Engine Oil Heater

An engine oil heater is an electric engine heater that heats the engine of a car to ease starting in cold weather. They are connected to normal AC power overnight or before driving, via regular power plugs that are fed through a vehicle's grille. This allows easier starting in cold temperatures, by keeping the coolant warm. Engine oil heaters are available for motor oil so that the oil does not gel and its viscosity remains low. The rapid heat circulation caused by engine oil heaters also aids the initial vaporization of fuel in the engine; because of this effect, engine oil heaters reduce pollution, as poor fuel vaporization causes much higher emissions.

Engine oil heaters are widely used in many northern U.S. states, and are very common in subarctic regions like Canada and Scandinavia. In colder climates engine oil heaters are often standard equipment in new vehicles. In extremely cold climates, electrical outlets are sometimes found in public or private parking lots, especially in multi-story car parks.

Factory installed engine oil heaters are usually inserted into a freeze plug manufacturing hole in the cylinder block, heating the metal, coolant and oil. Although identical engine oil heaters are available and can be installed fairly easily, more commonly after market engine oil heaters are attached to the oil pan, sometimes with magnets, or a heated dipstick may be used. An alternative to engine oil heaters is a battery warmer which keeps just the battery warm. This maintains the efficiency of the battery, which is highly dependent on temperature, and is cheaper than heating the entire engine block. Heated blankets are available for the entire engine area, as well. A standard timer switch can be used with any of these engine heaters, so that it does not have to be left on all the time. This can help lower the electrical costs of owning and using an engine oil heater.