So I figured out how to install my block heater

hdrygas · 12-15-2005, 02:12 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ken1784@Dec 15 2005, 06:31 AM
OK.
Here is another picture.

Enjoy,
Ken@Japan

[snapback]173890[/snapback]

Ken you da man best picture yet!! I am doing at least 5mpg better this winter than last thus far. It is colder this winter than last, but not Wisconsin cold by any means.

empannin · 12-18-2005, 12:12 AM

I installed the block heater and have additional tips for a fast install.

1. Jack the car up high using the center lift and put jackstands on either side as per prius manual.
2. Get an old pillow or two to support your head.
3. Get a good flashlight or shoplight
4. Refer to the photos previously distributed. You will be putting your right hand up between the passenger side drive shaft the gas engine block.
5. If you position yourself so that your head is aft of the lift point and midline near the exahust you can reach up with your right hand and see the place you need to insertion it at the same time. Having a pillow or two behind your head helps
6. You can also verify that it is fully locked in from this position
7. Drop the power line down after. Suggest aft of the radiatior overflow (pink liquid)
8. In the same position you were in to install you can fiddle around with getting the connector in. In the correct position, the wires should start heading aft before bending and heading forward (and up)
9. You can run the power line between the hybrid inverter and the coolant tank (pink)
10. I routed the line down to near the driver side fog light.
11. It helps to remove the plastic cover on top of the radiator (it also has warnings about the HV power supply for the headlights)

Other comments: Make sure you have jackstands. Not only is it not very safe to use only the jack, but it would be in the way of positioning yourself where you can best see the plug hole. You should have a buddy, and make sure you test the stands before going underneath (+ wheels chocked). Given the lack of ground clearance, a jack accident would result in serious injury.

If you are having trouble finding the place where it is inserted, review the messages already on the board + the excellent pics. Think of each picture as a map and focus on finding your way by hopping from landmark to landmark.

Best done in a garage or someplace warm. If you can only do this outside plan on doing it soon as it is getting cold... Took me 30 to 60 mins to put it in the first time. I think I could do a 2nd in 10 mins. Hopefully this will help you as well.

Thanks for all the comments and pics previously posted, it would have taken forever without some guidance!

Eric

Frank Hudon · 12-18-2005, 12:21 AM

on Friday morning I had the opportunity to give the block heater one hour and 10 minutes of time and with the OAT at 0C-32F that brought the temp of the ICE to 27C-80F Normally the timer is set to give me an on time of 3 hours and that takes it to 37-40C depending on OAT.

Lather · 12-18-2005, 06:16 PM

Got my heater and got it in. To everyone who posted pictures and advice, thank you. It would have been a nightmare without you. Instead, it was a breeze.

I decided to find the hole first. Once I found it from inside the engine compartment it was simple to find it from underneath. I case anyone is curious; this is how I did it.

From the engine compartment, slide your arm into the space between the brake reservoir (yellow fluid) and the relay box. Reach back behind the engine and go over to the inverter reservoir (pink fluid). Then, as you move down, you’ll feel 3 or 4 wires taped together, below that is an exhaust tube (the Prius doesn’t use a log manifold, it’s more like a header. Just below that, on the side of the block facing the driver is a small hole going into the block towards the passenger. On the backside of the engine (facing the firewall), you’ll feel where the block heater clip snaps on.

Once you’ve got the location down, you’ve got it made. I drove up on the ramps, chocked the wheels and stuck a couple of tires under the car, behind the ramps. I crawled under, in front of the passenger side and looked up at the exhaust. You can easily see the exhaust pipes. If you reach below the exhaust, you’ll find it. From there it was simple. Grease it, insert it and push it until it clicks. The power cord goes on with the cable facing towards the firewall. It took about 15 minutes to find the hole and another 15 minutes to drive it up the ramps and install it.

BTW, when I got the car I used a hydraulic jack to raise it up. I never felt good about that because my jacks are for my truck and way too big for this little car. I went out and got Rino 8000 ramps and a set of chocks from Autozone for $42. It made a world of difference.

AlphaTeam · 12-27-2005, 10:28 AM

Did anyone run the numbers to see if it is worth it to have it run all night and keep a warm engine warm the whole time, or have it turn on a few hours before you leave?

**efusco** · 12-27-2005, 10:40 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by AlphaTeam@Dec 27 2005, 09:28 AM
Did anyone run the numbers to see if it is worth it to have it run all night and keep a warm engine warm the whole time, or have it turn on a few hours before you leave?

[snapback]179386[/snapback]

"The numbers" vary based upon the cost of electricity in your area, if there are night rates, what kind of driving you do, etc. Also to factor in is how much emissions are you creating by using electricity generated by burning coal vs how much you'd create by getting a little lower mileage for the first 5-10 minutes. It can get kinda ugly.

