[s-cars] engine block heater

[Tom Green]

I like the idea of reducing the stress of starting a very cold engine  
if you must leave
the car outdoors.  This means fuel enrichment is reduced as well-- 
important for
those short commutes.

It sounds like you are close to needing a battery heater, Fred.  :-)

Tom

> Date: Thu, 2 Oct 2008 20:24:26 -0400
> From: "Fred Munro" <munrof at sympatico.ca>
> Subject: Re: [s-cars] engine block heater
> To: "Varon H. Fugman" <vfugman at globaldialog.com>,	"'Scar'"
> 	<s-car-list at audifans.com>
> Message-ID: <AFECLHABEEILGMHBNDFECEDEENAA.munrof at sympatico.ca>
> Content-Type: text/plain;	charset="windows-1250"
>
> Varon;
>
> We get the odd -40 day here in the GWN, so I like to have a block  
> heater for
> those cold days. The car will start without one, but it's easier on  
> the
> engine, starter motor, and battery to have the engine prewarmed at  
> those
> temperatures.
>
> My '94 S4 had a block heater installed in one of the frost plug  
> ports and it
> worked well.
>
> When I bought the '97 S6 it had no block heater. You can't buy a  
> frost plug
> insert heater specifically for the AAN, but one for a 5000tq will  
> fit and I
> did pick one up intending to install it. After crawling around  
> under the car
> looking at the accessibility of the frost plugs I scrapped that  
> idea and
> bought one of the oil pan heaters from the dealer. You have to be very
> diligent about cleaning and preparing the pan surface and applying and
> sealing the heating pad to the pan. I have heard about the odd one  
> falling
> off and setting the belly pan on fire (mostly on TDIs) - things go  
> rapidly
> downhill from there. It has worked very well on the days I've used  
> it and
> shows no signs of coming loose - I check it every oil change. I was  
> worried
> that the heat might soften the plastic belly pan and went so far as  
> to fab
> up an aluminium heat shield, but the pan shows no adverse effects  
> and the
> heat shield collects dust in my parts bin.
>
> HTH
>
> Fred Munro
> '97 S6
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: s-car-list-bounces at audifans.com
> [mailto:s-car-list-bounces at audifans.com]On Behalf Of Varon H. Fugman
> Sent: October 1, 2008 10:35 PM
> To: 'Scar'
> Subject: [s-cars] engine block heater
>
>
> Anyone have an engine block heater (or other engine heater)  
> installed on an
> urS car?
>
>
>
> I?ve just moved to northern Wisconsin where I can expect some -10F  
> mornings
> (and a few even colder!) over the winter.  As I may not have a  
> garage to
> park in this winter, I am wondering if I need to be thinking about  
> an engine
> heater.
>
>
>
> Seems like my car has always started fine when very cold out  
> (better than my
> wife?s Saab!)  But how does the AAN do at starting when it is  
> extremely cold
> out?  Thoughts or experience with plug-in engine heaters?
>
>
>
> Varon
>
> ?95 S6
>
>
>
> P.S. I need to get busy and fix my driver?s seat heater, install an  
> ABS
> defeat switch, and buy new snow tires.  So much to do before winter  
> and so
> little time!