At what temperatures do you need a...

[WBBulldogs]

engine block heater. The coldest it gets around here in the winter is probably 17 degrees farenheit.

[nonamekid]

Mine have started reliably at -40 without a block heater, as long as I was running a synthetic blend. You won't have a problem at 17.

[freshtiva]

Block heater ?? Is was 104 degrees here yesterday.

[25Horseplay]

Re: At what temperatures do you need a...

engine block heater. The coldest it gets around here in the winter is probably 17 degrees farenheit.

I live near Cleveland and it gets that cold here and I have never had trouble starting in the winter!

[PaulLehr]

With my 230 K mile 90 Daily driver it has always started even in -40 degree weather here in WI. I have never had a problem with it in the cold . As long as you have a good alternator and battery, run a good quality 5w-30 oil in the winter and make sure your coolant is fresh with the proper mix you should be fine

[ajb999]

same w/ mine. almost 200k miles and starts the first time it turns over in montana winters. i run 10w-30 in mine even in winter because it doesn't seem to leak as much

[HappyMom]

Would there be a difference between carbed and FI? A block heater may be a good idea below 0°F for a carburated car. I was told (by non-mechanically inclined) people, that FI cars didn't need block heaters. Then again my carb experience goes back to my Acadian (Chevette) days

[muscle_Car1]

Hurray for chevettes

[packrat427]

I seen a Chevette racing at Waterford Hills at FF06'

[gdawgs]

Would there be a difference between carbed and FI? A block heater may be a good idea below 0°F for a carburated car. I was told (by non-mechanically inclined) people, that FI cars didn't need block heaters. Then again my carb experience goes back to my Acadian (Chevette) days

That just depends on the car and how well everything is working. Generally speaking, FI engines start better in cold weather because you don't have to guess on the fuel mixture, you just crank it over and the computer takes care of it.

I used to drive a 67' Chevy van with a manual choke, and that thing started right up all the way down to -20 without being plugged in. If it got colder than that, I plugged it in. One of the Chevettes I used to have(I've owned 4, way too many!) would start right up at extreme temps without being plugged in, and another one wouldn't start below 0°F without being plugged in.

With a carbed car, what you have to do is figure out it's "cold weather starting formula"(basically how many times you need to pump the gas pedal before hitting the starter), which comes from trial and error with the car. For example, when it dropped below 0°F on one of my Chevettes, I had to pump it 10-12 times to get the right fuel/air ratio before hitting the starter. When you press the gas pedal, the accelerator pump squirts gas into the carb, so the colder the outside temp, the more pumping you have to do to get the mixture rich enough. Not enough pumping and car won't start because the mix is too lean. Too much pumping and you can foul out the spark plugs.

If you live in an area with mild to moderate winters(like where it never gets below 0), you won't need a block heater. You'll want to make sure the choke mechanisms are nice and clean and working properly, and that the choke is completely closing when the engine is cold. If you live where it gets below 0°F, a block heater is a good idea. Even with FI cars, they'll usually start without one when it gets really cold, but it's hard on everything, so it's a good idea to plug them in.