I've decided to bury my head in the sand a little bit and not get too caught up in the thing. It's clear that the EBH uses a steady amount of energy whether the ICE is warm or cold the entire time it is on. It is also clear that the ICE doesn't get much warmer than about 135 degrees no matter how long you leave the heater plugged in. It's also clear that it gets up close to 135 degrees in as little as 3 hours.

Thus, there's little benefit to leaving it on all night. Buy a nice little digital timer and have it come on about 3 hours before you plan to leave each morning.

I do leave it plugged in constantly while at work, but I don't want to risk leaving a timer out in the open to be stolen or to deal with the hassel of reprogramming it every day I work since I work varying times/shifts.

Frank Hudon · 12-27-2005, 01:19 PM

Mine adds $2.88 a month to my electicial bill and that is about the cost of three quartes of a gallon of gas. Remember that our gas up here is about two thirds again more expensive than yours. So to have the car in S4 in half the distance it would take to get into S4 without the EBH and the luxury of heat sooner I figure it's more than worth it. Also this is on my Classic which doesn't have the benifit of the thermous so no flush of hot coolant from it. It would really be interesting to have one in the wifes car but no place to plug it in that's convenient, that would give me more data to compare.

HybridVigor · 12-28-2005, 11:00 PM

I've got a question regarding the block heater - If the point is to heat up your engine block to minimize the warm-up process prior to driving, and the primary reason for the warm-up is the emissions requirement of warming up the catalytic converter, has the possibility of a cat-warmer been explored? Would it be worth it to attempt a heating jacket for the catalytic converter for those in cooler climates during the winter?

**efusco** · 12-28-2005, 11:13 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by HybridVigor@Dec 28 2005, 10:00 PM
I've got a question regarding the block heater - If the point is to heat up your engine block to minimize the warm-up process prior to driving, and the primary reason for the warm-up is the emissions requirement of warming up the catalytic converter, has the possibility of a cat-warmer been explored? Would it be worth it to attempt a heating jacket for the catalytic converter for those in cooler climates during the winter?

[snapback]180369[/snapback]

OOh! I like that idea. I think that whatever you used to heat the Cat would have to be pretty unique.

1)It would probably have to be removable to allow for proper heat transfer during normal driving.

2)It would have to get VERY hot. The Cats get up to over 1200 degrees F and are usually up to 500-600 within a few minutes of starting the ICE.

I guess, after putting those points down my thought is that it is unlikely you could find an energy efficient/convenient means to do that and that the CAT probably warms up very quickly, esp. if the ICE is already warm.

Frank Hudon · 12-29-2005, 12:16 AM

On the Classic Prius and I'm not sure at this time but probalby on the G2 as well when the ICE first starts the Ignition timing retards and that along with a slightly rich mixtrue is what puts a lot of heat in the Cat right from the start to heat it up rapidly. Heating the shell of the cat would probably be ineffective as most are wrapped internally with asbestos to contain the heat and keep it from turning the shell white hot.

12-27-2005, 01:19 PM	#257
Frank Hudon Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 4,144 My Car: Model: Package: Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Friends: 0	Mine adds $2.88 a month to my electicial bill and that is about the cost of three quartes of a gallon of gas. Remember that our gas up here is about two thirds again more expensive than yours. So to have the car in S4 in half the distance it would take to get into S4 without the EBH and the luxury of heat sooner I figure it's more than worth it. Also this is on my Classic which doesn't have the benifit of the thermous so no flush of hot coolant from it. It would really be interesting to have one in the wifes car but no place to plug it in that's convenient, that would give me more data to compare. __________________ You can quote me on this, People who drive vehicles that idle at a traffic light, are idiots. mine 2k3 avg. 5.36 for 46,915Km Best tank 4.4L per 100K 64.2 Imperial 53.4 U.S. gallon, MiniScanner, SilverStars, block heater, winter lips, in as of Oct 15, out on April 25. In again on Sept. 21st. her's 2k4 "B" avg. 6.01 for 42,317 Km Best tank 4.02L per 100K, CAN-view with OBD11 module and flashloader, SilverStars, 06 Chrome grill bar, Michelin HydroEdge, upper and lower grill blocker,upper out as of April 7, lower out on April 28. In again on Sept 21st.

