Circulating coolant heater/mag oil pan heater

[mamzak]

On my 94 325i that I drove back from Cali there is no block heater. I went to a specialty shop but they said block heaters are nla for my car, so I'm thinking of putting in a circulating coolant heater. Any else have one of these? Seems like it would be way better than a block heater anyways. Also was thinking about a mag oil pan heater, but not sure if that would be overkill or a good idea?

[TurboJake]

Aluminum pan. Magnet heater won't exactly work very well down there.
But I did put a magnet one on the side of my block under the intake manifold last year. Worked just fine. The coolant hose ones work just fine too, however they're pretty ugly.
Dipstick style ones suck balls.

Honestly, the freeze plug block heaters do work the best as they're a higher wattage.. They're typically not done by application. Pretty much just size. 44.5mm is the M50 freeze plug size. And I KNOW Kat's sells that.

And on the M50 it goes in the freeze plug behind the motor mount, Exhaust manifold side.

[mamzak]

Ahh true. Haha I didnt think of that. Yeah, I think he must have meant oem wasn't available. I was just thinking that the circulating heater should heat the engine more completely rather than an isolated spot like a block heater. I don't know how fast heat would be lost in convection up here. We get temps of -40F.

[TurboJake]

Whatever you guys get over there, we usually get it here in wi 2 days later. The jet stream brings it straight to us.

So I know exactly how you feel. ;)

[Timp]

OP, did you go through installing any heater of sorts?

Also, TurboJake, the circulating heaters I'm seeing are actually higher wattage than the types that go into the frost plug.

My car sounds awful in the mornings and does a great impression of diesel. It's about 0 degrees here when I start up my car...

[Pac1373]

Circulating heaters are the bomb. Many oilfield guys I worked with in northern Alberta and BC ran them. Most rigs run them i think as well.
I don't see loosing with one, but, frost plug style never failed me and I grew up in Edmonton when it was really cold.