant which is much more forgiving and in turn keeps the oil warm, not hot. Also by heating the coolant instead of the oil, you have almost instant heat in the cabin when you first start the car.

[TONY TAT2]

We use block heaters on our Macks & ya know how hard it is to fire up a diesel in winter. or maybe ya don't

[djkeev]

You do realize that this question will only generate a lot of opinion and little fact?Something to consider...... Most engine damage happens at cold start up. Cold is relative, the lower the temperature, the more oil is resistant to flow.Properly treated engine coolant will NOT freeze, no matter what the temperature.You aren't really talking about cold weather, that happens up in the Artic areas. You are only talking inconvenient cold temperatures.If you do any research and study about oil, (bobs the oil guy is an excellent site) you will learn about how different oils flow at a given temperature. You will discover that conventional "dinosaur" oils (all oil is petroleum based, yes, even the synthetics) are very resistant to flow at cold temperatures, even the inconvenient cold temperatures we are talking about. (zero really isn't all that cold)Me? I'd run 100% synthetic oil in the engine of the weight indicated by the auto manufacturer. This will be her best defense against start up damage no matter where she lives.It really comes down to personal comfort. IF she wants to hassle with plugging in her car so she can be comfy from start up, by all means get an engine coolant heater.As far as oil heater? running synthetic, don't waste your time or money.What kind of a coolant heater? There are basically two types, one replaces a freeze plug on the engine. These seem to me to be just a tad risky for catastrophic failure. Loose your coolant, you lost an engine.There is also the type in the coolant hose. I tend to lean to this only because you can constantly monitor it for leakage. They are also easy to install and easy to remove. I'd only run it for the winter changing it out for a regular radiator hose after the heating season is over.Like I said, it's all going to be opinions, this is mine.Dave

[06pvibe]

I strongly agree w/running full synthetic for cold winter weather. In fact I would even consider a 0W-15 for the temps you are talking about. Most modern engines are built with lighter weight oils in mind anyway, but check the manual of her car to see what the manufacturer recommends under such conditions.And if you don't already know, the W rating in multi-viscosity oil stands for Winter and is to indicate how the oil flows in cold conditions.I might still comnsider a block or hose heater though. The sooner fluids are up to operating temps, the better for the car and the passengers in the cabins. But of course a heater will do nothing to warm up transmission or final drive temps, so slow easy driving for the first say 8 miles is always a good idea.And yes Tony, I know how hard deisels are to start in cold winter weather. But that usually more fuel related (gelling) than it is cold oil in the pan.

[Beer Belly]

Pretty well every vehicle up here in Canada, comes standard with block heaters. That's all i've ever has to use for the extreme cold temperatures we usually get in the winter. Never even heard of an oil pan heater. Block heater is all you need.

[star_deceiver]

Quote, originally posted by Beer Belly »Pretty well every vehicle up here in Canada, comes standard with block heaters. Not mine! Years ago I owned an 81 Toyota 4x4 pickup. I used one of those magnetic oilpan heaters, worked great! Started right up, even when below -35! The oil never got too hot but then again, I never used it when it was above -10C.Even the block heater in my old Sunfire was never used above -10C.

[KITT222]

Alright, thanks all then! There's full synthetic already in the Aveo. My dad and I will be calling our local Chevy dealer to see if there's an OEM block heater from GM, if not we'll pick up a generic bolt-on one. Thanks again!

[Old Tele man]

BLOCK HEATER because that way (eventually) the whole engine becomes / stays "warm", where-as an OIL-PAN heater basically only "warms" the OIL that's sitting in the 'bottom' of the oil pan, while the engine block is stone COLD....also, Toyota makes / sells a BLOCK HEATER specifically for these engines...and, it's not all that expensive.

[06pvibe]

I completely agree with your philosophy OTM. Keeping everything up to temp is a much better idea than just trying to keep the oil warmed (or in some cases, burned.) But its not his Vibe he is asking the question for. Its his sister's Chevy Aveo, though I'm sure GM offers block heaters as well, as do many aftermarket companies, and even a local parts store is liable to have or be able to get one.