The Weather is HOT and the MPGs are UP! - Page 2 - Toyota Yaris Forums

thebarber · 07-28-2011, 10:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bronsin

Right. How hot will a 400 watt element located in the cylinder head (where it cant heat the coolant or the oil which could thus spread heat to all parts of the engine) make the engine?

Ideally you would like the engine to be at operating temperature just before starting it.

Is there a way of doing that?

park in a heated garage.

block heaters are for REALLY cold days. i remember when i had my matrix xrs, i was up north (iroquois falls, ontario) and the morning we were going to leave it was -35C. the car wouldnt even turn over the oil was so thick....it took several tries and then about 20min of idling just to warm the car up.

i had more than a few days like that when i lived in new brunswick, but this time i had a block heater. car started right away, but it still took a while to get the engine warm....

R2D2 · 07-29-2011, 09:31 PM

Bronsin,

I had a block heater (OEM) for my Yaris and definitely gained 2-3 mpg in the winter. I even had a best ever tank of 48 mpg in the fall. The engine warms up much more quickly which makes a difference with the auto. Its nice getting warm air sooner also.

The bad news-I got a year and a half out of it before it quit working. It was fun while it lasted and I have no regrets but I won't get another.

They are designed for the coldest of days, not steady use. They are a great design as such, and easily replaced/reasonably priced. My Yaris cranks right over at -20 though so no worries.

R2

auxmike · 07-29-2011, 11:09 PM

Weight reduction — for example the hatch and hood are made of aluminium instead of steel.

Wow, that's something. I remember the big fuss over the Acura NSX havng aluminum panels...

bronsin · 07-30-2011, 08:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by R2D2

Bronsin,

The bad news-I got a year and a half out of it before it quit working. It was fun while it lasted and I have no regrets but I won't get another.

R2

If the one I bought goes bad I'll go back to my hot plate.

07-29-2011, 09:31 PM	#20
R2D2 Crazy Oil Sniffer Drives: MM 09 Yaris 5 Dr LB "Click" Join Date: May 2009 Location: ME Posts: 498	Bronsin, I had a block heater (OEM) for my Yaris and definitely gained 2-3 mpg in the winter. I even had a best ever tank of 48 mpg in the fall. The engine warms up much more quickly which makes a difference with the auto. Its nice getting warm air sooner also. The bad news-I got a year and a half out of it before it quit working. It was fun while it lasted and I have no regrets but I won't get another. They are designed for the coldest of days, not steady use. They are a great design as such, and easily replaced/reasonably priced. My Yaris cranks right over at -20 though so no worries. R2 __________________ "The howl was the sound of God’s casting pot, the morphing of my cells into shape, the forming of oceans out of molten premordial plasma. And I could feel it. I could cry for it. I could cry with it." -The Fitful One

07-29-2011, 11:09 PM	#21
auxmike Drives: 2008 HB, A/T, Power W/L/M Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: LI, New Yawk Posts: 2,063	Weight reduction — for example the hatch and hood are made of aluminium instead of steel. Wow, that's something. I remember the big fuss over the Acura NSX havng aluminum panels... __________________ Never take eyes off opponent - Bruce Lee