Relocating from Wisconsin to Fairbanks in March (insurance, how much)

[baggedj]

I currently live in northern Wisconsin, and am moving to Fairbanks in march. I work third shift, so i am already used to sleeping during the day and my internal clock has been nonexistent for many years now, so the darkness and the sunlight factors don't worry me too much. And although snow in Wisconsin is nothing compared to Alaska, i do have years of snow/ice driving experience. My chief concerns are traveling the ALCAN during March, as i will be traveling alone, and installing heaters in my truck. I drive a 4WD automatic Ford Ranger, and I was wondering if i come up in march, will i still have to get the block heater and such installed, or could i wait it out until the fall? Any other information would be appreciated. Thanks!

[RayinAK]

There is 50/50 chance that you will need a block heater in March. What I would do is to have a block heater installed over there, and the cord routed away from any engine moving parts with the plug by the front grill. Have a short Arctic-grade (blue insulation) extension cord with you, plus a Y-cord. Also, while at NAPA buy a battery electric pad. These are about 6" x 8" rectangular in shape, and you can place one below the battery. Otherwise you can always have the vehicle winterized as soon as you arrive to Fairbanks.

If you don't want to install a block heater over there, you may have other options. For example, there are generic magnetic 115 VAC electric heaters you can use. This heater attaches to the engine block anywhere on the head near the antifreeze passages, and keep that area slightly warm for the night. Never install it near gasoline lines nor fuel injectors, plastic parts, and such. It only sticks to magnetic metal (iron and such). The next day just remove the heater before you drive.

[Dakster]

Ray - Any experience with the oil dipstick tube heaters?

Like this one: Amazon.com: Kat's 15200 90 Watt, 120 Volt Dipstick Style Oil Heater: Automotive

I also saw the magnetic heaters you were talking about - however, the OP should make sure that she/he has an iron motor and not an aluminum one.

To the OP: Doesn't it get pretty cold in Wisconsin? How does the truck do in your current winters? I am more nervous about cold weather handling because none of my vehicles has ever experienced even below freezing temps, much less below zero.

[JasonAndJulie]

Are you sure your truck doesn't currently have an engine block heater? Apparently ours did and we have no idea. We're in Texas. I just need to buy the cord but the heater was already factory installed.

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by Dakster

Ray - Any experience with the oil dipstick tube heaters?

Like this one: Amazon.com: Kat's 15200 90 Watt, 120 Volt Dipstick Style Oil Heater: Automotive

I also saw the magnetic heaters you were talking about - however, the OP should make sure that she/he has an iron motor and not an aluminum one.

To the OP: Doesn't it get pretty cold in Wisconsin? How does the truck do in your current winters? I am more nervous about cold weather handling because none of my vehicles has ever experienced even below freezing temps, much less below zero.

I have never used oil-stick heaters. I don't think that they are a good idea for using up here. The best would be an oil-pan heater, which is an electric pad of perhaps 75 Watts (found at most automobile stores in Alaska). The pan should be warm, and the the car parked is a warm garage.

Wipe the oil pan clean with a rag to remove any traces of oil. Then the cord is routed from below the motor toward the front grill away from any engine moving parts (belts, fans, from the hot exhaust pipe, etc.). Make sure that the cord once routed and tied in place with wire ties is not hanging too far below the oil pan, because you don't want it to pull down the pad away from the pan once you have installed it as follows:

Now a bead of high temperature RTV Silicone is put all around the edge of the pad, and a lot more in the middle. The pad is then pressed against the oil pan so that some of the Silicone oozes all around the edges. You can use some masking tape to hold the pad against the oil pan until the Silicone sets through the night (the previously warmed motor should speed-up the process). The next day the silicone should be good enough for the tape to be removed and the car driven out of the garage.

The magnetic heater is a temporary measure, and only used to warm the antifreeze by a few degrees. A block heater is best because it is immersed in the antifreeze at the engine block, so most of the heat it produces is not lost. Instead, the heat is directly transferred to the antifreeze.

Something very important I forgot to mention is that for cold weather driving a battery in top condition is a must, specially in Alaska since you have to keep the headlights and heater fan turned on most of the time, and also because as the battery gets very cold it loses some of its capacity.

[Dakster]

Originally Posted by JasonAndJulie

Are you sure your truck doesn't currently have an engine block heater? Apparently ours did and we have no idea. We're in Texas. I just need to buy the cord but the heater was already factory installed.

Depending on the year of the ranger there is a kit from FORD for this... Kind of like your Dodge. $50 kit - probably worth it to pick it up here in the -48 because of shipping to AK even if you do not have it installed here first.

FORD RANGER ENGINE BLOCK HEATER KIT - NEW | eBay



Ray -- Thanks - I always thought that an in-block (and submersed in coolant) heater was best, just thinking a oil pan stick heater would be easy to install and good 'insurance' in case sub-zero weather hit. I wonder how much a 75-watt in the oil heater can heat - seeing as the block heater are typically 800 - 1000 watts.

You can always go the bush method of heating up a motor by building a fire and putting hot coals underneath it. Although with todays electronics and plastic all over the engine bay that too is probably not a good idea.

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by Dakster

Depending on the year of the ranger there is a kit from FORD for this... Kind of like your Dodge. $50 kit - probably worth it to pick it up here in the -48 because of shipping to AK even if you do not have it installed here first.

FORD RANGER ENGINE BLOCK HEATER KIT - NEW | eBay



Ray -- Thanks - I always thought that an in-block (and submersed in coolant) heater was best, just thinking a oil pan stick heater would be easy to install and good 'insurance' in case sub-zero weather hit. I wonder how much a 75-watt in the oil heater can heat - seeing as the block heater are typically 800 - 1000 watts.

You can always go the bush method of heating up a motor by building a fire and putting hot coals underneath it. Although with todays electronics and plastic all over the engine bay that too is probably not a good idea.

The typical engine block heater used in the interior is installed through the hole on the block from one of the freeze plates or plugs, and most use around 450 Watts of power:
NAPA AUTO PARTS

There are numerous battery heaters you can use. My favorite is a battery blanket because it keeps the battery warm all around (it wraps around the battery). But there is hardly any room around the battery of some automobiles, which sometimes makes it very difficult to install this heater. If your vehicle has no room for a blanket heater, then you may want to use a 60-Watt pad:
NAPA AUTO PARTS

The size of the oil pan heater or pad depends on how large the flat area at the bottom of the oil pan is. For most vehicles a 75-Watt rectangular pad (heater) is perfect. Since the heater is attached to the bottom of the pan, the pan itself is being heated like a frying pan on the stove. Some heat is lost into the air below the pad, but most of the heat rises into the pan and oil. For a diesel motor that contains a lot of oil you could use a larger oil pan heater, but you have to take into consideration not overdoing it because you don't want to burn the oil. A 500-Watt heater, for example puts out a tremendous amount of heat and your truck is plugged into the electrical outlet all day at work. For that reason I go easy with oil and antifreeze heaters.
NAPA AUTO PARTS

I imagine that a 500-Watt heater would be good if you only plug your vehicle through an outdoors timer for short periods of time (three or so hours) before starting the vehicle. But when around -10 or colder.

[Dakster]

My truck has a factory, block heater that goes into a freeze plug area. It is rated for 1000W, but only uses 800 or so according to my watt meter. As always, I guess it depends on the size of the motor and how much you need to heat up. My truck takes 3.1 GALLONS (13 qts) of oil...

Thanks for the links and your opinions.