hey, i moving to anchorage next spring...while technically that makes me an idiot noob from colorado, i wonder if you AK scooby geniuses could help me out: i have a 99 outback sport which i love for winter driving in the rockies. i've never had any problems with cold starts, but was wondering if an engine block heater is necessary for anchorage winters. i've seen oem heaters for as little as $30 online, but i thought i'd check it out with you guys before wasting time installing it. thanks mucho!

p.s. i've also heard of battery warmers...any thoughts?

I know in Fairbanks we gotta have all the works... but Ive been told it's not needed in Anchorage.... im sure an anchortown guy will chime in :P

I'd say get the block heater. While you won't technically need it, it will help your car on those really cold mornings. My old 97 Outback Sport appreciated it.

Get some good winter tires for that thing and you'll do just fine up here. :)

No experience with the battery warmer, but I don't think too many people have them.

PS - Anchorage is fairly serious about it's cold weather air quality. They give away/install a certain about of block heaters each winter, to help with air quality. A quick search found this:

http://www.ci.anchorage.ak.us/healthesd/EngineBlockHeater.cfm

some uber cold mornings i tink to myself man i shoulda plugged that block heater in, i never really had any problems unless it was like -20 outside, but they were never any real problems. the car just sounded like ass when you tried to crank it, and the tranny felt like **** too whenever you shifted like there was a massive peice of chewed up bubble gum in the shifter

I wouldn't use a block heater till it got at least near zero degrees. BTW Conti (the local Sube dealer) has OEM heaters for $29.95.

How difficult are the oem's to install? I'll be needing one on my new car.

installation instructions here:

subaruparts(dot)com/catalog/subaru/blockheater.pdf
sorry, forum won't let me link to it since i'm new

doesn't look too difficult...as long as you've got the right tools ;)

Thanks, atdave. Kinda what I figured.

I'm guessing those core plugs don't come out easily. :(

yeah a 1/2" impact works great, but otherwise you will need about a 3' cheater bar or breaker bar.

here's some instructions I gave hirevn last year.
http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=627146&highlight=block+heater

and his victory...yeah we're expensive but when it's installed through us new, it's covered under 3/36, and they do leak sometimes.
http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=644621&highlight=block+heater

I have one and enjoy it. Under 20 degrees is the "recomended" for the air quality and engine life, but I do it whenever I have to park outside overnight (in the winter) if it's below freezing. It makes quite a difference on those cold days! :) A good synthetic in the tranny (and, of course engine) helps on those uber-cold mornings, too.

I believe common consensus is that battery warmers=waste of money. Even the dealers say don't bother and they'd choke their dog for an extra 5 bucks.

I've had to park outside in -40 more times than I'd like to remember and I've never needed a battery blanket.

-J

I only had a battery blanket on last winter and my car did okay.

Also don't pour hot water on your iced over windsheild. :rolleyes: I'm from Florida I didn't no any better.

Also don't pour hot water on your iced over windsheild. :rolleyes: I'm from Florida I didn't no any better.

haha I bet that ruined your day. :D

Or at least your windshield! You probably couldn't move your head fast enough to follow those cracks! POW!

This place next to bush co "aegis" i think is the name will install a block heater plus give you an extension cord and timer for $25 bucks :)

In anchorage sinc eI have lived here I have had no real need for a block heater. I had one from the dealer on my subie, but have yet to put it on my Audi. A coworker of mine lived in Fairbanks, and while SOME things seem far fetched, he has claimed he never needed a black heater in his VW's while at college, he DID say they didnt like starting below 50 below.. Well DUH!!

In anchorage it is a nicety, but not overly necessary. in my opinion.. as for gear selection, block heater never helped me on that one, that is an engine timing thing, it will warm up after a while, a block heater wont help tranny oil IM experience.

I personally woudl wait till I got here and decide. Unless like my mother ordering and installing a block heater in Missouri for her move here, then driving in January through Canada (BTW, I think the thermometers only go down to -20) THEN I can see the need for one, otherwise wait..

Falken Azenis Sport=bad for snow/ice even on a WRX. Curb 1, WRX 0 :(

this last winter was pretty weak, so the only time I needed to use my block heater was when my car had been sitting outside for a couple days. The winter before though, I used it every night, because it would barely turn over if it wasn't warmed up.

In anchorage it is a nicety, but not overly necessary. in my opinion.. as for gear selection, block heater never helped me on that one, that is an engine timing thing, it will warm up after a while, a block heater wont help tranny oil IM experience.

....THEN I can see the need for one, otherwise wait..


