Engine Block Heater Install - Did I do it right?

Hello folks & happy Independence Day.

Got a little brave & decided to install my EBH this afternoon. May I ask those who have installed it from the bottom take a look at the following photos & let me know if I got it right?

This photo was taken while I was laying on the ground at about center of the engine compartment, with feet facing the front of the vehicle. The opening of the hole is on the left hand side (drivers side) but cannot be seen here. However, the red arrows inserted below kind of indicate where I believe the heating rod should sit.
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I also took some photos of where I ran the power cord. Anything wrong with my choice of location?
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Thanks, Jim & Evan. The clip definitely locked in place and the tube fit like a glove in that hole... very secure with no movement at all.

I was anxious to test the result so I've been out joy riding, after plugging in the EBH for about 2 hours. To my surprise, I can't really say I noticed much of an increase in the mpg reading during the first 5 minutes. In fact, the instantaneous mpg readings were about where they usually were prior to the install. I have not driven my Prius since this past Tuesday evening, if that has anything to do with it.

Is this normal for summer weather? I think it was in the upper 80's today. Do I simply need run the EBH a little longer next time? BTW, I did confirm that the heating element itself is working properly, since I could definitely feel the heat from the engine block after plugging it in for those 2 hours.

 

Thanks! I realize the real advantage/gain will come in the winter. However, I was expecting more than just a minor improvement during the first few minutes of driving, even in the summer months. Probably too early for me to draw any conclusions as to the EBH's effectiveness. Need more time with it. I'll plug it in for 3 hours tomorrow and see if that makes any difference.

 

Thanks, Jim. I'll have to pay a little more attention to my readings during the first drive tomorrow morning, especially the first 5 minute bar. I had forgotten this is probably the better way of comparing before & after results of the EBH. This afternoon, I was simply observing instantaneous mpg readings during the first few minutes and never even bothered to check the first 5 minute bar.

 

Wayne (& David),

Good morning & thank you! I was hoping the EBH Guru would chime in.
I'm fairly certain the heating element is receiving power and working properly, since the top of the engine block was almost too hot to touch after that initial 2 hour heating period yesterday. However, I'll also check/feel around the cylinder itself right after plug-in just to be certain. As a side note, I was expecting the hole for the EBH to be located more in the central part of the engine block and not right at the very edge/end of it. This was the only reason why I had some doubt about where I had installed the EBH.

I don't have a Scangauge or Can-view to check the coolant temp. This may have to be my next mod. Instead, I'll just have to pay attention to other things like how soon I can glide without first having to bring the vehicle speed to 35 mph or higher, instantaneous mpg readings and of course the first 5 minute avg mpg bar. If I will indeed be in stage 4 after a mile or two of gentle start-up driving, then I should be able to glide any speed below 35 mph (assuming the battery has a decent SOC, of course). I'll certainly test this later this morning.

Regarding the plastic protective wire loom. I actually wrapped the entire power cord with it, up to the point where it tapers into the plug. Guess you can't really tell in the previous photos I took. Here are a few more I took this morning. Thanks again everyone for the feedback!

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Hey ChristoB,
Sorry you are not able to take advantage of this engine heater. I'm not sure what impact its usage will have on my electric bill. I think someone in this forum already ran the numbers and it seemed to make sense to use it... at least for some people.

As an update, I did some more testing this morning and drove my Prius around, after running the EBH for 3 hours. Wayne was correct. The car warmed up nicely after about a mile or so of gentle start-up driving. I could easily put the vehicle into glide mode, even at low speeds (below 35 mph). I don't know if this meant the car was already in stage 4. However, there's no question this was a significant improvement. My first 5 minute bar was around 40 mpg. I'm definitely liking this EBH!

I do have one more question for you EBH users. What type of timer did you get? I just bought the one shown below from Lowes. As you can see, it's rated for a resistive capacity of 15 amps. Therefore, it should be plenty adequate to handle the start-up load from this EBH. What do you think?

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Wayne/Jim, Thanks for the clarification & confirmation. I'm actually going to return this analog timer for the digital version (also an Intermatic). Decided I want a little more precise control of the on/off cycles.

 

Hobbit, thanks for confirming some of the numbers. I figured it would make sense (from an economic standpoint) for most people to use it on a daily basis.

Likesmpg, I didn't realize there were variations in power cord length from one EBH to another. I purchased mine from metrotpn.com back in May. Got my Intermatic digital timer (model DT27C, $18 at Home Depot) and used it for the first time this morning. Worked like a charm!