Staying warm in the wintertime is an essential aspect of living in Abbotsford. Although numerous individuals believe that idling an engine is a good way to warm it up, this simply isn’t true. Idling the engine is not an effective method for getting your vehicle warm and ready to drive. In fact, driving the car is the best way to get it warm. At the most, you might opt to idle your BMW for a couple of minutes to get it warm enough to drive. Unfortunately, many people choose to idle their engines for as long as 10 to 20 minutes in the winter. This practice wastes fuel, it’s bad for the environment, and the excessive fumes can even make people sick. Instead of engaging in this practice, you may want to install an auxiliary heater or a block heater. Before you do that, you might discuss the matter with a trustworthy mechanic from Collins Automotive in Abbotsford.
Auxiliary Heaters (Pre-Heaters)
A pre-heater is a portable unit, and you can place it on the dashboard of your vehicle. A pre-heater might be integrated into the coolant circuit of the engine. You can use this kind of heater to warm up your car before you drive somewhere. Depending on the temperature outside and the time you have available, you might turn your car’s pre-heater on a few minutes or even 20 minutes before you need to start driving.
There are various advantages associated with using this type of heater. By turning this kind of heater on before you drive, you may ultimately put less of a burden on your car’s engine. You are likely to use less fuel as a result of not idling the car to get it warm. Additionally, you can spare yourself the hassle of scraping thick layers of ice off of your car’s windows every morning.
Block Heaters
A block heater would actually be installed in your car (likely in the cylinder block). This type of heater is attached to a long power cord, which is plugged into an electrical outlet. The block heater might be plugged in for several hours (and even overnight).
Like a pre-heater, a block heater offers several benefits. It can keep a person from idling the engine, which is a plus for everyone involved – as well the environment. Using a block heater is another way to get the cabin warm without putting added stress on the vehicle itself. You can even find block heaters with timers; these are ideal because a block heater only needs to run for about four or five hours before driving the car.
Both auxiliary heaters and block heaters seem to be increasingly popular in cold regions. This may be due to the fact that more people than ever are concerned about the environment. If you’re interested in installing a block heater or auxiliary heater in your BMW, you may want to fill out our free quote form now.
Collins Automotive
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