Well this will be the first full Wisconsin winter my jeep will starting up outside. PO kept it in his garage a nice 30 degrees... temps here get down to -30. So what are my options for cold starts? Block heater? If so what ones?

 

I live in ne Ohio and we get damn cold here. Last year with windchill it was -45. My jeep sits outside and dont have any heaters and it starts fine.You should be more than ok.

 

I notice that it has a harder time starting in the cold. I want to make sure. I also would like the heater to work a little quicker. Could i build some sort of battery insulator?

 

http://www.metrompg.com/posts/block-heater.htm

 

i actually live in SD where it gets equally as cold, and just purchased a block heater about a week ago. I got it from Autozone on sale for about $20, and am gonna put it on tonight. With other vehicles i've had, the block heaters work wonders. I had a 97 Ranger that would hardly start in the winter, but with a block heater it started right up and I had heat by the end of the street.

I would highly recommend one.

 

block heaters are GREAT. they're around $20 for a classic freeze plug style. drain down the coolant, punch out the front freeze plug, clean up the hole, pop the new one in, screw it down, and run the plug wherever you want it.

did that when I built the new high output motor for my 87 MJ, and I gotta say, in -20 to 040 wisconsin nights it keeps her warm for me. instant heat.


just be aware that a block heater does NOT mean the engine is ready to be beat on right away. the only thing you are heating is the block, not the oil...i.e. it still has very very thick oil in it and needs time to warm up.

In that reguard, I picked up a magnetic block heater this summer for $35 and will be installing it along with my oil pan skid plate...I'll incorporate it into the skid plate so I won't have to worry about it falling off in the summer. that should make it a bit safer to get on it after a start-up in the cold winter nights.