Are block heaters necessary with synthetic oil?

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Block heaters are not necessary but I had a Ford factory one on my Expedition and it was great. The heater and defroster came on much faster. Dealing with extension cords outside was a pain in the neck.
 
Having tested 0w30 in this cold weather both with / without the block heater on.
I can tell you that it started much easier with the block heater than without.

Now whether or not it was actually needed and more just a preference or the sound of the starter turning over the engine easier is debatable, but since I have it I will plug it in where possible and use synthetic oil in my quest for as many miles as possible.
 
Found this in the parking lot behind the hotel I stayed at. You'll find them across Canada and sometimes in North Dakota, Montana and Minnesota. And no, they're not to just charge your phone.
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Originally Posted by Bjornviken
For me its nice to have the block heated up when its -30c. Saves fuel too


+1 and it gets more comfy inside faster. Who wants to be bundled up for 25 mins before the heat gets warm?
 
Block heaters are definitely nice, but with the price of hydro here in Ontario I would never bother. My 83 Caprice had the leaking block heater replaced with just a plug about 5 years ago. It starts fine down to -31C at least with a 0w30 oil.

My neighbor plugs in his late model scion if it's below minus 10 it seems. My girlfriend never plugs in her 2013 Sonata with 5w20? conventional (not sure if it has a block heater or not).

The one time I did try my block heater (it worked in my 87 Cutlass first car I ever bought) and it spun over probably 3x as fast after being plugged in an hour or 2. Heat came faster also. It's definitely a good thing if it's convenient for you to do so.
 
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I have mine plugged in 5 hours a night in the frigid cold and it makes hardly any difference on the hydro bill. I posted this in the thread about the cost to run Block Heaters.

Mine is 400 watts, at $0.08/KwHr (off peak rates) x 5 hours a night for 30 days = $4.80 + delivery charge + HST so I would say you are looking at $10/month to have it plugged in 5 hours a night every night. This also assumed that the block heaters thermostat has it running the full 5 hours and isn't cycling it on/off in between as the coolant temperature maxes out.

Plus you have to take off the costs for the extra fuel you are no longer burning now starting out at a higher coolant temperature as well. Not to mention decreased wear/tear on the engine.
 
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Unfortunately my girlfriend owns the house and it's her hydro so i would have to convince her of that, plus install a block heater anyways.
 
Originally Posted by Snagglefoot
Found this in the parking lot behind the hotel I stayed at. You'll find them across Canada and sometimes in North Dakota, Montana and Minnesota. And no, they're not to just charge your phone.
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One could theoretically charge an electric vehicle with a 110-120V outlet. I remember there was that infamous test of a Tesla by a New York Times reporter. I believe he said he needed a tow after it ran out. But he also said he plugged it in overnight using an extension cord at a motel.

Not sure how something like this would work trying to charge an electric car. I heard somewhere that most of these parking lot outlets are cycled on and off (maybe on then off every 30 minutes) because block heaters don't need to be on all the time.

And here's a Walmart in Alaska:

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Originally Posted by JC1
Originally Posted by Bjornviken
For me its nice to have the block heated up when its -30c. Saves fuel too


+1 and it gets more comfy inside faster. Who wants to be bundled up for 25 mins before the heat gets warm?

I installed one in my Toyota, as it takes like 15 miles to start properly heat inside. Wife's VW takes literally 2 minutes to start to heat properly, no matter outside temperature.
 
The point to be made here is that if you live in a area that rarely gets that cold then you may be able to go without a block heater. On the other hand if you live in Alaska or the areas of Canada or the upper Midwest that see these cold temps regularly then the block heater is good to have.
 
My 6.0 PSD will start unplugged down to 0F, coldest I've actually tried it, but I still plug it in just because it takes a while to warm up
 
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