Engine Block Heater (EBH) Group Buy: as low as $39 shipped till 8/19

Thanks for the great opportunity. I have a few questions.

1. Do you have installation directions so I can decide if a purchase is practical for us?
2. Will this heater work on other cars or just the Prius?
3. What is the warranty . . .
4. I live in Suburban Chicago

Thanks, Ed





<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Danny @ Jul 25 2007, 01:53 PM) [snapback]484843[/snapback]</div>

 

The EBH is a cylindrical device that gets installed into a hole that is cast(at the manufacturing process) into the engine specifically for this heater. It is about 400 Watts. If you preheat for about three hours it cost about $0.10 to operate per day in electricity cost. 400W at three hours=1.2 KWHours. It is extremely effective in the winter time but helps in the summer time also. On average your first 5 minute bar for FE(fuel efficiency) on the consumption screen is near 20-25 MPG in the summertime and less in the winter. With the preheat you take it to somewhere in the ~40 MPG range in the summer and ~30MPG in the winter. It allows the engine to be able to get up to operating temperature much quicker and therefore allows your engine to reach stage 3 and stage 4 operation sooner. Read about the 5 stages of operation here. If it is not a link just copy and paste into your browser. Thanks to hobbit for the link

http://techno-fandom.org/~hobbit/cars/five-stages.txt

With the preheat the coolant/engine block is preheated to approx 125 deg F. From what I understand about the 5 stages the car wants to be at 163 deg F so it only has 40 deg F to go when you start. Upon start, with the preheat the temp initially drops back to about 115 deg F(when the cooler un-heated coolant from the radiator enters the block) and then soon back to 124-140 deg F.
All of this means that the car will be able to save fuel sooner. The other added benefit is that the oil is already preheated so it will minimize cold starts on your engine. A preheated engine is a happy engine.

ANOTHER thing to think about doing is blocking your grill to help hold some of that heat in. Here is the link. http://priuschat.com/index.php?showtopic=2...;hl=upper+grill


Thanks,
D Rock
I can have it installed before it gets really cold. Never really much snow here. It will also help with my first 5 min bar in the summer time. YEAH. I have replied and want 4 of them. One for me now. One for later many years from now and maybe a few installs locally. Get yours now.
D Rock

 

I'm very interested...my e-mail is [email protected]ks for the opportunity to purchase the EBH at a discount

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Danny @ Jul 25 2007, 04:35 PM) [snapback]484992[/snapback]</div>

Or there is always the free install route

Wayne

 

Woo! I'm in for one. Great idea for a Group Buy, thank you.

 

I am PMing Danny right now. Is their a waiting list for Fire Engineers West Coast ciruit in September? I realize he will have to reload is NAV system several times, becuase I know there is a finite limit on way points. I figure he can do all the national parks and all PC engine block installs in the same nice big circuitous trip Everyone list your Zip Codes to make it easy for Fire Engineer. Mine is 98607.

 

How low is the price right now? How many people have signed up for the group buy?

 

I'd like one. Sure, I'm in So. Cal. But I have a short commute (12 miles one way) and I'll bet in the winter I'll see a difference with this. Too bad I can't plug it in at school for the commute back.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(efusco @ Jul 25 2007, 08:21 PM) [snapback]485144[/snapback]</div>

When will Wayne be in So. Cal so he can install my block heater?


Now I do have one question. Obviously I'm not going to plug this thing in the night before. So how long should it be plugged in before I leave in the morning? I.E. how long does it take to warm up. (Yes, I know this was probably covered somewhere else, but indulge me.)

 

Count me in, I'll send the PM too.

Thanks Danny!

Anybody in the Minneapolis area want to do a group install? Maybe we can borrow a garage lift instead of jackstands.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(efusco @ Jul 25 2007, 09:16 PM) [snapback]485192[/snapback]</div>

Thanks. I'll have to get a good timer. And I'll have to develop a reminder so I unplug it before I drive off. I back in to my garage so don't pass by the hood when I drive off in the morning. So I'll have to create a way to remember to unplug before getting in the car.

 

if you back in and have a garage door, just clip it to the second door up and give yourself enough cord to allow the door to open but not unplug the cord, that way you'll see the cord and lower the door to hang the cord on the clip so you will pass under it. Trust me you'll only have to lower the door a couple of times before you automatically unplug it. I still use my block heater as well. Currently running a 4.6 liter per hundred in a Classic. I'll save you the trouble it works out to 51.1 mpg US gallon.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Frank Hudon @ Jul 26 2007, 12:27 AM) [snapback]485296[/snapback]</div>

Excellent suggestion. Thanks.

 

Well I was all set to do the install myself, but Wayne sounds like he's dying to drive all over and do it for people, and the plug from Dr. F is making me reconsider. Maybe when the group-buy is done, we can draw up a map of people who need the expert services of the resident EBH installer.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Godiva @ Jul 26 2007, 01:15 AM) [snapback]485291[/snapback]</div>

The heater is rated at 400 Watts so make sure you get a timer that will at least do 500 watts of resistive load. Anything rated at 1000 Watts or better should work great. I like the digital timers.


<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Ichabod @ Jul 26 2007, 12:07 PM) [snapback]485456[/snapback]</div>

On the same note on installation....I live on the east coast and can also do the install. I hope I am not stepping on any toes here Wayne.
D Rock

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(D Rock @ Jul 26 2007, 11:43 AM) [snapback]485492[/snapback]</div>

It depends on the scenery of where I'm going.

Wayne