DIPSTICK oil heaters of ANY USE?

[SumpChump]

Got a 2008 Scion xB 2.4L that likes outside here in Wi. Radiator hoses are too short and full of bends for that type of heater.
Not time or money for a block heater in this oil burner.

So is a dipstick heater useful at all? Or would a battery heater be more useful?

Is either more "safe"? Or more "dangerous"?

 

[eljefino]

Dipstick heaters always to me seem like they'd fry a little oil right on their tips. They claim convection/conduction will help the rest of the oil, but, IDK...

I use magnetic oil pan heaters when it gets really cold. Usually once every other winter or so.

 

[SatinSilver]

Maybe all three, the trifecta. Magnetic oil pan heater, dipstick heater and a battery heater. See how you like them. If you don't like one or all of them you can return them. So open the packages carefully and save the receipt.

 

[bioburner]

I have had good luck using magnetic oil pan heaters. A 2 amp trickle charger can keep the batteries insides warm too, just put it on as soon as you can.
How many miles on the toaster? I am looking for cheap project
Going to warm up next week and I see I am gaining about a degree an hour here

 

[Run]

First time I heard of this type of heater. I just looked it up and found some discussion that mentioned its been banned in Canada due to engine fires. No wonder I didn't see it anywhere. I would chose magnetic oil pan heater over this.

 

[Surestick]

You can get glue-on oil-pan heaters. They see to work well and mean you don't have to reach under your vehicle on cold nights and mornings to install the magnetic heater.

One of those combined with a battery heating blanket has my '06 TDI starting with no issues at -40C. I suspect if I put in a circulating coolant heater it would even sound happy about it!

 

[krismoriah72]

1) How has it made it these past 8 yrs without one?
2) How do the other million cars in your area make it without one?

Just saying if it aint broke no sense in fixing it.

 

[Rolla07]

"Not time or money for a block heater in this oil burner."

Not sure how a block heater is more money, yes more time but I dont think it would be that hard to install...i initially thought it would be hard to install but its pretty much just remove airbox and plug in...look into it, might not be as hard as you think..block heaters go for like 50$.

 

[demarpaint]

I'd get a Wolverine oil pan heater. It glues to the oil pan, no fear of a coolant leak, and it is warming oil from the lowest part of the engine. Heat rises making it very efficient, and effective.

 

[Yah-Tah-Hey]

SAVE YOUR MONEY

 

[bioburner]

Looked up the Kats heater for the Xb from Napa, about $35. Installed in a made for hole on the rear of the block, drivers side. Install time said to be about an hour +-. Big advantage to a block heater is that you get almost instant cabin heat. Stick the heater on a timer to come on a hour or so before you need to go. 400 watts.

 

[Jimzz]

Originally Posted By: krismoriah72
1) How has it made it these past 8 yrs without one?
2) How do the other million cars in your area make it without one?

Just saying if it aint broke no sense in fixing it.




Many have garages and engine heaters are a lot more common the more north you go. Its even a factory option for cars/trucks as well. Build a Chevy car and its a option for most GM cars and trucks.

 

[bioburner]

Kats also has silicone oil pan heater pads and more reasonable than Wolverine. Fleet farm has or maybe now had a good selection

 

[Tman220]

Dipstick heaters usually consume about 90 watts. Compare this to magnetic heaters at 300-400 watts and standard freeze plug heaters at 500-600 watts. Or let's put it this way it would take about 6 hours for the dipstick heater to consume as much heating electricity as the frost plug heater would consume in an hour. In my opinion a dipstick heater is almost useless.

 

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted By: bioburner
Looked up the Kats heater for the Xb from Napa, about $35. Installed in a made for hole on the rear of the block, drivers side. Install time said to be about an hour +-. Big advantage to a block heater is that you get almost instant cabin heat. Stick the heater on a timer to come on a hour or so before you need to go. 400 watts.


An hour isn't giving it much time to do anything if it's really cold outside. I have a block heater in my van, and at 0F it needs a good 4 or more hours to have any real impact.

 

[bioburner]

You may have a heater that's poorly placed or not very good output. I have a 90 hp front wheel assist tractor that's usually ready to go in an hour with its 1000 watt heater and the engine is pretty much hanging out there. You can here it cooking. Both the 97 Diesel van and old 91 truck can go with an hour of plug in time with the dual 500 watt heaters. D#* I really hate winter. I have plug in vest and chaps tooDewalt coat with battery pack

 

[SuperDave456]

Dipstick oil heaters are a bad idea.
Either they are too small to do anything, or they run too hot for their size (it's a metal filament that heats up some)and burn oil or burn themselves out.

Cheapest heater I've heard of is a 100 watt bulb in a mechanics lantern placed in a wood box so that it projects radiant heat onto the oil pan from under the vehicle.
The guy I spoke with, it's been a decade or so, said that bulb on a timer and synthetic oil did wonders for his beater that lived in a covered parking area.

Today is use the largest halogen bulb I could find that would run off of a standard bulb socket.

 

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted By: bioburner
You may have a heater that's poorly placed or not very good output. I have a 90 hp front wheel assist tractor that's usually ready to go in an hour with its 1000 watt heater and the engine is pretty much hanging out there. You can here it cooking. Both the 97 Diesel van and old 91 truck can go with an hour of plug in time with the dual 500 watt heaters. D#* I really hate winter. I have plug in vest and chaps tooDewalt coat with battery pack


600 W OE block heater in a 4.9L Ford, an hour does little to nothing. I've had the same set up in 4 of them over the years, and they all worked the same. My 2016 Rubicon has a block heater, factory installed, and I put a heater on the oil pan, and transmission pan. I haven't owned it long enough to see how long it takes to warm things up at 0F yet.

 

[ecotourist]

Originally Posted By: SuperDave456
Cheapest heater I've heard of is a 100 watt bulb in a mechanics lantern placed in a wood box so that it projects radiant heat onto the oil pan from under the vehicle.

In the mid 1950s one of our neighbours used to put a pan of hot ashes under his oil pan. Lots of glowing coals as I recall. I'm certainly not advocating that approach or saying it's safe, but cheap yes.

That was also the era of bringing batteries into the house to warm up. That was cheap too, if you didn't care about the holes in your coat.

 

[bioburner]

Something I forgot is the engines I have with heaters are cast iron not the highly conductive aluminum of most car engines today.