[escape05xls]

Anyone ever try this pro heat oil pan heater?
http://www.engineheaters.com/

My uncle has them on his car and plow truck and swears by them. I figured its mounted on the outside of the pan and so no needing to hack up cords etc. so I bought one last night. I have to park the escape outside and this winter seems like it may be a bad one :frozen:. Now I just need to find a way to keep the snow/ice off the windshield.

Install is easy:
http://www.engineheaters.com/install.htm

 

[Squishy]

Yours is a Canadian-market Escape, right? (Think I remember you speaking in kilometres)

If so, you will have a block heater already, although the block heater cord was a dealer-installed item and some were missed. If you have one but have never found it, they tend to be tucked up behind the bumper cover, between the lower grille openings and the upper honeycomb grille. Mine was zip-tied inside the impact beam.

From what I know, the oil is where you want to target the heat, so these are good in my opinion. Engine components can pretty much expand and contract together, but there is a large difference in the amount of protection offered by oil based on its temperature. You might want to switch to a 0W-20 (rare) or a 0W-30 (more accessible) as well.

 

[escape05xls]

Mine should be a US spec one, I'm in MN. From the looks it had to of been garage kept for a 05 this thing is mint. I looked a little for a stock block heater but never found it. I will have to put a little pic show together for this install then.

Yeah I had been thinking of switching oil. Never did in the past with cars with out block heaters...but I suppose it wouldnt hurt either.

 

[The J]

Looking at the link, it appears that the heating pad just adheres to the bottom of the oil pan. Is that right? If so, then there might be a problem. I have an 02 Escape and the oil pan is not flat on the bottom; it has a waffle pattern instead. I don't know how well the pad would adhere to that. However, the sides of the oil pan are flat, I think, so you might be able to just adhere the heating pad to the side of the oil pan if it is small enough.

 

[escape05xls]

I have a 2005 2.3L and my oil pan is flat. even being "waffled" I would think it could work as its only a couple mm's but the side would work too.

 

[SilverAthlon]

my oil pan is waffled as well, and I have yet to crawl around under the vehicle and look for block heater. I keep it in the garage though, so only really sometimes does it get really really really cold. After work is always another story though. If I find a plug, I'll be sure to post some pics.

 

[SilverAthlon]

I did just have a look, and I have a block heater cable that runs from the passenger side of the vehicle to the driver side where the plug is. I found the cable right behind the license plate, in front of the radiator, and above the lower air dam. It was nestled into the bumper/impact zone so I had to fish for it, but with proper lighting I was immediately aware that there was a cable there, I just had to find the end. Took me 30 seconds, squishy's recollection was accurate.

 

[escape05xls]

I just installed it! way easy to install and heats real fast, draws maybe 1amp. I'll take pics and post.

 

[escape05xls]

ugh I leave for work its dark, I come home from work its dark so I havent taken pics yet! I will this weekend.

 

[Squishy]

:bic:

 

[escape05xls]

hahha thanks squish...so I was going to take pics...then it got to cold :shrug:

 

[xciton]

I have had one of these on my Audi for the last 10 years.

It works, but don't expect your engine to be very warm. I don't notice the engine heating up any faster with it on as I would have in the past with typical block heaters. It takes only 200 or so Watts, so you may want to leave it on a bit longer than you would normally do on a block heater.

This and a battery warmer keep things running in our -35C weather up here in Calgary.

 

[Squishy]

The engine won't heat up any quicker because the coolant isn't being heated (directly), but SAE tests show that even cold oil in a warm engine produces increased wear, while hot oil in a cold engine produced wear rates pretty close to a warmed-up engine. I think oil warmers can help quite a bit to reduce engine wear.

That's not to say the coolant block heaters don't work - they do work very well. Some high-mileage engines in the colder climates show noticeable wear differences between the side with the block heater and the side without.

 

[escape05xls]

Hmm since the oil pan heater is running for 5 hours before I start it, it would keep most of the bottom of the engine warm right? Then since the oil is warm once its started the engine in theory would become warmer faster, thus heating the coolant quicker and pushing out warm air quicker? Thats my theory, but so far the starting of the car has been easier since the oil is warm...but the transmission you can still feel being a little...slow? thick oil in it until it gets warmed up after a couple miles.

For the 50-60 bucks I figure its better deal than nothing..I still need pics though!

 

[Squishy]

It depends on ambient temperature and how windy it is. You might be able to soak some heat into the bottom end of the engine, but the important thing is that you are getting a lot better protection on startup.

Think of it this way - the coolant heaters try to eliminate a "brr cold" startup, while the oil heaters give you added protection during those "brr" startups. It would be difficult to have both because I think it would be above the 1800 W limit of your house circuit. You would have to run a new circuit to your garage and plug them in separately.

 

[fotojack]

Actually, as long as the vehicle is in a garage and out of the wind, you don't really need a block heater. I have one on mine, but never use it, even during the coldest days (and it gets pretty damned cold here!). Starts right up every time. Using synthetic oil helps with that, too, as it produces less friction.

 

[escape05xls]

oh ya garage cars I wouldnt. Unless at work you park outside and it gets cold frequently. I park the escape outside though 24/7. My car is garage kept.