Letting your car warm up

[CdnCarrie]

YOU have an engine block heater, that is what the extension cord coming out of the front is hooked up to. The interior heater is an interior heater I guess, I always remember them being in the passenger side footwell on my uncle's cars, but searching the web, it appears now most mount on top of the dashboard like this:

Never seen anything like that before. No one around here on the Canadian Prairies has such a thing.

 

[Mom_Rides]

On very cold mornings (like this past week with negative morning temps) and if there is snow/frost on the windows, I will warm the car for 10 minutes or so. I usually run out, start the car, brew a cup of coffee, we put coats on and go. Mornings like today where the temps are above zero but still chilly, I run out, start the car and come back in to get coats on and such.

 

[DisneyFan32WI]

Never seen anything like that before. No one around here on the Canadian Prairies has such a thing.

I don't know what the heck that thing is either!

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Fire up and go. We have a garage, so no need to scrape windshields unless it snows when I'm at work.

 

[Jennasis]

When we lived in NY, DH had a remote starter for his car. It was AWESOME on cold mornings (and for freaking out people in the parking lot who thought the car was possessed when it would start by itself). Now in NC, it really isn't necessary. We'll get in and rev it up and let it sit for a minute if it's uber-cold before driving off.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

When we lived in NY, DH had a remote starter for his car. It was AWESOME on cold mornings (and for freaking out people in the parking lot who thought the car was possessed when it would start by itself). Now in NC, it really isn't necessary. We'll get in and rev it up and let it sit for a minute if it's uber-cold before driving off.

Wife has that feature on her car - we use it for the AC more than the heat

 

[tvguy]

Never seen anything like that before. No one around here on the Canadian Prairies has such a thing.

I have 2 uncles, 2 aunts and 10 cousins on the Canadian Prariies with them.

 

[tasha99]

OK by me, just clearing up a misconception.

I was thinking the same thing. Wind chill for a car? Even if you're sitting in the car, you aren't feeling the wind chill.

I park in a garage at home. On the way home, I'll sit in my freezing car if it's 10 or lower, but I'm sure I don't sit long enough. I'm always impatient to get home.

 

[Northstar]

YOU have an engine block heater, that is what the extension cord coming out of the front is hooked up to. The interior heater is an interior heater I guess, I always remember them being in the passenger side footwell on my uncle's cars, but searching the web, it appears now most mount on top of the dashboard like this:

Never seen anything like that before. No one around here on the Canadian Prairies has such a thing.

I have 2 uncles, 2 aunts and 10 cousins on the Canadian Prariies with them.

The mystery here is where the block heater is located. I believe cars sold in the frozen northern reaches, ie Canadian Prairies, have the block heater inside the engine, not installed as an accessory mounted on the dash.

Wikipedia entry on engine block heaters: "A block heater warms an engine to increase the starting speed of the vehicle as well as warm up the vehicle faster than it normally would in cold weather. The most common type is an electric heating element connected through a power cord often routed through the vehicle's grille. The block heater may replace one of the engine's core plugs, or may be installed in line with one of the radiator or heater hoses"

I just know, when I see a car with a plug hanging out the front grille, it's going to have a license plate from Saskatchewan or Manitoba!

 

[js]

I have a remote start so I start it up and let it warm up for 10-15 minutes. then it's nice and toasty when I get in it. I know it's bad for the environment but I'd rather be comfortable.

I'm sure you wondered if you would get backlash for saying this but I just want to say "back at ya!" I do the same thing! I HATE the cold and before I shut my car off once I get home, I put the heat all the way up and the defroster if there is a chance of snow/ice.

Stay Warm!

 

[tvguy]

The mystery here is where the block heater is located. I believe cars sold in the frozen northern reaches, ie Canadian Prairies, have the block heater inside the engine, not installed as an accessory mounted on the dash.

