It's been pretty cold here in Minnesota this week, the high today was 4 degrees F. For whatever dumb reason, Mazda doesn't sell the OEM block heater in the US, but it does in Canada (probably the same reason we don't get any of the other accessories, like the rubber hatch liner). I'm thinking about importing a couple of them for our 2s, but was wondering if anyone here has it installed. Does it work well? Also, where does the plug-in cord get routed (a pic would be nice)?
Engine block heater?
- Thread starter DrWebster
- Start date
ScorpioGTX1
Member
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- 2012 Mazda 2 GS M/T
Block heater works great. If I don't plug my car in overnight, the engine will idle at 2,000 rpm or more, and sounds really unhappy. It will also take a couple seconds to start. But with the block heater working, it idles only slightly higher than normal, even when it's -22F like it was today.
My plug is tied onto the right side of my grille, as seen below.
My plug is tied onto the right side of my grille, as seen below.
utmorpheus
Member
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- 13 Mz2 Touring MTX
If it saves shipping and import duties I live 40 minutes from St. Catherines Mazda in Canada, and can easy go pick up an armload of them. Or any other CA accessory, eh.
Edit: That way I have an excuse to go buy more Djarums, the real ones.
Edit 2: P/N is 0000-88-15M2-CB and MSRP is $195CAD
Edit: That way I have an excuse to go buy more Djarums, the real ones.
Edit 2: P/N is 0000-88-15M2-CB and MSRP is $195CAD
Last edited:
http://cart.courtenaymazda.com/mazda-2-engine-block-heater/
They ship internationally, and only want $63 for the part, though utmorpheus may be able to get a better deal on the shipping front.
Scorpio, thanks for the photo. Where does the cable pass through the grille? Does the grille need to be permanently modified? I'd want to have the cable be accessible during the winter, but in the summer I'd prefer to tie it back up inside the engine bay. Also, where does the heater attach to the engine?
utmorpheus
Member
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- 13 Mz2 Touring MTX
Try in the Mazda 3 section of the forums, you'll get more car-specific knowledge there. This section is the for Mazda 2.
Well I went and ordered one from Courtenay a couple of days ago, came to about $87 with express shipping. Their site shows a 5-7 day wait for the part, so I'm guessing it's been as stupid cold in Canada as it has been here in Minnesota, lol.
I assume it's going to come with installation instructions? If not, does anyone know where the freeze plug hole is on our cars?
I assume it's going to come with installation instructions? If not, does anyone know where the freeze plug hole is on our cars?
Just a quick update: Got the block heater in the mail today. It did indeed come with instructions which, to my chagrin, involve having to drain the coolant. It looks like a quality part and the cord is detachable from the heater, so conceivably I could remove the cord during warmer weather. I've scanned the instructions to a PDF, which I've attached if it helps anyone in the future.
So the only decision I need to make now is if I want to tackle the install myself (in my cold garage, no less) or pay a shop to do it.
View attachment Engine Block Heater Installation.pdf
So the only decision I need to make now is if I want to tackle the install myself (in my cold garage, no less) or pay a shop to do it.
View attachment Engine Block Heater Installation.pdf
Well, my wife dropped the car off at the shop (a highly-regarded independent) and they totally screwed up the install. I should have done it all myself. They got the heater installed as far as I can tell, but they didn't route the cable properly (it was zip tied up into a bundle inside the engine bay, not routed through the grille like the freaking instructions show) and what's worse, they DIDN'T REFILL THE COOLANT. Took a look at the coolant overflow bottle and it's way below the LOW line. And they're closed tomorrow so I get to go to the dealer (in our other 2, of course) and buy another gallon of FL22 to fix their screw-up (not to mention re-route the cable properly).
So between this and my previous problem with a dealer using the wrong ATX fluid, I've been having absolute s#!t luck with shops lately. I guess I'll need to do all my repairs and maintenance myself.
So between this and my previous problem with a dealer using the wrong ATX fluid, I've been having absolute s#!t luck with shops lately. I guess I'll need to do all my repairs and maintenance myself.
utmorpheus
Member
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- 13 Mz2 Touring MTX
You find the same thing in the computer repair industry. So many 'mechanics' that have no ******* clue what they're doing, and are too rushed or to careless to double check their work. I've seen the certification tests that these mechanics have to take, if you're a shadetree mechanic you can pass the test. What you need to find is a shop that specializes in Mazda and other Japanese cars, and talk to the mechanic(s) doing the work. a 5 minute conversation will tell you A LOT about them. Try to find someone with passion for cars in general, they will typically do better work because they actually enjoy their job. If the mechanic is rushed or doesn't have time to talk(I mean don't strike up a conversation mid-afternoon on a Monday or Friday, obviously), then they won't have the time to double check their work or look up the correct way of doing something(until they break it first). If they are scatterbrained, practically begging for the work, or unsure of what's going on then I'd be wary of the repair quality.
This x1000. I cringe when I look at how much Best Buy charges for the Geek Squad to do the simplest thing. Thank goodness I work in IT.
In other news, now that I've had a bit of time to cool off I took a look under the car to assess the situation. I'm going to give the shop some credit in that the freeze plug hole is a PITA to access. It's on the back of the engine, but tucked underneath the exhaust manifold. So in a way it was worth the $160 I paid them to save me the frustration (and probably half a day's time) I would have gone through installing that part alone.
The cable wiring was still complete BS, so I pulled the cord out of the car and reinstalled it the way the instructions show, with one exception. Since it's a pain to plug the cord into the heater element, that kind of dashed my plans to remove the cord during the summer so it's not flapping around on the front grille. What I did instead was bundle up the length of cord that would have gone through the grille and velcro tied it around the washer bottle filler neck. That way it's tied up and out of the way when not in use, and to use it, it's as simple as popping the hood and pulling the cord out, then closing the hood with the cord coming out.
Here's the heater installed in the block, but without the cord attached.
