hondmywrld

are there any heater pad element that can run off 12v DC? ok to use either cigarette lighter plug or wire up myself

the problem is that after parking the entire day in the freezing mountain, car will take at least 20 minutes for any heat to build up in the engine for driving/ heater. i want to run the heater pad during warm up minutes to speed up this process.(engine will be on so no worries about dead batteries). really need that heat faster to defrost the front windows and to get warm myself

there's also times when driving in the freezing mountain.. the engine eventually gets cold enough where the heater don't give out heat anymore, so i want to warm the engine a bit in those situation too. (yes thermostat is working. only does this went it's freezing temperature and driving for a while)

itsmejto

Get yourself one of these and change your thermostat.

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-Honda-Big-Re...item5add234c6b

instructor74

It really sounds like your tstat is stuck open. I would change that out 1st and go from there

rick_rabies

some kseries motors that were canada version had oil heaters on them for start up. im sure you could set up a switch to leave it on. you could always run the coolant a tad lower also.

TheJGB3

Honda makes an engine block heater accessory. It screws into the block's coolant drainplug. What year/model Civic do you have?

1992-1995 install instructions
http://www.hondaautomotiveparts.com/.../16625_01.html

1996-2000 installation instrauctions
http://www.hondaautomotiveparts.com/.../19793_01.html

canadaek

get a block heater and make an air deflector for your rad so it dosn't loose so much heat cardboard works good and its free. just don't block it off completly and keep an eye on your temp gauge

hondmywrld

hmm the honda one uses AC power, is it possible to convert it to DC? i won't be at home when i use this, the car parks in the garage at home, it's for when i'm going out.

i'm fairly certain the thermostat is okie, because the temperature gauge always stays at middle even when the heater no longer provides heat, and it only happens in the low 30. If it's low 40s, the heater will still give out heat even if i'm on the freeway

instructor74

If that is the case and the temp always reads in the middle of the gauge than how is a block heater going to help? You are telling us that when the car is up to operating temp and its below 30deg it doesnt produce heat. An oil heater isnt going to fix that it may keep the oil warm but once you are driving the car stops making heat. So there are only a few things that can cause this the heater core is clogged, the buypass valve isnt opennning all the way or the radiator is working to well. I chased this when I went to a higher capacity aluminum rad it was cooling to well and the gauge still read normal. I fixed it by blocking some of the air flow to the rad with cardboard

NotAJDMFanBoy

you could have a bad thermostat or something. It should work fine in 30 degree weather. I was expecting to hear something like -45 or something.

hondmywrld

ooo yea i do have a all aluminum radiator

94EG8

Exactly, I regularly run my civic in -40 temperatures and even not using a block heater I have heat within 2 or 3 miles of driving.

PoorDad

Me too. Was driving my 98 Civic early this morning when outside air temps was 9F. Plenty of heat coming out the vents. Actually had to adjust the heat lever a little cooler because I was getting hot inside the car with the fan on high speed and the temp selector all the way over to the hot side.

I've driven my car in extreme sub zero temps plenty of times and I've never had a problem getting lots of heat out of the vents.

I don't know whats wrong, but it's not cold oil. As others have suggested, you have a blockage in the heater core or a faulty valve somewhere thats not letting engine coolant into the heater core.

I know for a fact that in stock configuration you should not be having heater problems even in temps down to -25F. I live in the Denver area and used to work in the mountains. Have driven tens of thousands of miles in sub-zero temps and never a problem with heat.

deschlong

iTrader: (8)

Coldest I've driven my 1994 Civic is in -49C (= -56F) ... and still had heat. You are devising a complex solution to a simple problem.