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YOUR RESEARCHBlock and/or Oil Heater
Leading reported evidence
Use year round
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Built in Germany...where they are used year round.
Leading evidence: 'Use year round' (no explicit attributable resolution; this is a reported action or suggestion). Across 1 matching discussions, The most frequently discussed action is 'Check amazon, tsc, or napa locally if' (1 discussions). For that action, 0 discussions report a resolution and 0 report an unsuccessful attempt. No action has an explicit, attributable resolution report under the current rules. These are forum reports and suggestions, not a confirmed diagnosis.
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Suggestion
Check amazon, TSC, or Napa locally if that's your thing
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Suggestion
So is anyone here running a blocker heater on their 996?
Use freeze-plug heater has been the accepted approach
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Suggestion
Ideally, knocking out a freeze plug and using a freeze-plug heater has been the accepted approach for decades but I've never seen one on an M96.
Use ow40 , waterless coolant and don't idle the car
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Suggestion
Most of the Porsche guys in Edmonton use ow40 , waterless coolant and don't idle the car for longer than it takes to be able to see out the windows enough to drive away .
Use ow40 , waterless coolant and don't idle the car
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Suggestion
Most of the Porsche guys in Edmonton use ow40 , waterless coolant and don't idle the car for longer than it takes to be able to see out the windows enough to drive away .
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I have a 2001 996 C4 that I've recently dumped way too much money into and want to keep forever, but it's not my only toy. And it's just lost it's spot in the garage. I try to take very good care of my cars, and the thought of cranking her in freezing temps in a couple months bothers me, obviously. We're only VA, not northern Canada or anything, but I have a friend down the road that killed his 996 with a cold weather start a few years ago. I've done some searches, read a few threads, most of which go off in tangents and never get to an actual product or solution. Anyone have any solution? I'd like both, the oil and block warm if possible. TIA
Built in Germany...where they are used year round.
Now, they may fail when started in cold weather.
I also hear that engine experiences explosions every time it is started. Too hard of the explosion may shatter the block. This may happen if too much fuel and air gets dumped in the engine. Sudden gust of wind or reversing can overwhelm the intake system forcing the huge amount of unmetered air into the combustion chamber. MAF cannot compensate for the huge amounts of air entering the engine, and dumps most of the fuel in the system through the fuel injection system. The resulting combustion event produces at least 3 or 4 times the energy engine can produce at WOT at peak torque; so regardless of RPM you are in, this event results in the CEF via the mode 26- AKA hole in the block. Next time you start your engine, beware of the explosion!!!
Fan heater and timeswitch?
You need to get a reason why the other one failed.
Don't over rev a cold engine and make sure you use a thin oil as advised in the book.
What's your minimum temperature?
If its something that keeps you up at night Tanis makes pre-heaters for aviation motors, I'm sure you could find one of their sump heaters that would fit onto an M96.
They heated bolts for rocker covers are very cool way of heating the cylinders
Well, I think I'm here but I do get confused easily these days. Just offering the OP an option on sump heaters that would warm his oil and help him sleep at night
The last wave of scored cylinders came up last winter. It's been quiet on that mode of failure since then. The engine builder here says it's something to be aware of, so I think you are making a reasonable decision. I'm from NoVa but in SLC now & don't drive mine when it's below 40F. Sometimes we have weeks where it doesn't get above 10F - not a shot in hell I'm driving the 996 during those times. Maybe I'm wrong & the caution is pointless, but I'd rather not dance with the 996 rebuild devil until well past 100k miles.
2 cars here in Ohio that I know of had sudden cylinder-wall scoring on sudden winter-startup, a 997.1S and a 987.1S.
If a somewhat heated garage isn't an option, the next easiest is a heating pad that adheres to the oil pan. Slightly less easy is an in-line coolant heater, that you splice into a coolant hose preferably near the engine on the non-thermostat side (follow the directions). Ideally, knocking out a freeze plug and using a freeze-plug heater has been the accepted approach for decades but I've never seen one on an M96.
Check amazon, TSC, or Napa locally if that's your thing
don't think the benz one will work if you read his description, or at least not as well.
I've read even a high wattage light bulb stuffed under the engine should generate enough heat after an hour or two to make cold starts a non issue.
So is anyone here running a blocker heater on their 996? If yes, I would love to see your set up. I'm looking to get a block heater as I've always had them for improving the cold start situation.
Thx
Most of the Porsche guys in Edmonton use ow40 , waterless coolant and don't idle the car for longer than it takes to be able to see out the windows enough to drive away .
These all good points. My car gets 60 to 120 seconds, then I slowly drive off and take it easy until warm. (to the frustration of the people behind me)
flat6 doesn't list a heater any longer. I may just configure my own with the 'pad' heater I've seen.
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