Has Anyone Used An Oil Pan Pad Heater?

[Dekeman]

Hello all,

Am considering getting one of those stick-on pad heaters for the oil pan due to our extreme Northern New York winters (our first one). I'll put it on our Windstar (that my wife usually drives) and my Mazda Protege as well. I'm not sure that it'll stay stuck on, and I'm not sure how many watts to get if it is a good idea. There are also magnetic heaters that stick on, but I want a plug in solution where we don't have to crawl under the car every morning. I can just unplug a pad heater in the frigid AM and be on my way. Anyone have any experience with this? Am I barking up the wrong tree? Is a block heater better? Thanks in advance!

[tripletdaddy]

I have no experience with the oil pan heaters, but besides the block heater there is also another coolant type heater that you splice into your lower radiator hose. I only have experience with already installed units in diesels. I would figure the product manufacturer would spec out the size you need. I expect probably Napa and Tractor Supply to have them that would be car compatable.

A thought that just occurred to me why the coolant unit is better than the oil unit is that it will warm the entire engine, not just the bottom of it. I guess the idea of an oil heater is to makethe oil less viscous for easier pumping and cranking. I don't know if the 5W oil rating makes that point mute. For me, I need a warm engine, not warm oil to get my diesels to start easier. The coolant heater will eventually warm even the lower part of the engine that I would think that the oil will benefit if you leave it on overnight.

[garync1]

The ones I have seen that you speak of. Come with a cord long enough to put through the grill some were. Just make sure you route away from belt area. The magnetic one to me sounds better the the sticky type you refer to. The one I have seen years ago was like an insulation blanket that had some type of straps that hooked to subframe. With a heavy duty plug 3 prong plug.Just make sure you get one rated for your climate.All though more may be better you will still have to pay the electric bill.