ENGINE BLOCK HEATER - HOW TO?!

[FishinEd]

Ok... Well I have a cabin in the upper north woods of the U.P. and it does get down into the lower limits of the thermometer,-30 and below at times. I do have the block heater on my JLUSs, but it has not seen the winter yet, but getting close now. So I did open up the hood, and un raveled the cord, and much to my dismay.... just try and relocate it close to the front bumber... HA.... In order to use it you would have to drape it out to the side of the hood in order to plug it in. Even if you snip the zipties it doesn't make it, it is now closer to the side hood latch. Now you would think the cord should be able to make it to the front, so it could hang out to make a connection.

Come on Jeep...WISE UP...!

Just signed up on this forum and was looking for other JL blockheater users and what they say. So Jeep got "wised up" (or was already was wise). I'm from north of the 48th parallel, not far, maybe 100 MILES from the border, a bit NorthEast of Toronto Ontario. Got a new 2018 JL 4 door last April. My first winter with her. We've been getting temperatures in the -40s (both Celsius and Fahrenheit) and it's COLD! Plugged my blockheater in for the first time last week and was looking how to not close the hood on the wire and squish it. Found a place at the back of the hood that has a space made for the wire to come out and between where the hood and the body meet by the hinge (see attached pics). Pretty cool! Nice going JEEP!

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[muskynut]

FishinEd..
got it... used mine now with this -30° temperatures, checked the oil temp it keeps the oil at 68° warms up quickly.

Thanks for the tip. I was thinking that the jeep trail emblem on the side would be a good port cover. Asking too much.

D

 

[danotje]

I installed one on my JLUR, and it had a long wire. Long enough to route underneath, across the engine bay and exit near the passenger side of the bumper. Same thing on our Grand. Not sure about the factory install, but seems like it would be the same part.

Here in the interior of AK, we use them most of the winter. We have dedicated outlets in many parking lots, like schools, etc, where we plug in. I carry a cord and plug in when it’s -10 and it’s going to sit for awhile. I also have a couple of heat pads for the oil pan and transmission. Honestly, though, you don’t need it for less than about 4 hours. It’s nice for heat/defrost, but remote start is handier. The block heater just helps minimize wear by warming the oil.

You can see my 3-way plug coming out of the bumper on the lower left.

 

[m3reno]

Save the $90 for the engine block heater if all you want is to heat lunch. Here is a free hack. LOL!!

Wow you just saved me some big bucks!! taking my girlfriend for a picnic dinner for Valentines!!

 

[muskynut]

Wow you just saved me some big bucks!! taking my girlfriend for a picnic dinner for Valentines!!

Smells FISHY...

 

[FishinEd]

So let me get this straight. When I get home I would have to pop the hood, unravel the cord and plug it into a timed outlet. Then in the morning unplug it, rewrap the extension cord under the hood, close the hood and start the vehicle right?

Sounds like waAAy to much work for me...forgive my lack of knowledge but I thought maybe the whole engine block heater thing worked much differently than that. I could see living in Antarctica but it hardly gets THAT cold in the states where this would be of any benefit. Maybe I'm missing something on the benefit to having one.

See my post below ....

 

[maguro]

Just signed up on this forum and was looking for other JL blockheater users and what they say. So Jeep got "wised up" (or was already was wise). I'm from north of the 48th parallel, not far, maybe 100 MILES from the border, a bit NorthEast of Toronto Ontario. Got a new 2018 JL 4 door last April. My first winter with her. We've been getting temperatures in the -40s (both Celsius and Fahrenheit) and it's COLD! Plugged my blockheater in for the first time last week and was looking how to not close the hood on the wire and squish it. Found a place at the back of the hood that has a space made for the wire to come out and between where the hood and the body meet by the hinge (see attached pics). Pretty cool! Nice going JEEP!

]

Nice find!

I'll be sure to use that notch vs snaking it out the side like I did earlier this week. But in my defense, the windchill was -51C so I didn't have the luxury to look around. It was so cold that it was literally hard to concentrate because your brain was just telling you to go back inside! Haha!

 

[FishinEd]

I hear ya. It reached -41C windchill when I decided it was time to plug in the blockheater. Don't want to be out too long in those temps .... mind you I'm a fisherman, including in the winter on frozen lakes. Been out there in -50C ON THE THERMOMETER!

 

[FishinEd]

So let me get this straight. When I get home I would have to pop the hood, unravel the cord and plug it into a timed outlet. Then in the morning unplug it, rewrap the extension cord under the hood, close the hood and start the vehicle right?

Sounds like waAAy to much work for me...forgive my lack of knowledge but I thought maybe the whole engine block heater thing worked much differently than that. I could see living in Antarctica but it hardly gets THAT cold in the states where this would be of any benefit. Maybe I'm missing something on the benefit to having one.

See my post below in this thread about the built-in blockheater wire channel. No need to open and close the hood everytime - just leave it hanging out the hood compartment.

 

[FishinEd]

Block heaters are used religiously up in the great white north. Essentially the plug get's relocated as a pigtail near the front bumper, and left there for the duration of the winter (even whilst driving). Sure makes a difference in -40C/F.

See my post below in this thread about a channel through the back of the engine hood

 

[hozuki]

I installed one on my JLUR, and it had a long wire. Long enough to route underneath, across the engine bay and exit near the passenger side of the bumper. Same thing on our Grand. Not sure about the factory install, but seems like it would be the same part.

Here in the interior of AK, we use them most of the winter. We have dedicated outlets in many parking lots, like schools, etc, where we plug in. I carry a cord and plug in when it’s -10 and it’s going to sit for awhile. I also have a couple of heat pads for the oil pan and transmission. Honestly, though, you don’t need it for less than about 4 hours. It’s nice for heat/defrost, but remote start is handier. The block heater just helps minimize wear by warming the oil.

You can see my 3-way plug coming out of the bumper on the lower left.

Do you have a link to were you purchased the block heater for your JLUR? I can’t seem to find one

 

[Rhinebeck01]

@hozuki

You aren't thinking that the install of a block heater on a JL , is lets say, easy peasy are you? If so think again. Doable, but not a simple plug and play thing.

 

[stil2low]

Do you have a link to were you purchased the block heater for your JLUR? I can’t seem to find one

By the sounds of it, it’s a universal one that sticks to the oil pan. Block heaters that are optioned from the factory (standard on Canadian spec Jeeps) are a frost plug that warm the coolant of the engine

 

[allieboy]

What ever happened to good old fashioned fire?

 

[jdhunt0]

I thought maybe the whole engine block heater thing worked much differently than that.

How did you think it worked?

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