Oil Pan Heater worth it?

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i guess there is no study or scientific report reviewing these, but in your opinion, would these be worth the 30 or so dollars? Car in question is 1999 beater Solara with a 1MZ-FE. I guess the point is, will an oil pan heater extend the life of the car? It already has 200k miles, but I plan to go to 250k at least. The car is parked in an unheated garage where it does go below freezing. It might get to 10 degrees at the coldest. The car spent the first 12 years of its life in Florida, so cold starting wasn’t as big an issue. What do you think, waste of time and money?
 
Is it giving you any fits to make you want a pan heater?

10*F isn't a big deal.

I'd personally stick with a 5w30 of your choice and call it good.
 
Maybe a battery blanket heater for easier starts. But Detroit shouldn't be that cold esp if the car is in a garage.
 
IMO a waste of money on a car, I'm sure these were originally made for equipment with 10's of gallons of expensive hydraulic fluid. I can't be bothered even to plug in my block heaters until it gets near-30C either. Unless your using 15W40 in there, your car doesn't need a pan heater. Doesn't hurt of course, but I bet you'll quite bothering to plug it in after a few cold nights too.
 
If you ever get colder than 10 F, id opt for a block heater instead. If not, probably no point. Make sure your battery is strong and in good shape. maybe a battery tender?
 
10F? Wouldn't do anything special. I'll plug in my block heater on my Liberty if it's going to be 0F or less. Doesn't need it but it makes its life a little easier so why not...
 
2002 1MZ-FE owner here. I have 138,000 miles on mine. I run PYB 5w30 and TG3600 filter. Car sits in heated garage (50*F) at home and in an open air parking ramp at work. Cold started at -14*F with zero issues this winter. Numerous starts at 0*F and in single digit negative temps this winter. Even with a fresh battery the car just seems to crank slow. I suspect it is just an engine/starter design as it has been this way for my almost 5 years of ownership. I have run 5w20 and synthetic 5w30 in the past 4 winters. Nothing seems to aid in cold starts and she still starts right up each time with a slight hint of power steering pump whine for about 1 second.

Your engine will go to 250,000 if you do nothing more than add gas and top the oil off.
 
I’m a Canuck and I use 5 F to plug in the block heater. I don’t plug in above 5 F.

If I didn’t plug in it would still start fine with my 5W-30 synthetic oil, but I’m trying to avoid cold- starting wear.
 
Just go to a 0 weight synthetic oil. I've started my car fine in 5 degree weather. I'm using 0w40, but you could probably go lighter with 0w30.

I think you only worry when it gets really cold like down to -60 which is what the Germans were dealing with against Russia in the winter. They had to build fires under their tanks to get them started.
 
I had the same engine in a 2000 Solara. Kept it in an unheated garage in Edmonton which is a lot colder than Detroit. It had a block heater but I never plugged it in, not even once.

I used 5W-30 or 0W-30 syn oil. Great engine, but has a risk for sludge formation. One more reason to use syn oil and change it regularly.

My brother's ca1995 V6 Camry sludged up on a long trip. It suddenly began drinking oil. When he got home he took it to his regular garage. They took off a valve cover and advised him to trade it in. That was before the sludging problem became well known and before the (eventual) warranty extensions. He said he had changed the oil regularly, though likely using dino oil. Given the history I wonder about a plugged PCV valve or even coolant mixing with the oil (a possible blown head gasket).

Anyway, if you can avoid sludging, that engine should go for 3 or even 400,000 miles. Check your oil regularly, use synthetic oil, and change it religiously.
 
Gotta help. Probably pay for itself with better mpg and might help the engine survive a bit longer. They make timers and 4 hours electricity is all you need. But,what do I know,look where I'm from.
 
Living in Toronto I always plug in my Sonata winter time. The engine have a block heater installed by me, 10 min job max to do it myself , and installed a pan heater too.
The block heater itself is enough to heat up the oil.

The main reason I used it is to improve the mileage in the winter months BUT also to warm up the cabin quicker!

Just use a block heater timer to start 3-4 hours before using the car in the cold mornings.
 
A oil pan heater would keep he oil a little warmer in extreme cold temps,but as far as an oil pan heater extending the life of the car, that might be a reach. A 5w30 oil is can easily handle sub zero temps without a warmer, a Ow20 oil would do well also. I would be more inclined to go with a battery warmer over an oil heater I usually do not even bother plugging the battery warmer in unless it is going to be below -15. Below that is where many batteries tend to struggle. Battery warmers tends to make a huge difference when it gets that cold. i know growing up in Fargo in the 6s and 's my dad tried them all,block coolant heaters, oil pan heater magnets, oil dip stick heaters and in his experience battery warmers worked the best. Of course he wold also give the engine a quick shot of starting fluid on really cold mornings, not advisable on today's fuel inject engines My 2 cents FWIW.
 
Absolutely works. I posted this not long ago.https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/4625964/1 -41 below and within 1 1/2 hours oil was warm jeep started with pressure. Kat's 300 watt P/N 1160. Can not hurt definitely helps.
 
An oil pan heater won't hurt if you use it when it's cold, but it won't be a difference-maker in getting you from 200K miles to 250K miles in Detroit. My '02 Camry has been in mid-Michigan for all of its 16 years and 266K miles, and it still starts well at temps below 10F without real arctic starting aids like an oil pan heater, block heater, or battery blanket. Like others have said, a synthetic 5W-30 or 0W-XX oil would, perhaps, make life a bit easier on yours. Start it, give it a few moments of whatever idle speed it settles at to stir up the lube, take it a little easy until it approaches normal operating temps, and your engine will be fine.

In Detroit (heck, anywhere in Michigan these days), your willingness to replace suspension bits will determine whether it makes it to 250K, or not.
 
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