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Which engine block heater should I go with?

B

bradleyheathhays

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Lexington, KY
I've got a 96 XJ with the standard inline 4.0, and I asked my mechanic to install a block heater I got that goes in one of the freeze plug positions, once you break it out. He said he wouldn't do it because he said they tend to leak once they're installed.

So, I'm on to find another engine heater and I'm writing in to ask which one I should get.

The two I remember seeing is one that is just magnetic and just sticks to the bottom of your oil pan. The other style I believe installs where your bottom radiator hose comes out of the radiator.

If anyone has advice on which of these is better, or maybe any other version I haven't come across yet, please let me know.

Thanks yall.
 
I use a heat lamp against the block on the passenger side, works great. Yep, its ghetto redneck but it works. Its below zero wind chill here this am and Ill bet the block is at least luke warm. Its a bit of a pain to have to pull the lamp out before I drive it each day but there are no modifications to fail otherwise.

My dad use to do this to our tractors on the farm when I was a kid, thats where I got the idea from.
 
I mounted two inferred spot lights on a long board that will slide under the Jeep. They are on a timer and general kick in about 2-4 hours before going to work.
What's good about this is they will heat everything under the hood. Battery, oil, block. In the sub 0 I may cover the hood with a blanket too.
They can also be use on any car they will slide under. If you use the smaller bulbs and a thinner broad it will fit under many cars.
 
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Not a big fan of the magnetic oil pan heater. Not too effective if I remember correctly.

I personally use frost plug heaters.

I used to use a lower hose heater on my 70's and 80's GM vehicles, and I would consider doing that, but I also read a thread that talked about those hoses posing a possible "flow" problem on the 4.0 because of the heater element creating a bit of restriction, which probably wouldn't be a problem in the winter, but could be a problem in the summer?

However, I haven't found any supporting evidence on that. If anybody has any thoughts or research on that, would be nice to hear from you.
 
bradleyheathhays said:
I've got a 96 XJ with the standard inline 4.0, and I asked my mechanic to install a block heater I got that goes in one of the freeze plug positions, once you break it out. He said he wouldn't do it because he said they tend to leak once they're installed.
Click to expand...

I have the Mopar block heater installed on my 4.0, and there is no leaking or seepage from it. That's not to say that they don't or can't leak, but mine's been no trouble at all. Can't say that I've seen any issues with coolant flow being restricted by its element, either.

The type that attach to the oil pan or replace the dipstick with a heater are really only useful in two situations: air-cooled vehicles or somewhere that it gets cold enough for the oil to thicken to the point where the oil pump can't pump it first thing in the morning. On a liquid-cooled vehicle there typically isn't as much heat transfer from an oil heater to the engine as with a coolant heater; the end result is that the magnetic heaters are really more of a supplementary than primary method of heating in this case.

My experience with the type that go in-line with the radiator hose is nil, so can't comment on them. I know that quite a few of the diesel/WVO crowd have run or are running them without any issues, so that might be a good place to start checking.
 
In my experience the magnetic pan heater is marginal at best. That said, it may well make the difference at times between starting and not starting on a subzero day, if only barely. But you'll probably get more effect from getting the best battery and putting in light synthetic oil.

For other types of heaters, it may depend on whether there's one made for your application and whether your cooling system is compatible with a hose heater. It seems that not all are.
 
Talyn said:
Anyone know if any one still sells these for the 4.0l? Google didn't' turn up any thing except for the 4.7, 3.7 hemi, etc.
Click to expand...

Jeepsareus still has them. Search 'heater' on their site for the 4.0-generic one; I don't believe they have it specifically listed for the XJ anymore. Same part, though.

If you do pick one up, be sure to also get the plug cover - mine didn't come with one, so there was no way to really secure it down to the Jeep or keep the plug end from getting covered in road salt, etc.
 
i have that block heater in my XJ i think its factory on mine, either way, it seemed to work well.
i used it last winter and it helped, i expected better results from it though, maybe i need a new one as mine im sure is corroded and what not.
 
badron said:
I mounted two inferred spot lights on a long board that will slide under the Jeep. They are on a timer and general kick in about 2-4 hours before going to work.
What's good about this is they will heat everything under the hood. Battery, oil, block. In the sub 0 I may cover the hood with a blanket too.
They can also be use on any car they will slide under. If you use the smaller bulbs and a thinner broad it will fit under many cars.
Click to expand...

Great idea! I like it:idea:
 
I like the lights on a board idea. One problem with the magnetic heaters (and in fact with any plug-in heater) is that it's pretty easy to forget and drive off. The mag heaters will eventually fall off or break, and that can get a bit expensive. If you do set up a plug-in heater, it's a good idea to tether the cords in a way that allows it to unplug easily.
 
Matthew Currie said:
I like the lights on a board idea. One problem with the magnetic heaters (and in fact with any plug-in heater) is that it's pretty easy to forget and drive off. The mag heaters will eventually fall off or break, and that can get a bit expensive. If you do set up a plug-in heater, it's a good idea to tether the cords in a way that allows it to unplug easily.
Click to expand...

Loop the cord over your driver side mirror and you'll never forget to unplug it.
 
cruiser54 said:
Loop the cord over your driver side mirror and you'll never forget to unplug it.
Click to expand...

x2, unless it was a REALLY FUN night before.
 
Are there any complaints in general with the tank type heaters? Seems like they have the best potential for getting the most heat into a motor.

Also, can they be mounted any which way or do they have to operate in a certain upright position?

Thanks
 
Talyn said:
I found them shortly after I posted that. Its part number 82201506
Click to expand...

Mopar Engine Block Heater 4.0L Power Tech I-6
1987-2007 Jeep Wrangler YJ,TJ,Unlimited,Cherokee
Part # 82201506

That’s the one that I have, it works great. We’ve had -25 temperatures and the XJ fires right up with no problems, plus the motor doesn’t idle at high speeds. Even at 0 degrees, the Jeep starts blowing warm air within 60 seconds. No leaks.
 
jcshaney said:
i dont see the need unless you live in alaska or somthing whats the idea?
Click to expand...

The idea's really simple: warm the engine and it will start more easily. That is literally it.

Even if you're not living somewhere that's Alaska-cold, it can be a useful thing to have. I run mine in the Winter mainly for fuel economy reasons: if I have to make the 5-mile trip into town first thing in the morning, the XJ doesn't have enough time to fully warm up. Fuel economy suffers as a result, and I end up literally spending 50c/mile in gas (at today's prices) just to go to Wal-Mart and back. With the block heater - factoring in the electricity that it draws - that same trip costs around 20c/mile, and I've got the added bonus of heat in the cabin within a couple of minutes of starting up.
 
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