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Any reason not to get the blocker heater?

TheSolarWizard

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Hopefully I’m right around the corner from a diesel test drive so I can finally make a choice and join the club one way or the other.

is there any downside to spending the $100 on a factory block heater on either engine? Seems like a broader audience when it’s time to sell even if I never need it

edit I should add I special ordered an LJ with it a long time ago and it was replaced under warranty for leaking.

I own a condo in Big Bear, CA which almost never gets below 15*
Family owns a home in CO at 9300ft. I’ve only been there once in the dead of winter but there’s an slight chance it could happen gain. Below zero happens there.
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ShadowsPapa

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How cold does or will it get at night where you may or will have the Jeep parked?
Diesel is different, gas engines - unless it gets cold at night, not needed. Modern injected engines do fine as far as starting.
But the block heater will help prevent some stresses and lube problems when starting in extreme cold.
If you don't anticipate having it sit and then start it in below 30 degree temps, it won't really do much good.
However, it can't hurt anything either.
So it all depends - It's only for cold weather starts, and I define cold as 30 or below.
There's no wrong here - if you may use the vehicle when or where it gets cold, get it.
In Alaska, most hotel parking lots have outlets by the parking spaces........ yeah, for engine block heaters.
 

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There's no downside.... but I find it hard to believe anyone buying a used Gladiator in San Diego is going to care if it has a block heater....
 

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There's no downside.... but I find it hard to believe anyone buying a used Gladiator in San Diego is going to care if it has a block heater....
This times 100!
Don’t waste your money...now if you got below freezing routinely during the winter ...maybe.
I have it on my 6.7 Powerstroke and only use it when it gets below 10 degrees and I leave it outside overnight...I don’t see that happening much in SD.
 

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ShadowsPapa

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This times 100!
Don’t waste your money...now if you got below freezing routinely during the winter ...maybe.
I have it on my 6.7 Powerstroke and only use it when it gets below 10 degrees and I leave it outside overnight...I don’t see that happening much in SD.
AND - you can add such a thing later if you must have it, and anyone you sell it to can add one later. There are multiple options, doesn't have to be in the block (unless the Jeep cooling system is way different) But even if it does, they can be added later by your favorite mechanic. The heaters themselves are pretty inexpensive.
 

saintpauljeff

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I should probably get one of these installed, we routinely have polar vortexes here In Minnesota and I’m usually parked outside the garage. Forgot to ask if this could be dealer installed as I don’t think I realized this was available from Jeep?
 

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I should probably get one of these installed, we routinely have polar vortexes here In Minnesota and I’m usually parked outside the garage. Forgot to ask if this could be dealer installed as I don’t think I realized this was available from Jeep?
Yes, easily dealer installed. They typically fit into one of the holes in place if a core plug (what some call "freeze plugs" because the mistaken belief they are there to prevent block cracking)
They remove a core plug and put the heater there in place of the plug. The heater directly heats the coolant in the block and thus the block and heads. It's a good thing in cold climates. It reduces the stresses on cold iron and steel parts and helps oil flow more quickly and readily under cold harsh conditions.
There are types that fit into the lower radiator hose and we used to sell a whole lot of them that went into the heater hoses and worked on a thermo-siphon principal "pumping" the warm water through the system. Only worked if you could leave the heater valve open - didn't work well on vacuum controlled heater valve systems unless the valve was normally open.

I was up there in a suburb north of the cities years ago when they had one of their nice cool weekends - meaning the low was minus 25 or so, the high was 0. Stayed with friends who lived in a mobile home. Wow was it cold the next morning. They had their vehicles plugged in and they cranked and started as if it was 70 outside.
 

TennesseePA

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Yes, easily dealer installed. They typically fit into one of the holes in place if a core plug (what some call "freeze plugs" because the mistaken belief they are there to prevent block cracking)
They remove a core plug and put the heater there in place of the plug. The heater directly heats the coolant in the block and thus the block and heads. It's a good thing in cold climates. It reduces the stresses on cold iron and steel parts and helps oil flow more quickly and readily under cold harsh conditions.
There are types that fit into the lower radiator hose and we used to sell a whole lot of them that went into the heater hoses and worked on a thermo-siphon principal "pumping" the warm water through the system. Only worked if you could leave the heater valve open - didn't work well on vacuum controlled heater valve systems unless the valve was normally open.

