Block Heaters & Battery Blankets

Just like you rely on pocket warmers, gloves, and portable heaters to keep you warm in winter, certain parts of your car need some extra insultation to perform at their best. To help you avoid having to deal with a dead battery or engine this season, let’s go over what engine block heaters and battery blankets are, how they work, and which vehicles they benefit the most to help you decide whether you need them.

What Is an Engine Block Heater?

Winter weather can take a great toll on your vehicle, especially because the fluids that keep it running are at risk of thickening and freezing in the cold. Low temperatures make it more difficult for the fluids to lubricate your car and protect its components from damage.

An engine block heater—also known as a car block heater—prevents engine fluids from thickening. It keeps your engine warm so the liquids can maintain their consistency, even when the temperature outside drops well below freezing. Engine block heaters ease the strain that cold starts have on your vehicle’s engine by warming it up before you start the car, and they reduce premature wear by helping the engine stay lubricated.

You can plug an engine block heater into any standard 110 V outlet to help heat up the engine and its fluids, including the oil and coolant. Keep in mind that this device won’t warm the inside of your car. However, by heating up your engine, it will enable your car to circulate warm air inside the cabin faster once you start your vehicle.

Types of Engine Block Heaters

Originally, engine block heaters were literal block heaters that were bolted onto the engine block or used in place of a freeze plug to keep the engine warm. Now, drivers have more block heater alternatives to choose from.

Dipstick Heater

One of the most common types of engine block heater devices is the dipstick heater. It replaces your car’s regular engine oil dipstick. This device uses a magnetic heater to keep the engine oil warm. It’s quite simple to install and can easily be switched between vehicles.

The trade-off to a dipstick heater’s convenient size is that it has a fairly low heating capacity. To warm your engine, most block heaters use 750 to 1,500 watts of electricity. A dipstick heater, however, only uses 90 watts.

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Oil Pan Heater

Another common car block heater is the oil pan heater. These are often magnetic and can be attached to any metal component around your car’s engine block.

An oil pan heater should be plugged in for two or three hours before you start your car. Don’t leave it running for longer than four hours.

Heater Pads

A silicone heater pad can also keep your engine warm through the winter. Simply plug it in and wrap it around your engine block for a few hours before driving.

Can I Use Any Block Heater in My Car?

When picking a block heater, you need to consider the type of vehicle you have and its parts. For example, you can’t use an oil pan heater if your vehicle’s oil pan is made of plastic.

Before browsing for any product on our website, add your vehicle’s details in the top left corner to see items that are guaranteed to fit.

Whichever car block heater you choose, carefully read and follow all the installation instructions. If you need help, you can ask an experienced mechanic at a NAPA AUTOPRO service centre to install your engine block heater for you.

Battery Blankets

Like the engine, your car’s battery is also at risk of freezing and dying during the winter. To keep theirs running smoothly, some people use a battery blanket.

Similar to an engine heater pad, this device is wrapped around the car’s battery to insulate it and maintain a stable temperature. It prevents the battery’s fluids from freezing, allowing you to start your car faster. You can keep the blanket around your battery overnight or for a few hours before you hit the road.

Battery blankets can be used on any car battery.

When to Use a Block Heater or Battery Blanket

Engine block heaters are most useful for older cars that use 5W-30 or 10W-30 engine oil. If you’ve had your car for several years or it’s had engine issues in the past, it may benefit from a little extra warmth in the winter.

Modern vehicles typically have low-viscosity engine oil (e.g., 5W-20) and therefore won’t benefit as much from a block heater. Most are built to handle cold temperatures and have engine warming technology. Many people find that allowing their car to idle for up to 30 seconds before they start driving in the winter suffices for keeping their car’s components lubricated.

If you’re still concerned about your engine temperature or want to avoid idling, there’s no harm in using a block heater or battery blanket on super cold days. If you decide to use one, note that these devices are most useful when the temperature drops below −15°C.

For more information about engine block heaters and battery blankets, visit your local NAPA Auto Parts store to chat with an expert.

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3 Replies to “Block Heaters & Battery Blankets”

  1. curtis says:

    A heater that fits inside your engine oil dipstick tube? Who is the whiz that gives this kind of technical information? An immersion style engine oil heater certainly does not fit into dipstick tube. The so called blanket style, meaning a pan heater must be carefully siliconed on to a bare metal properly prepared section of an oil pan and sized (wattage) to the pan capacity.

    1. NAPA Canada says:

      Thank you for your comment Curtis. There are several different types of block heaters available on the market, including dipstick heaters that fit most dipstick openings and heats motor oil in the oil sump. Similarly, there are several ways of installing different types of block heaters. If you want to know which block heater is best for your vehicle and how to properly install it, we recommend that you visit your local NAPA AUTO PARTS store and consult one of our NAPA experts.

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