oil pan pad heaters - any1 uses them?

[shogun]

in colder areas? Any experience?
http://www.padheaters.com/

[Antrieb]

Do you have to install it on each start? That kinda sounds like a pain in the arse.

[shogun]

Installation is done once
http://www.padheaters.com/installation.html

[Jehu]

So people who live, say in a condo and park maybe
100 feet from their third floor unit and can't run an extension cord are SOL... good idea though... in principle.

[shogun]

If you live in Scandinavia for example, many of the parking lots have a power connection for this.

[DaveVoorhis]

When I lived in Canada, my cars and trucks each had a block heater, and sometimes two in the V8s, that were installed in freeze-plug holes. Never tried a pan heater, but probably would have had they been available at the time.

[rob101]

So people who live, say in a condo and park maybe
100 feet from their third floor unit and can't run an extension cord are SOL... good idea though... in principle.
takes 12 volt DC as well now apparently. in principle that means you can use a battery.

[Mr Project]

I really want to do something like this...when I had the motor out I was trying to find a freeze plug heater that would fit, and I didn't have any luck. I've been planning on picking up one of these generic oil pan heaters instead, hopefully before winter hits here.

[Anthony (M5 in Calgary)]

I really want to do something like this...when I had the motor out I was trying to find a freeze plug heater that would fit, and I didn't have any luck. I've been planning on picking up one of these generic oil pan heaters instead, hopefully before winter hits here.

LOL, try a Canadian BMW stealership or Crappy Tire (www.canadiantire.com) for the part. Shouldn't cost more than $30.

If you do install one, make sure not to overtighten the screw. It's only there to hold the heater in the block, the o ring seals it.

[shogun]

Do you have a pic of such part which goes into the freezer plug?

As for this pad: Many BMW oil pans have cooling fins which may decrease effectiveness and may make instalation difficult.

[Dave M]

bavarian site (http://data.bmrparts.com/bmwparts/7679405834866U.html) states they have used ones for a deisel (makes sense).

This part is found mostly on diesels. It is designed to heat up the block, before starting, to allow the engine to fire. It mounts in one of the freeze plug holes.

Most of our used BMW parts are priced from 52% to 85% off the current BMW list price -- and all Bavarian parts are cleaned, tested, and Guaranteed. Please call us for the specific BMW interchange, the part's exact condition, available warranties, and package discounts at (800)269-0863.

This BMW part works for the following BMW models and year ranges:
1985 1986 BMW 524TD 4DR ( E28 )

I will check canadian tire on the way home, out of interest for myself, just to see if they do make one.

With regard to the oil pan heater, it won't work as well, but it will be easier to install (usually sold with metal straps). As for the 'fins' on the alumunim oil pans, yep it will certainlt reduce effectiveness. But hey, how cold can japn get? ;)

Dave M

[Mr Project]

On my M30, the 'flat' non-finned part of the oil pan is the section that is toward the rear of the engine. There's enough room to get a heating pad on there pretty securely, but there also won't really be any oil back there at rest! So you'd be counting on heating the backside of the aluminum pan and having it transfer heat to the oil in the sump.

Yeah, the freeze plug heaters have always seemed much more effective to me, since I'm primarily interested in heating the coolant anyway. (short commute)

I did find the deisel heaters, but I couldn't find any proof that the M30 had the same size freeze plugs as the (M20-based?) deisel lump.

[Anthony (M5 in Calgary)]

On my M30, the 'flat' non-finned part of the oil pan is the section that is toward the rear of the engine. There's enough room to get a heating pad on there pretty securely, but there also won't really be any oil back there at rest! So you'd be counting on heating the backside of the aluminum pan and having it transfer heat to the oil in the sump.

Yeah, the freeze plug heaters have always seemed much more effective to me, since I'm primarily interested in heating the coolant anyway. (short commute)

I did find the deisel heaters, but I couldn't find any proof that the M30 had the same size freeze plugs as the (M20-based?) deisel lump.

M30 has the same core plugs as the S38. One of my local M5 buddies has an immersion type block heater on his car and said it was a listing from a 535. I'm leery of using one as I had one blow out on my 325 many years ago. It blew because it had been overtightened, hence my prior warning.

FWIW, the 535 oil pan (PN 1113708345) is the same as the S38B36 (M5 engine) and I know mine has a large flat spot on the bottom of the deep part of the sump since I checked when considering one of the adhesive heaters last year.

[shogun]

But hey, how cold can Japan get?

The northern Island of Hokkaido has the border line to Russia (Siberia) where in winter time we have - >35 degree Celsius.
The most southern island of Okinawa is in the East China Sea and has subtropical climate where you can swim in the sea all year round.
I live just in the middle between these islands in Tokyo where temperatures in winter are a few degrees plus, very seldom snow.
http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/asia/jp.htm

[535ise]

It's not cheap but i thought you might like to have a look ?

http://www.kenlowe.co.uk/pre-heaters/cars/index.html

Also check ebay for them

[Dave M]

The northern Island of Hokkaido has the border line to Russia (Siberia) where in winter time we have - >35 degree Celsius.
The most southern island of Okinawa is in the East China Sea and has subtropical climate where you can swim in the sea all year round.
I live just in the middle between these islands in Tokyo where temperatures in winter are a few degrees plus, very seldom snow.
http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/asia/jp.htm

I suppose that makes vacations easy. You can stay in your own country, ski one weekend and lay on the beach the next. Come to think of it, there are places in western Canada and the US where you can do the same, its just that it only happens for a few weeks a year :(

Oh, and doesn't Japan have those cool monkeys that live in the snow at high altitude?

Dave M