I was up there in a suburb north of the cities years ago when they had one of their nice cool weekends - meaning the low was minus 25 or so, the high was 0. Stayed with friends who lived in a mobile home. Wow was it cold the next morning. They had their vehicles plugged in and they cranked and started as if it was 70 outside.
Actually the 3.6 block heater is a dry type so it does not have direct contact with the coolant.
 

ShadowsPapa

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Actually the 3.6 block heater is a dry type so it does not have direct contact with the coolant.
That's interesting - perhaps a ceramic type heater like was used in some intake manifolds prior to injection taking over?
In any case, it should be easy to install a heater - if not that one, other types. They are not uncommon in the northern tier states, even in Iowa and look at parking lots north of the "contiguous states" and you see cords sticking the grill fairly often.
 

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Raven257

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If the 3.0l ecodiesel is anything like a 6.7 cummins, it already comes with a block heater installed. All you would need (if that's the case) is a plug. I bought a plug from amazon for $20 +/-. I'd check with a ram ecodiesel web site to find out. A block heater with diesel or gas will improve fuel mileage.
 

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A block heater with diesel or gas will improve fuel mileage.
On gas engines only for the first mile, maybe 2 miles, until it reaches operating temp. For me, with my 3.6, when it's about 20 degrees, that means about a mile.
Living where the OP lives, it likely won't make a lick of difference.
In our climate, you have other things causing poor economy - the lubricant in the differentials, grease in the bearings, lubricant in the transfer case, the automatic transmission being stiff and cold and the fluid being slightly thicker and so on.
So in our climate, forget hoping for better economy with a block heater in a gas engine. The engine gets to operating temp pretty quickly once you start driving and put a mild load on it, it's the rest that drags things down from there.
 

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Hopefully I’m right around the corner from a diesel test drive so I can finally make a choice and join the club one way or the other.

is there any downside to spending the $100 on a factory block heater on either engine? Seems like a broader audience when it’s time to sell even if I never need it

edit I should add I special ordered an LJ with it a long time ago and it was replaced under warranty for leaking.

I own a condo in Big Bear, CA which almost never gets below 15*
Family owns a home in CO at 9300ft. I’ve only been there once in the dead of winter but there’s an slight chance it could happen gain. Below zero happens there.
I spend most winter in Chester ca, below Mt Lassen, snowed 12 ft there last year. Usually down to 10-15 degrees at night. My experience says you don’t need it. I’ve gone out in morning and had to literally dig my vehicle out of3 ft of snow and never had a problem. Starts up like a charm every time. At least in wrangler. That being said; it’s only $100, just get it. Lol.
 

Raven257

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So in our climate, forget hoping for better economy with a block heater in a gas engine
Ok...but I got better mileage (around 2 mpg) with a block heater in my Tacoma compared to without it. A couple of side effects of a block heater is no snow or ice on windshield or hood and instant heat.

It took my chevy cruze 4 cyl gas 8 miles to get to operating temp. First two miles it didn't move from C. no block heater-yet.

I've been recording mileage on my vehicles since 2008 when gas prices went up. I am somewhat of a hypermiler.
 

ShadowsPapa

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I keep a spreadsheet of every fuel-up for one of my cars so I understand about watching that sort of thing.
My spreadsheet calculates my mileage averages long-term as well as by tank.

My vehicles, all of them, are at normal range within a couple of miles on cold days, less than that in moderate temps.
REALLY cold days, say 10-15 degrees, I might go 2-3 miles. I never go beyond that to see the temp gauge at the normal spot.

How could a block heater have any impact or effect once the engine is warmed to normal temperature??

If your engine doesn't reach normal operating temp until 8 miles, wow for one thing, but honestly - you then are only getting better mpg for that 8 miles. Maybe it's time for a new thermostat? Maybe it's opening too soon or not fully closing. They do go bad - and it's not rare for that to happen.

The block heater does nothing but warm the engine just like the heat of combustion during normal running. It doesn't warm the fuel, or warm the transmission fluid or transfer case or differentials. It's an electric heater on the block (or in the coolant with some types)
Once that engine has warmed to the point of the thermostat opening, the block heater has lost any impact at all.
(for one thing it's been turned off or unplugged for a couple of miles)
The best that block heater will do is put that engine near normal operating temperature. So, once you reach operating temperature while driving - the effect of the block heater is gone.

It's biggest advantage is for a person who does mostly short drives or lives in a cold climate.

Since ALL it does is warm the block to near normal operating temperature that means that once your engine has reached normal operating temperature during a drive, the impact of effect of the block heater is gone, vanished. The heat of combustion has taken over and keeping the engine warm.
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