Winter Alert! block heater in your X.

[Penguin]

> easiest to do it in a coolant hose or a stick-on heater on the oil pan,

That is the easiest; however, nothing beats a true block heater mounted in a freeze plug for effectiveness.

[King]

While you can get a block heater put on a 6 cyl engine, none of the 8 cyl BMW engines have block heaters. I looked into it when I first got my E53 in 2002. Apparently the V8's don't even have the plug in the engine where the block heater is usually installed.

I live in Canada too, and I have never had a problem starting. I have three Bimmers but only a two car garage - so last year the X5 stayed outside even when it went down to -20C.

The V8's have an alternator with higher amps and it certainly helps to kick start the engine. They recommend driving slowly to warm-up the engine rather than letting it idle. I'm surprised your X won't start when it's only 0 degrees out ...gotta' be some other problem...

[Penguin]

> Apparently the V8's don't even have the plug in the engine where the block heater is usually installed.

Interesting. Those "plugs" are typically referred to as "Freeze Plugs," but in reality are simply holes that are necessary as part of the casting process. BMW must use some new and novel casting technology for their V-8 blocks.

[vinuneuro]

Check the battery.

[y5choi]

how do you check the battery again? idrive right? well it did crank but it just didn't go the first try as if it wasn't getting the fuel in. but she's going fine now if it happens again, i'll definitely take her in. thanks!

[jlforlife]

yes the iDrive will give you all info.

[X5 Meister]

Don't know how effective, but that is what BMW Canada is selling and evidently making. They call it an engine block heater. The flat side faces the road and the side with all the bumps fits in properly to the block. I've heard that it works pretty good and has an output of something like 300 watts.

[JCL]

Originally Posted by mgruber

Don't know how effective, but that is what BMW Canada is selling and evidently making. They call it an engine block heater. The flat side faces the road and the side with all the bumps fits in properly to the block. I've heard that it works pretty good and has an output of something like 300 watts.

I looked up the E46Fanatics forum, where the picture was posted originally. There are other articles about it as well. I was interested to see that many posters were interested in installing the block heater because of concern over the crankcase ventilation valve. I do think a block heater helps with cold starts (accelerated engine wear) but I don't see how it can impact the crankcase ventilation valve issues.

I haven't installed a block or oil pan heater because I have never been below -30C with my recent BMWs, and so haven't found it necessary. I do know that my last block heaters (Ford Expedition, Ford Explorer, Volvo) were all in the 1000-1500 watt range. This BMW CA part is reportedly $140, which is two to three times the price of an oil pan pad heater, which would warm the oil directly and thus provide more benefit.

Just my $0.02

[y5choi]

my 4.8 starts up just fine with 94 octane gas, maybe I won't need it. But then again, it only reaches -20 around my neck of the woods, back home in Alberta, oh man -40...(thats Celsius)

[alewifebp]

0 degrees C is hardly cold, and that certainly isn't what I would consider the kind of temperature to necessitate a block heater. We had some -15 degrees C temps not too long ago here in NJ and it started up quickly.