Wikipedia entry on engine block heaters: "A block heater warms an engine to increase the starting speed of the vehicle as well as warm up the vehicle faster than it normally would in cold weather. The most common type is an electric heating element connected through a power cord often routed through the vehicle's grille. The block heater may replace one of the engine's core plugs, or may be installed in line with one of the radiator or heater hoses"

I just know, when I see a car with a plug hanging out the front grille, it's going to have a license plate from Saskatchewan or Manitoba!

Yes, an engine block heater goes in the engine, and the interior heater goes either on top of the dash or in the footwell of the passenger side, but both are connected to the same plug hanging out the front. At least on the cars owned by my family in Saskatchewan. Although I think my Uncle did not put an interior heater in his new 2007 Grand Marquis because it has U.S. smog equipment on it, and the car heater warms up very quickly if the car is plugged in and kept in a garage.

It also struck me how many of my family members in Canada now own Crown Victorias and Grand Marquis (which are no longer being made). My uncle the GM fan, and my Uncle the Chrysler fan joined my Uncle the Ford fan in buying them when GM and Chrysler stopped making full size, rear wheel drive cars.

 

[winteriscoming]

I'm with the people who warm up their cars if it's really cold. There is nothing like the feeling of sitting on your front seat and hearing a crunchy sound because it is frozen!
But, if it's really really cold I too plug in my truck at night. It makes warming up the vehicle much faster in the dark early am. When I go to work and it's really really cold I also plug in there.
Along the same line of thought when I go to Safeway I do what everyone else does (although leaving a car to idle for more than 10 mnutes is supposed to earn you a ticket), I leave my car running, use my other key to lock the door and go run into buy my groceries.


If I'm helping out with the kids at a local arena for a long evening etc, after about 3-4 hours, a parent will volunteer to collect car keys and go start the vehicles and leave them runnning for a bit. Then they come back in and return the keys.

Got to love life on the Northern Canadian Prairies!!
(But our summers are awesome!!!!!!!!!)

 

[anniemck]

Totally makes me happy I live in south central Florida. I could not deal with the temperatures y'all are talking about. Not unless i am on vacation that is, and then I better have a hot tub nearby.

 

[lizabu]

The mystery here is where the block heater is located. I believe cars sold in the frozen northern reaches, ie Canadian Prairies, have the block heater inside the engine, not installed as an accessory mounted on the dash.

Wikipedia entry on engine block heaters: "A block heater warms an engine to increase the starting speed of the vehicle as well as warm up the vehicle faster than it normally would in cold weather. The most common type is an electric heating element connected through a power cord often routed through the vehicle's grille. The block heater may replace one of the engine's core plugs, or may be installed in line with one of the radiator or heater hoses"

I just know, when I see a car with a plug hanging out the front grille, it's going to have a license plate from Saskatchewan or Manitoba!

Yes. The heater goes under the hood. Not inside the car. You don't always have them installed. You can get ones you just place under the hood and plug in. I live in Ontario and I don't see them here as often but when I was a kid every car had them. I think it goes back to posters talking about the modern engines out now. With the older engines if you didn't have a block heater your car wasn't going to start at all.

 

[clarkshel]

I'm sure you wondered if you would get backlash for saying this but I just want to say "back at ya!" I do the same thing! I HATE the cold and before I shut my car off once I get home, I put the heat all the way up and the defroster if there is a chance of snow/ice.

Stay Warm!

Ya, screw the environment. Your comfort is so much more important than saving the environment. To h*ll with clean air. :<rolleyes>

 

[clarkshel]

Never seen anything like that before. No one around here on the Canadian Prairies has such a thing.

So you have seen all the vehicles on the Canadian prairies and personally checked for one of these inside heaters? WOW, pretty impressive. I live on the Canadian prairies and both my neighbors have these. I guess you must have missed hear vehicles during our search. Lol

 

[tvguy]

So you have seen all the vehicles on the Canadian prairies and personally checked for one of these inside heaters? WOW, pretty impressive. I live on the Canadian prairies and both my neighbors have these. I guess you must have missed hear vehicles during our search. Lol

I bet you put gravy on your french fries too.

 

[Granny square]

When I remember to I heat my car. She and I both function better when warmed a bit.