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E46 Block Heater Install

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diy heater
109K views 126 replies 34 participants last post by  GhostFlame 
#1 ·
winter is coming ... so for those of us in Canada .. that means cold weather and wierd noises from our cars when we start them up after sitting for hours.

so, installing a block heater on my beloved E46 was a no-brainer!

parts needed:

1 - E46
2 - 2 ramps
3 - helper dog
4 - block heater kit ($140 from steeler)
5 - 13mm wrench
6 - 13 mm socket and ratchet (optional)
7 - phillips screwdriver

(yes I know the wheels are dirty) :rolleyes:

 
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#3 ·
get the front wheels up onto the ramps

crawl under and loosen 6 screws that hold the plastic cover on the bottom of the engine, and remove the plastic cover (the screws stay attached to the plastic cover ... thank you BMW!)

(note this is an 05 325xi, so might look different than your model)

 
#6 ·
place the block heater on the side of the block -- the bumpy side of the heater will fit into the indents on the side of the block.

the copper plug end faces down .. points to the ground

insert the two bolts and tighten

then plug the orange cord end into the socket

(in this pic .. the upper bolt is in shadow)

 
#15 ·
Thanks for such a nice write up. Not available in US. I had to have Canadian friend of mine buy for me in Canada. He is shipping to me. Canadian dealers did not want to deal with international shipping. Last year here in Minnesota my wife's E46 got a frozen pcv valve while parked at work, and driving home pressure builds and blows the valve cover gasket, catastrophic oil failure. I was out of town with my E46, so she had to deal with having it towed to dealer, renting car. out of warranty repair. This is not like Canada. When only -25F here, dealers are busy, and start on your car a few days later. Had the pcv valve replaced with an insulated one and insulated dip stick tube etc. Service Bulletin 11-01-07. BMW gave me parts of $750 out of goodwill and I paid towing. rental car, and $550 dealer labor. It will be nice to have the block heater.
 
#21 · (Edited)
So you used an insulator between the heater and the block? The silicone HEAT paste is very very different than silicone sealant. Completely different heat transfer properties.

Put some silicone sealant between your cpu and cooler and the cpu will overheat in seconds. Take it out and use the proper stuff!!!!
 
#24 ·
i called my dealer they said they have it
but it was sold out so i didnt pick up mine yet... im thining of holding off this year since the cold snap here is over and i would rather install on a nicer day. i just need to find this silicone past now for when i install.
 
#28 ·
Folks, checked with Bavaria BMW in Edmonton and Calgary BMW in Calgary, and both had about 4 in stock but for some odd reason (wonder if this thread had anything to do with it :) ) all were booked for installs this morning.

This part is discontinued and my local dealer told me that those plus one more dealer up in Saskatoon has them instock in all of Canada. Also, they can't get them any more :(

If someone wants to contact Saskatoon BMW, let me know if they do have them in stock and I will put them on my credit card and have all of them shipped ASAP.

Also has anyone tried this: http://www.padheaters.com/? Sounds promising....but who knows.
 
#31 ·
I just called Dilawri BMW in Regina. They have none and have several back-ordered. I will call back in a few weeks to see how many they will be getting.

I do have a question - the block heater pic from the OP shows that it is made in Canada. Can you possibly find out who makes them and we could place orders direct to them?
 
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