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| Engineering/ Technical Ask technical questions about cars. Do you know how a car engine works? |
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#1
03-01-2006, 07:06 PM
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Coolant leak - mechanic changed out block-heater. Sound right to you?
Just wondering, my mechanic said my engine coolant leak was due to a worn out block-heater, and he replaced it. Does this sound right to you?
Can someone please explain how coolant can leak due to the block heater? (I am not sure how a block heater works). Thanks! 
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#2
03-01-2006, 09:20 PM
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Re: Coolant leak - mechanic changed out block-heater. Sound right to you?
Most block heaters use an electrical coil that is inserted into the coolant via a hole in the block. Its most commonly in place of a freeze plug, so if the plug corrodes and starts leaking the heater has to be replaced. The heater cathode is also somewhat sacrificial. It uses the water itself as a ground, so the electron transfer across the metal to the electolyte corrodes stuff off the heating element. After a certain lifespan has passed, the heating element has been electrolyzed away to oblivion.
So, the short answer is, absolutely yes that is a common leak point.
__________________
Dragging people kicking and screaming into the enlightenment.
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#3
03-02-2006, 05:21 AM
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Re: Coolant leak - mechanic changed out block-heater. Sound right to you?
Yes (or I could use 101 words like curtis
 )
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#4
03-02-2006, 01:02 PM
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Re: Coolant leak - mechanic changed out block-heater. Sound right to you?
thank-you very much sir!!
Would you say then that parts of the heating element are now floating around in the coolant? Is that bad for the engine? Thanks! Quote:
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#5
03-02-2006, 03:06 PM
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Re: Coolant leak - mechanic changed out block-heater. Sound right to you?
Not really. The electrolysis more or less dissolves the metal. Put it this way; engines with block heaters don't require any more frequent coolant flushes than engines without block heaters.
__________________
Dragging people kicking and screaming into the enlightenment.
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#6
03-03-2006, 09:44 AM
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Re: Coolant leak - mechanic changed out block-heater. Sound right to you?
by the way, how effective are block heaters at preventing startup wear-and-tear? is there some kind of statistic to show mileage gained or anything like that?
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#7
03-03-2006, 04:33 PM
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Re: Coolant leak - mechanic changed out block-heater. Sound right to you?
Its a combination of startup wear and just the ability to start up at all. Some older carbed engines just wouldn't start at severely low temps. It also helped startup lubrication a little. The warmer oil can get moving faster.
It really depends on where you live. I grew up in PA and there was no need for block heaters there. Some people had them, but the amount of time you actually spent starting a car in sub-zero temps was not worth the hassle of a block heater.
__________________
Dragging people kicking and screaming into the enlightenment.
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#8
03-05-2006, 04:48 AM
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Re: Coolant leak - mechanic changed out block-heater. Sound right to you?
block heaters leaking are very common, as others have stated. And also as stated, they are completely pointless in non-freezing weather, and even in freezing weather, it need to be pretty dang cold to be necessary.
One thing that helps greatly is having the right oil for the conditions. I won't make suggestions on what temps you should start considering it, since I live in a pretty mild temp area, I don't have personal experience with it....but its pretty dang cold, thats for sure.
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