Anyone have a block heater installed? I asked the dealer here in Calgary, Alberta where it does hit -35C occasionally and he claimed they only installed one in all the cars they have sold - to a guy headed for Yellowknife.
What do you think, regardless of synthetic oil, it should help engine life, no?

 

Given that you live in an extreme cold temperature zone, I would think a block heater would definitely have some benefits for winter starting: less wear on the starter, better oil flow and lubrication on start-up (ie, less wear), and this might prevent/mitigate the mysterious start-up chatter phenomenon some owners have experienced. For your particular situation, I think it's a good idea.

 

Mine is on order at mini crowfoot, I guess I just expected that they would have one on (its pretty much standard on every single car sold in alberta,) I'm taking it back to Saskatchewan where its not uncommon to reach -45 celcius in the winter so I'm going to need to call them about this one!

 

Holy Molie,--- Minus 45c thats terrible, ---horrible punishment on a Mini. Where do they mount the heater??. I live in S Florida and when the temp goes down to 60F in the winter, Im freezing.

 

Yes Tygo, quite surprising to me that a mandatory winter care kit ($279.95) did NOT include a block heater, also from MINI Crowfoot (5 minutes from my house). I'll call them about a price. There must be a frost plug somewhere to install it, since they said it was done once.

Djam43, no offense but you Floridians have no idea, just as we can't understand why A/C comes on every car ...

 

Let me know what you find out, My car is on order there (due late november,) Never even gave this much of a thought, and I'll have it just in time to seriously need the block heater. I know it doesn't need it but its just so much better for the car

 

Now the parts guys disavow any knowledge of a block heater for the car. It was a sales guy I spoke with earlier .. I scoured the net but only came up with one for 2006 and older model (on MiniMania). May have to do without it.

 

thats total *****.

 

I asked about a block heater when I ordered. MA told me to the best of his knowledge, there wasn't one available. I too would like more info on this if you track anything down. Thanks.

 

# 12 810 306 612 block heater part number from Mini Canada, supposedly...

 

Thanks frankofthenorth. I'll probably have to come up to Canada to get it installed since my folks didn't know it existed.

 

I live in Calgary and had a couple of cars before MINI, never used a block heater and never had problems starting my car. Well my cars were bigger. My two last cars were 2002 Nissan Xterra and 2004 Range Rover.

This will be my first winter with my MINI. Do I need a block heater for this car?

 

I got the block heater installed on my '04 Cooper upon delivery... in retrospect I have never used it... in 4 winters...

 

my 09 is on order and I asked my dealer in Calgary, She said that because the mini uses synthetic oil, it doesn't need a block heater. I have a carbeurated 1990 jeep YJ, and it always fired up with no block heater in the -40's, but I would still rather have one than not.

 

Not required anymore on most new cars. This is not just Mini most brands have done away with it like glow plugs on diesels its old technology .

 

Your best option might be to get one of those flat electric heater pads which adheres to the oil pan. These are said to be quite effective at keeping the engine oil warm and ready to flow on start-up. Definitely saves wear on the engine and starter. The R56's oil pan is smooth and flat - looks like it should easily accomodate one of these pads. I think the 150 Watt model should be about right. There are several manufacturers: Kat, Wolverine and a Canadian company come to mind first. I'm actually thinking of getting one myself, even though Pennsylvania winters are much less severe than in Canada. Warm engine oil which flows readily on start-up might help to eliminate/mitigate the startup clatter pehnomenon.

 

I kept my cars in an unheated, enclosed shop building in Colorado. If it was predicted to get unusually cold, I just laid a 100- or 150-watt lightbulb on the floor under the oilpan...seemed to work fine.