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12-18-2005, 12:12 AM	#252
empannin Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 11 My Car: Model: Package: Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Friends: 0	I installed the block heater and have additional tips for a fast install. 1. Jack the car up high using the center lift and put jackstands on either side as per prius manual. 2. Get an old pillow or two to support your head. 3. Get a good flashlight or shoplight 4. Refer to the photos previously distributed. You will be putting your right hand up between the passenger side drive shaft the gas engine block. 5. If you position yourself so that your head is aft of the lift point and midline near the exahust you can reach up with your right hand and see the place you need to insertion it at the same time. Having a pillow or two behind your head helps 6. You can also verify that it is fully locked in from this position 7. Drop the power line down after. Suggest aft of the radiatior overflow (pink liquid) 8. In the same position you were in to install you can fiddle around with getting the connector in. In the correct position, the wires should start heading aft before bending and heading forward (and up) 9. You can run the power line between the hybrid inverter and the coolant tank (pink) 10. I routed the line down to near the driver side fog light. 11. It helps to remove the plastic cover on top of the radiator (it also has warnings about the HV power supply for the headlights) Other comments: Make sure you have jackstands. Not only is it not very safe to use only the jack, but it would be in the way of positioning yourself where you can best see the plug hole. You should have a buddy, and make sure you test the stands before going underneath (+ wheels chocked). Given the lack of ground clearance, a jack accident would result in serious injury. If you are having trouble finding the place where it is inserted, review the messages already on the board + the excellent pics. Think of each picture as a map and focus on finding your way by hopping from landmark to landmark. Best done in a garage or someplace warm. If you can only do this outside plan on doing it soon as it is getting cold... Took me 30 to 60 mins to put it in the first time. I think I could do a 2nd in 10 mins. Hopefully this will help you as well. Thanks for all the comments and pics previously posted, it would have taken forever without some guidance! Eric

12-18-2005, 12:21 AM	#253
Frank Hudon Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 4,144 My Car: Model: Package: Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Friends: 0	on Friday morning I had the opportunity to give the block heater one hour and 10 minutes of time and with the OAT at 0C-32F that brought the temp of the ICE to 27C-80F Normally the timer is set to give me an on time of 3 hours and that takes it to 37-40C depending on OAT.

12-18-2005, 06:16 PM	#254
Lather Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 23 My Car: Model: Package: Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Friends: 0	Got my heater and got it in. To everyone who posted pictures and advice, thank you. It would have been a nightmare without you. Instead, it was a breeze. I decided to find the hole first. Once I found it from inside the engine compartment it was simple to find it from underneath. I case anyone is curious; this is how I did it. From the engine compartment, slide your arm into the space between the brake reservoir (yellow fluid) and the relay box. Reach back behind the engine and go over to the inverter reservoir (pink fluid). Then, as you move down, you’ll feel 3 or 4 wires taped together, below that is an exhaust tube (the Prius doesn’t use a log manifold, it’s more like a header. Just below that, on the side of the block facing the driver is a small hole going into the block towards the passenger. On the backside of the engine (facing the firewall), you’ll feel where the block heater clip snaps on. Once you’ve got the location down, you’ve got it made. I drove up on the ramps, chocked the wheels and stuck a couple of tires under the car, behind the ramps. I crawled under, in front of the passenger side and looked up at the exhaust. You can easily see the exhaust pipes. If you reach below the exhaust, you’ll find it. From there it was simple. Grease it, insert it and push it until it clicks. The power cord goes on with the cable facing towards the firewall. It took about 15 minutes to find the hole and another 15 minutes to drive it up the ramps and install it. BTW, when I got the car I used a hydraulic jack to raise it up. I never felt good about that because my jacks are for my truck and way too big for this little car. I went out and got Rino 8000 ramps and a set of chocks from Autozone for $42. It made a world of difference.

12-27-2005, 10:28 AM	#255
AlphaTeam Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Earth Posts: 640 My Car: 2006 Prius Model: Package: #7 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Friends: 0	Did anyone run the numbers to see if it is worth it to have it run all night and keep a warm engine warm the whole time, or have it turn on a few hours before you leave?

12-28-2005, 11:00 PM	#258
HybridVigor Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Chandler, AZ Posts: 96 My Car: Model: Package: Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Friends: 0	I've got a question regarding the block heater - If the point is to heat up your engine block to minimize the warm-up process prior to driving, and the primary reason for the warm-up is the emissions requirement of warming up the catalytic converter, has the possibility of a cat-warmer been explored? Would it be worth it to attempt a heating jacket for the catalytic converter for those in cooler climates during the winter?

12-29-2005, 12:16 AM	#260
Frank Hudon Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 4,144 My Car: Model: Package: Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Friends: 0	On the Classic Prius and I'm not sure at this time but probalby on the G2 as well when the ICE first starts the Ignition timing retards and that along with a slightly rich mixtrue is what puts a lot of heat in the Cat right from the start to heat it up rapidly. Heating the shell of the cat would probably be ineffective as most are wrapped internally with asbestos to contain the heat and keep it from turning the shell white hot.