I'm not sure if you were thinking of my post or not with the gear selection thing, but in case it was confusing I didn't mean the block heater affected the gear oil, I was just saying a good synthetic makes a big difference with the cold.

As for waiting, my opinion would be that it's only $40, right? Might as well do it--even if the car starts ok in the cold, it probably doesn't hurt it at all to get a little help. Sure, not having it may not reduce the car life, but having it might extend it! :lol:

yeah, I was thinking about your post. Mainly just to clarify as you have just done.

true, its only $40, it honestly is up to you to do. I will say with it installed I used it when it dipped below -15-20 even got a timer so it'd turn on 2 hours before I woke up (~3hour total plugged in) It CAN be beneficial, if they have em in stock and willing to do it, go ahead, or you can wait and do it up here. I have gone heaterless for 3 winters now.. Sooo.

can you get those heaters so you dont have to have a plug sticking out your grill when winter's over? So ugly... ;)

A good heater will have a plug that can be removed from the heating element. I know the one that came on my WRX could do that. I think it was OEM. If not then you just re route the cord and stuff it under the hood.

Winslow

Also remember: even if the car starts OK at 20 below, it doesn't do it any good. Preheating is always a good thing. The engine in the airplane I fly costs $30k + to rebuild; I always preheat it.

Synthetic oil helps a lot to prevent wear during cold starts, but preheating helps more. In addition, I always do what the subaru manual says - avoid rpms above 3000 until the temp gauge shows normal operating range.

main reason for block heater usage in anchorage is emissions. I have plugged my car and jeep in, hard to tell in the morning. it doesn't do much. but it does reduce emissions, and if that means the city will not exceed the co limit enough times per year to be fined and/or have stricter standards enacted, then they will give everyone in town a free block heater at taxpayers expense.

this in turn wastes a lot of electricty too, good one guys.

electricity doesn't pollute! great!! <sarcasm

want to find out what a block heater is for? buy a diesel. :D


fwiw I installed some of those "$25" block heaters at agens when I worked there:)

main reason for block heater usage in anchorage is emissions. I have plugged my car and jeep in, hard to tell in the morning. it doesn't do much. but it does reduce emissions, and if that means the city will not exceed the co limit enough times per year to be fined and/or have stricter standards enacted, then they will give everyone in town a free block heater at taxpayers expense.

this in turn wastes a lot of electricty too, good one guys.

electricity doesn't pollute! great!! <sarcasm

want to find out what a block heater is for? buy a diesel. :D


Yes, I had a 74 Mercedes 240D, and let me tell ya, if it wasnt plugged in at 20 ABOVE, it wouldnt start.

BTW, electricity in and of itself probably does not pollute, however the powerplants that produce it burn like mad men, just look at the one norht of Muldoon in the winter.. a nice HUGE flume of exhaust.

<rant>
As for the emissions, IMHO they are a crock of sheet here anyway. Goign from tid bitted pieces from other people and trying to put them together, ONE excuse 92 is nolonger imported is because we moved down in the clena air chain, effectively not needing the more refined fuels. IF not plugging my car in will make us exceed the limit and be bumped back up and force them to give us 92-93 again, I am ALL for it.

Having slanted views (incase you never noticed) I see the free block heaters and emission scares as a way to get peopel to use mroe electricity and keep lining the elec co. pockets, after all, most of us probably use GAS in the winter due to baseboard heat and even fireplaces. Elec is getting hurt in the winter. </rant>

I agree with the electricity argument, you'd think with Cook Inlet right there, hydroelectricity from the tides would be an option (however expensive). And I agree with the crappy gas we get.

But if it helps the car a little and helps emissions, I'll plug it in, with my timer. My electric bill doesn't fluctuate much throughout the year.

On the really cold days in town, it smells like big old car ass, that thick exhaust just hanging out. Just a part of living in Anchorage, unfortunately.

I see the free block heaters and emission scares as a way to get peopel to use mroe electricity and keep lining the elec co. pockets, after all, most of us probably use GAS in the winter due to baseboard heat and even fireplaces. Elec is getting hurt in the winter. </rant>



I was thinking the same thing, chugach prob has their fingers in the program somewhere. when I moved I was happy to see ml&p stickers lol. the thing that irks me most about chugach is they're exempt from vehicle registrations. I dunno maybe they pay all at once and get a stack of licenses but I doubt it, I bet since they're a co-op they get breaks, like "free registration" that we all foot the bill for. in our taxes and vehicle registrations.

another rant :banana:

I better say out of the acs(>)gci thread. :D

just look at the one norht of Muldoon in the winter.. a nice HUGE flume of exhaust.




Flume=steam. That's why it's bigger in the winter--it's colder air.