Engine Block Heater Install Questions

[diamond dave]

I searched the 2009-2011 forum for Engine Block Heater and only found one thread. It didn't address my issue(s) at all so here goes.

Vehicle: 2012 EX-L
Honda OEM Engine Block Heater: 08T44-SNA-101

I'm going to be driving my Pilot to some fairly cold northern states and felt it prudent to install the inexpensive OEM engine block heater. Have studied the straightforward instructions but a quick Google search over the weekend pulled up many a horror story with regard to removing the engine drain bolt. I've attached an image of the bolt and its location in the engine bay.

My first issue for those who have actually installed the heater is the exact location of the bolt. How easy/difficult is it to access? The documentation provided by Honda is always idiot proof and (for the most part) extremely well written & illustrated. I think I've blindly put my fingers on the 19mm bolt that needs to be removed but I'm not 100% sure. To say the least, it's a tight fit.

Secondly, am I to expect the same fight removing the bolt that others have encountered or will a new engine with less than 1,000 miles work in my favor? I read some frustrating accounts of folks installing the heater in other Honda models. Ultimately, most gave up and took the car to their dealer.

Final issue is how long do you leave it plugged in? Is it safe to do so overnight or is just a few hours in the morning sufficient?

[diamond dave]

I’m revisiting my own thread as I successfully installed the engine block heater over the Thanksgiving Holiday and wanted to document my observations & caveats before I forget. I’m a huge fan of car & motorcycle sites like this and have gained an incredible amount of knowledge from them over the years. Time to give back as I tell my kids. I hope my experience may assist someone out there wanting to perform this somewhat easy install.

Beforehand
Without sounding too OCD, first get organized. Have the engine block kit ready to go (duh!), buy a gallon of the overpriced Honda blue coolant, and ensure you have 19mm and 24mm sockets on hand. I had the requisite 19mm but not a 24mm so it was an excuse to shoot off an order to Snap On. I’m slowly converting my crappy sockets that have seen years of untold abuse to decent ones. The old adage of buying quality tools up front is true. Kind of a “pay me now or pay me later” thing.

I also printed off the Honda install instructions (http://www.bernardiparts.com/Images/...r_AII46377.pdf) and had a set of plastic trim removal tools at the ready. It was easy-peasy to take off the intake air box and front bulkhead cover. In fact, it’s a nice introduction to these damnable black clips that seemingly hold 95% of the Pilot together. Simply pull up on the middle insert and remove the entire clip. Piece of cake, right? Wait until we get under the bumper where you have to remove about 1,200 of those little suckers, some in tight quarters.

Front Bumper Removal
The Honda instructions call for the coolant to be drained from the radiator before you drop the front bumper. I had a tough time accessing the drain plug so I chose to remove the bumper first. Hey, this is America right? Follow the factory documentation on the bumper removal and you’ll have no problem. There are three longer plastic black clips placed equidistantly on the bottom of the bumper that you must pull and these can be a little problematic as they are enclosed in a rather small area. I know, pics would have been great but I failed to take any. The wife & daughter wanted the car put back together ASAP in order to attack the malls on Black Friday. Be patient in removing these longer clips as they will come out with a bit of persistence (and mild profanity). Also I removed all the bolts, screws, and clips per the Honda instructions except for the two 10mm bolts that attach the chrome grille to the top of the bulkhead. Starting at the wheel wells I used a plastic trim tool to begin the bumper removal. It simply snaps in to the front fender and then there are slots that attach it underneath the headlight assembly. Go slowly and take your time working on one side and then the next. The instructions call for a buddy to assist in dropping the bumper but since it’s so light I didn’t need help. When you’ve unsnapped the top half and extracted all the clips and bolts underneath the bumper, remove the two remaining screws up top on the bulkhead and it’ll fall in to your waiting arms. Don’t start walking away with it as you have to unclip the fog lights on each side. Once it’s free & clear, protect the bumper on some soft towels.

Drain The Funky Blue Coolant
With the bumper off I now had a little more wiggle room to open the radiator drain valve. Get a few catch pans beneath the radiator as the coolant tends to drip off the chassis in a couple of areas. The instructions mentioned to remove the radiator cap which would allow the coolant to drain more quickly but I wanted to control the flow. After the install I did read a post from one fellow on this site (search the Maintenance forum) who fashioned a section of clear hose to the radiator drain and didn’t spill a drop. Nice tip. Since my Pilot has less than 1,000 miles on the clock I re-used the drained coolant – at least that which I didn’t spill.

