Block Heater Working?

[gazix]

It's about -20 C here, so going to have to start plugging in. Was wondering if my car should start up right away (as if it were summer time). Or would it still studder a bit even though plugged in?

I know it's getting power (light on power cord), but shouldn't it be making a noise or something? Only reason I ask, is that I had a bad accident last year...

 

[jazzman]

-20 C !! So that would be about -10 F or so? Damn, I didn't even know that the 3 had a block heater. Is that only on the Canadian version?

(-20 C = -4 F, I looked it up)

 

[gazix]

Ya, the dealerships add them by default.

This is nothing, can easily get down to -45 C (without the windchill).

 

[techspeak]

you still need to warm your engine up with a block heater. The heater just warms up the coolant in the water jackets, but remmeber the OIL is still -20C and it needs a chance to pump through the engine and pick up some heat from the coolant. So to put it short, the block heater doesnt warm up the oil, so it will still be very viscous

 

[gazix]

My car seems to start after being plugged in for 2hrs. So I guess it works. Not really sure if I want to try w/o plugging it in and seeing the results