Quote:
Originally Posted by 80stech
Whopper electrical bill ?? The old standard freeze plug heater is about 850 watts and a lot of guys (including me) had one on each side of the old V8's ! The recirculating type heaters where 1200 to 1500 watts ! Then there where interior car warmers and battery blankets!! Good case for block heater timers  |
The higher wattage heaters are a lot more effective because they can overcome the heat sink effect of the pan and block. I had a 900 watt block heater in my Bonneville diesel that only needed to be plugged in for about 30 minutes to make a difference in having warm air out of the defroster at startup. I'd really be surprised if a 100 watt pad heater on the outside of the pan makes much difference in the starter amperage draw.
2002 X5 3.0 314,200 miles
2014 428i 24,100 miles
2004 325i sold at 123,600 miles
2001 325i sold at 66,000 miles
1970 Firebird - Under restoration