Where do I get a block Heater?

[bucksamp]

So for rookie car guys (read: "where's the oil go again?"), how much would it run, give or take, to take your car to a mechanic and get the block and oil heater plug and a battery blanket installed (moving to Fairbanks soon... been before but my buddy had a car all set up already)? Cars are semi-late model ('02 Taurus and '04 F-150).

Any ideas of a ball-park, give or take 100 bucks or so?

[akpls]

Originally Posted by bucksamp

So for rookie car guys (read: "where's the oil go again?"), how much would it run, give or take, to take your car to a mechanic and get the block and oil heater plug and a battery blanket installed (moving to Fairbanks soon... been before but my buddy had a car all set up already)? Cars are semi-late model ('02 Taurus and '04 F-150).

Any ideas of a ball-park, give or take 100 bucks or so?

A complete winterizing job will run about ~$300.

[akpls]

Originally Posted by akpls

A complete winterizing job will run about ~$300.

I just saw the Mobil 1 Lube place in Fairbanks advertising "basic winterization" for $175. I don't know what that includes though.

[tigre79]

What would you guys recommend for someone living around Anchorage or the valley, but wanting to visit Fairbanks or other parts of the Interior several times during the winter (possibly on rather cold nights to see the Lights)? Is it better to get everything (block, oil, and battery heaters), or is that overkill if you're only up there for a couple of days at a time?

[Floyd_Davidson]

Originally Posted by tigre79

What would you guys recommend for someone living around Anchorage or the valley, but wanting to visit Fairbanks or other parts of the Interior several times during the winter (possibly on rather cold nights to see the Lights)? Is it better to get everything (block, oil, and battery heaters), or is that overkill if you're only up there for a couple of days at a time?

Overkill. Unless of course you want to drive your car the next day... :-)

Actually, you need to have all lubrication and the antifreeze appropriate for Fairbanks, plus a block heater. You could make do without an interior heater, an oil pan heater or anything on the battery. The interior heater is for your comfort, plus it will probably prevent a few things from breaking (switches, levers, etc). The oil pan heater just reduces the wear and tear on the engine for the first 15-20 minutes after it is started, but doesn't help it start.

Batteries are sort of special. A heat pad under the battery is okay. A battery blanket isn't that good. But the "right" thing to do is put a little trickle charger (1-2 amp) on it. That puts more heat into the battery anyway, and makes sure that it is always a full charge.

The "full charge" should not be dismissed, because one of the most common ways to need a new battery is to run one down to the point that it will not turn the engine over, and then get a boost charge to start the vehicle. If your battery is more than half way through its expected life, it just went to about 90%! The only way to charge up modern batteries is slowly, and if you get enough of a boost to start the engine it means that discharged battery just took a huge load for itself. Each time that is done it takes something like 1/4 of the life off the battery, so you won't immediately notice it with a new battery, and will with a 5 year battery on its 4th year.