Engine Block Drain Bolt
Ah yes, finding & removing the infamous engine block drain bolt that started this silly thread in the first place. To Honda’s credit it’s right where the illustration says it is. Trouble is, one can barely get a piece of paper between the front of the engine and the twin fans that cool the radiator. Ok, I’m exaggerating but you get the idea – it’s damn tight in there for those of us with normal size hands. I could feel the 19mm bolt I had to remove, but actually seeing it or getting a socket in place was another thing entirely. Googling this install netted story after failed story of Honda owners (Civics, Preludes, etc) finding the bolt but not being able to remove it. Seemingly this was to be my fate as well, since I couldn’t get a solid purchase on the engine drain bolt. If I could just get some wiggle room between the engine and cooling fans…

The clichéd light bulb went off over my head as I looked at the front of the radiator. Removing the two 10mm bolts holding the support brackets allowed the radiator to tilt forward ever so slightly. What was it hitting now? Ah, the AC condenser. That too, has two 10mm bolts holding support brackets at the top. Removing those bolts allowed both the radiator and condenser to move forward about 4 inches which was the perfect amount of wiggle room needed. Yes! Really wish I had taken a pic of this as it’s the secret to the install.

With renewed enthusiasm I was able to get a 19mm socket, extension, and 18” breaker bar in place but still no joy. Whoever put that bolt in at the factory had torqued it down to 10,000 ft/lbs or welded it in place for all of eternity. Undaunted, I reached for The Persuader – a 24” breaker bar with a serious attitude. With one hand holding the extension I used the might of Thor and finally heard that wonderful crack of a bolt loosened. My celebration was short lived however. After placing additional drain pans underneath the car, removing the engine block coolant bolt unleashed more fluid than the Hoover Dam sees in a week’s time. Ok, I’m exaggerating again but you get the idea.

Install The Engine Block Heater Bolt
After taking a break to cleanup more blue coolant off my once pristine garage floor, it was time to finally install the engine block heater bolt. Really, no soap opera here. The bolt and aluminum washer went on easily and I was careful to torque it to the recommended 44ft/lbs or 60Nm. I did note how the 24mm Snap On socket was a touch loose around the heater bolt. Not enough to keep me from snugging it down properly, but still an odd loose fit for a Snap On tool.

Routing The Wiring Harness
Using the Honda instructions as a guide, this too was uneventful. I’ll admit to being the ultimate nerd and pre-marking the various tie wrap locations on the harness per the directions but they weren’t really necessary. It was nice to finally use the silver Sharpie my wife had purchased, which once more validated her position as the #1 shopper in The Great State of Texas. She still thinks she can single handedly jump start the economy and affect a global financial recovery. God bless her for trying. That 7% increase this year in Black Friday sales? Credit the wife dear reader.

Use your common sense when routing the wiring harness. Since it snakes along the driver’s side cooling fan, keep the wiring out of the way of the blades. Kudos to Honda for including all the necessary hardware and for even letting you know how many tie wraps will be left over after the install. Now that’s good.

Re-Install Bumper
Again, Common Sense 101 here. Go slow and don’t force anything. The trouble I ran in to was not getting the bumper inside the wheel well. Things won’t line up nicely if you begin that way. I’d liken installing the top part of the bumper (around the front fender & headlamp ass’y) to sealing a lid on a Tupperware container. When it’s on properly it just feels right and you know it’s correct. Same theory here. Have fun popping back in the 1,200 black clips that somehow keep the bumper in place.

Coolant Re-Fill
This isn’t as mindless as you may think. Normally on today’s cars there’s a coolant bleed screw located on top of the engine to ensure all air is out of the system. I searched on Google as well as checked the engine bay itself and couldn’t find one. I refilled the radiator and expansion tank with the coolant recovered in my drain pans. Hmmmmmm, I still had at least another gallon to go but the radiator wouldn’t accept any more. So with the radiator cap off, I ran the engine and turned the heater on full blast. After a few minutes I was able to slowly add more coolant. I then recapped the radiator and took her for a short ride. After the car cooled down I topped off the system using a small portion of the new gallon of coolant purchased at the local dealership. Yes I *****ed earlier about paying close to $20 for a gallon of blue colored ethylene glycol. Would I recommend the knock off brand of coolant found at the local Auto Zone or Pep Boys? Nope. Put Honda fluids in your Honda car and all will be right with the universe. Also be careful with spilling or disposing of coolant. I’d hate to hear of a young child or pet getting sick.

There you have it, installation of the engine block heater with all my glaring errors in plain view. As I said above, I trust this might be of use to someone in the future.

Cheers!

[dustino8]

Thanks for the information and write-up, even though chances are I'll never have to install one, as vehicles up here in the great white north usually come with them from the dealer.

As per your question on how long to keep it plugged in for; only 3-4 hours in necessary to adequately warm the block. You can plug it in overnight (or for days if you like), but you are just wasting energy. I have mine on a timer so it turns on at about 4am and has warmed the block enough by the time I start it at 7:30.

There are nights when its really cold, -30 C or more when I forget to plug in the block heater, but modern vehicles don't have problems starting in these temperatures.

[rocky]

Had one on my truck. Boy was it great to feel heat before the end of the driveway!