I purchased a 1981 240d (manual transmission) a few months ago and I can't seem to find where the factory block heater is I own an 85 300 turbo(California car) and tried to follow the cord on that one to try and where it plugged into the block but there is so much in the way I can't see it. Does anyone have a pic that they can post that shows where it's located? Also the 240 has manual heater controls, is that normal for these cars?

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85 300D Turbo!

well, on my '79 i can see the wires connecting to the block. no need for me to follow the cord with my fingers, i can see it (gotta have light).

i don't understand, is there something else instead of manual heater controls?

Almost everything EXCEPT old 240Ds has a 5-button electronic climate controller that you set like a thermostat and it handles the rest.

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~Michael S.~
Past cars:

1986 300SDL
1987 300SDL
1982 240D
1982 300SD


Current:

1987 300SDL

I have a 80 240D, very simple to operate. yes they have the manual heater controls, really nothing to fail. i think there is only one vacuum pod on the pass side near the blower motor. Very basic car.

The Block heater is on the pass side just forward of the starter under the manifolds. That is if it has one, or there is just a iron plug screwed into the block.

Your cali has the trap oxidizer in the way, so probably can`t see much.

Charlie

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there were three HP ratings on the OM616...

1) Not much power
2) Even less power
3) Not nearly enough power!! 240D w/auto

Anyone that thinks a 240D is slow drives too fast.

80 240D Naturally Exasperated, 4-Spd 388k DD 150mph spedo 3:58 Diff

We are advised to NOT judge ALL Muslims by the actions of a few lunatics, but we are encouraged to judge ALL gun owners by the actions of a few lunatics. Funny how that works

You may not have a block heater. If you do it will be in one of the freeze plugs on the passenger side of the block. It's usually in the middle.

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Sorry can I'd like to ask a general question about block heaters - are these fitted as standard to a Californian car? It seems a bit strange that they would bother - it is warm there - it ain't Canada.

Also isn't warming the block possibly a way of cooking your engine oil? I thought most engine pre-warming was done by heating the coolant...

(Sorry still learning - and I've never seen ANY car fitted with a pre-warming system)

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1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!

The block heater is in the right side of the engine, screwed into the water jacket. usually is 400 watts for the stock one.

there are oil pan heaters, some magnetic, and some pads that glue onto the pan.

Calif isn`t all fair weather in the winter. right now it is 44deg at 4am. and has been into 70`s this week. Jan, Feb and March can get into the low 20`s and once in a while the teens, but rarely here on the Monterey Bay. All depends where you live in Calif., my Daughter lived 3 1/2 hrs east of here in Sonora. said they are going to get 4 ft of snow this week end. that is a ski area higher up the hill from them.
Truckee, Ca. is a cold area up near lake Tahoe, that place is colder than a well diggers arse.
http://www.weather.com/weather/tenday/USCA1163 here is their 10 day weather. compared to ours http://www.weather.com/weather/tenday/USCA1078

I have a block heater and pan heater, I don`t always stay home . and sometimes use it when in Carson City, Nevada,south of Reno.

Charlie

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there were three HP ratings on the OM616...

1) Not much power
2) Even less power
3) Not nearly enough power!! 240D w/auto

Anyone that thinks a 240D is slow drives too fast.

80 240D Naturally Exasperated, 4-Spd 388k DD 150mph spedo 3:58 Diff

We are advised to NOT judge ALL Muslims by the actions of a few lunatics, but we are encouraged to judge ALL gun owners by the actions of a few lunatics. Funny how that works

Block heater isn't NEARLY hot enough to do anything useful for vegetable oil. When you turn on the ignition after leaving it plugged in all night on a freezing night, the engine temp gauge just BARELY jumps off the "cold" pin. Corresponds to a degrees "F" temperature of 100-110 at most. Just enough to help the thing get started. Vegetable oil would need to be significantly warmer to be worth messing with.

I won't say "almost all" but I'd say that at least 50% of diesels you see are equipped with a heater. Large road tractors, Mercedes, Volkswagen, the big three diesel American pickup trucks... i'd say 50-75% have got an electric heater.

And you *have* seen a pre-warming system fitted... since almost every sedan/truck diesel in history uses glow plugs. It's just two different kinds of pre-warming... the quick-and-ready version (glowplugs) and the slow but more effective version (block heater) for those nights when it gets so cold the glowplugs themselves just can't get the job done.

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~Michael S.~
Past cars:

1986 300SDL
1987 300SDL
1982 240D
1982 300SD


Current:

1987 300SDL

Why the veggie oil ramblings? There is nothing in this post about veggie oil?

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The block heater fits into the block and is in contact with the coolant. There are several types of heaters. Electric stick on, magnetic, dipstick heaters, upper radiator hose etc. Some heat the oil and some the coolant. But neither gets hot enough to cook anything.

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I think Army was asking about degrading the motor oil by keeping it hot. I don't believe the engine temperatures maintained by the block heater are high enough to hurt the motor oil. Summer ambient temperatures can be similar to block heater temperatures.

Sorry to have thread jacked (a bit) I now know a lot more than I did. It is good to know that the engine oil isn't being cooked / degraded - and that it is indeed warming the coolant.

There is an English product called Kenlowe hot start that does a similar thing - but it is usually fitted to the rubber coolant pipes. The adverts I have seen suggest it is a lot more powerful than the descriptions of the standard block heaters as it claims quicker de-misting of fogged up windows etc etc etc. (I'd have to check the specifications to be sure though)

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1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!

My mistake. I was tired and in a hurry.

The OP wrote: "
Also isn't warming the block possibly a way of cooking your engine oil?"

When I read that, I read "cooking your vegetable oil" instead of "engine oil". Was thinking it was some roundabout idea in somebody's head for preheating veggie oil to burn it.

Sorry. My fault. We talk about "cooking oil" on here all the time in the vegetable context and it had never even crossed my mind that a block heater might cook engine oil, so I wasn't thinking about it.

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~Michael S.~
Past cars:

1986 300SDL
1987 300SDL
1982 240D
1982 300SD


Current:

1987 300SDL

I wonder how many times I've caused confusion like this...

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1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!

[QUOTE=bustedbenz;2589856]My mistake. I was tired and in a hurry.
[QUOTE]

Don't let it happen again.

I'm guilty of not reading the whole post sometimes and posting before I know the whole story.

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