Want to install an Engine Block Heater yourself? This guide may help.

also, if you live in a cold winter climate the block heater is the difference between starting or not on some days
not to ruffle anyones feathers, but installation from above with the wiper assembly and support tray removed is straight forward and you can see the hole the heater goes in
jmho

 

When I finally found the hole I just had to laugh. It's not remotely possible for me to get my arm up there high enough through all the other things underneath the car to reach that area. I don't know how you guys manage it. Hats off to you.

 

If you stick your arm up there enough your arm diameter does change over time. Besides I found out I don't need all that skin anyway.

In the Prius with MG1 starting the ICE, winter starting is never a problem, block heater or not. As for the top down method, I'll do 2-3 installs for every 1 someone else does from the top. But it is a matter of comfort for the installer.

Wayne

 

I installed my block heater last night. Everything went well except I did lose some skin in the process. It doesn't help to have big forearms. There is one screw that you can see in the pics from the guide that is the killer and I can see no other reason to have it protruding that far out other than some engineer deciding to mess with all us DIY installers :suspicious:. I might actually reconsider and go from the top if I had to do it over again. I also lost a significant amount of the grease on my attempt at the hole but when I turned it on the area around the heater was too hot to touch for more than a split second so I won't worry about it and I'm definitely not taking it out again. Thanks to all for what turned out to be invaluable advice.

Rod

 

Green Hokie - Thanks for posting this. I installed it this morning and these directions were spot on. I would not have attempted this without directions like this. Believe it or not, the most difficult part for me was jacking up the car and getting it sturdy enough to crawl under. I borrowed some ramps but the angle on them is too high. The bottom area under the lower grill, forward of the tires, hit the ramp before the tires did so that was not going to work. I ended up jacking it up at the center spot in front then put jack stands under at the two front jacking points. Once all that was done I had it in, wired up and plugged in within 30 minutes. No fun to install and I do not care to do it again. I am sure the effort will be worth it when the Connecticut winter arrives. Thanks again.

 

Thanks everyone for the EBH Installation DIY tips, Just installed mine today, directions where perfect, Took me about 45 minutes. Patiences and perseverance is definitely need for this job, but it can be done.

/EvilTree

2008 Silver Pine Mica Package 6
Best MPG - 58.3

Modifications Done
PIAA Sports Horn 500hz + 600hz Auto Horn Upgraded
Reverse Beep Disabled
EBH Installed
ScanGauge II Installed

 

I am attempting an install as we speak...it feels like there is a cover (some kind of plastic?) covering the whole? Has anyone else found it? I can't figure out a way to remove that little cover! This is an 08 I took delivery on last Friday.

 

Never mind, figured it out! Got it installed! Thanks for all the pictures and explanations!

 

Did you even try? At 6'-5" my arms are too dang long to do it easily, but even so, it WAS doable. Tight? yes. Uncomfortable? yup. But doable. You'd have to have major popeye wide forarms to not be able to reach it.

 

I tried on 3 occasions. Gave up and went through the top. Much easier, though longer.

 

Jeez Rxmxsh, i tried to kill your Avatar twice, thought it was a fruit fly on my monitor

 

Excellent instructions. The "rehearsal" is a very smart idea. Thank you Pete and Wayne for taking the time. Complete in just under an hour.

 

Wow, instructions are great! It took me a while to "get it" where the whole is, but it all finally worked. Of course, like everybody else, I left some skin and blood on the underside, but well worth it! THANK YOU!

 

I just wanted to be clear, in order to install EBH, it doesn't need to drain anything, right? It is pretty much just to insert the rod into the engine block (which there is already a hole there?)

I always thought you needed to drain the engine oil, remove a protective cover from the engine block before you can install the heater.

BTW, mine is a 2008 Prius. The instruction sounds simple enough (other than tight spaces) And no need to use any screws to hold it in place eh? i.e. tool-less install.

 

Oh one more quick questions. On some other EBH, I have see a label saying it has some kind of thermo protection, i.e. will not turn on if it is above few degree C' and I also assume it will shut off if it gets too hot.

What's the prius EBH is like? What is the shut off temp? And do you guys just leave it plug in while you park your car at night? Anyone using a timer? How many kWh is the EBH uses?

Really thinking of getting one and install it before it gets too cool.

 

Any details on that cover you were talking about? That's what I have read somewhere else before...

Do you have to remove it? and How? or is it a wrong spot?

 

OK. I wonder if anyone get kill-a-watt to do some actual measurement. In my area the lowest rate is from 10PM - 6AM. If I program the timer to run from 4AM - 7AM, not sure by 8AM the engine block is still warm enough (I do park my car outside) Or maybe I just have to get up earlier and go to work earlier... sigh.

 

Humm.. so what you are saying is once the engine block gets to ~155F (or ~130F) it just keeps at that temp? i.e. the heat loss will balance out heat generated from EBH? interesting....

Now it get me thinking if I should build a microcontroller to regulate the temp (e.g. shut off EBH when it reach certain temp)

Another (really crazy or I am nuts) idea, is to set a timer/microcontroller, use the HV pack to drive a EBH. Then you don't have to worry about plug it in, forget to unplug etc. Except it could run the HV pack dry before you start your day. But if you program your microcontroller carefully, say adding a RTC to it, it may work. Have it to fire up Mon-Fri morning. because I think the HV pack may just have enough juice to run the EBH for 3 hrs to be safe. Oh but then how much ICE will get used up to recharge the HV pack? hummm... this get me thinking... hummm:glare: