Hey,

So I decided to get a block heater installed for winter but my only concern is the price... I called my Nissan dealership expecting a much cheaper price since it is Nissan and not Infiniti, and the quoted me an amount around $600 stating the install is a very difficult one with these engines. My only thought was that all Nissan V6 share an identical platform so I find it hard to believe it would cost $600 to install the block heater in say a Maxima or an Altima V6. Am I being ripped off here or is this the price it actually cost to install a block heater in our Gs? I was also looking at some ghetto magnetic oil pan heaters, and was wondering if they would hold up to the -30 - -50 range we get up here in Winnipeg? They only cost around ~100 at CT, and seem very simple to use and get rid of when Summer rolls along.

My car is also 1 month out of regular warranty, not sure if that matters or not.

 

Yours is a US car, right? All Canadian cars come with block heaters installed.

With that kind of charge it sounds like access to the block heater frost plugs is very difficult. You might want to check out an alternative inline heater on the heater hoses. We don't see stuff like that around here but many years ago I remember seeing them in the peg. If you can find something like that it would be a small fraction of the price.

 

Thanks for the response. My car was imported from Florida originally so it doesn't have the block heater installed. Do you know where I could get a inline heater for the hoses installed? Do you think it would be better to get the inline heater installed versus an oil pan heater? You have a BMW too right? My bros 330i has none installed (I believe no BMW has a block heater) and it turns over very, very roughly in the winter. Kinda sounds horrible to hear such a beautiful car sound that way... I should also use some very thin synthetic oils right?

 

i have a hard time believing that quote. by design, engine frost plugs are usually easily accessible.

get another quote. you don't have to take it to a dealer.

 

Your car must absolutely loathe you for taking it away from the nice sunny weather it was used to in Florida! It used to know the good life! haha

Good luck with the project!

 

Check with Canadian Tire, they used to sell dipstick heaters and heaters that went in your heater hose line that heated your coolant and recirculated it through your block. I have used both, they work but not as good as a block heater.
Years ago I had one vehicle that I had a block heater put on each side of the block (it was actually reccomended on my 440 engine by Plymouth)

 

Lol, yeah the car loves Winnipeg. Never above +9, raining every other day, and the joy this winter will bring with 30cm of snow and -50C weather! To add this, it is being parked outside the whole year!

 

I called Infinti today and jumped the gun and asked them how much it will cost to install a block heater on an 03 Maxima. He quoted me an amount of around $400, and then I asked how much for an Infiniti vehicle and he said it would be more since it is harder to access the frost plug. He quoted me a price of $450, nearly the same as Nissan did. With tax and all, it will come out pretty much to $600.


In rensponse to GEE35X, they dipstick heaters actually got outlawed in Canada for some reason so i am not sure if I can go that route anymore.


Ok so what would you guys suggest I do? Should I go the magnetic oil pan heater method (cheapest I have seen but not sure if the G35 Oil pan will hold it). The inline heater in the hoses (not exactly sure how this looks or where I would get it installed), or $600 for the block heater. My car is going to be parked outside of the garage since its not big enough to hold 2 cars with all the junk in there right now, so that might be a consideration.

Right now I have to choose between either Winter tires or a block heater. Temps right now have not dropped below freezing, so I am not sure if the block heater is absolutely necessary in the next month (most it will go is maybe to -20C), but snow falls in Winnipeg every year before Halloween and I am sitting on 18's
Pilots near speec...

 

I would be getting some winter tires first off and switch over to synthetic fluids...

 

+1 ^^^ What he said, then get a block heater.

 

As GEE35X said you can probably get an inline heater purchased and installed at CTC. Try getting an install price for the block heater at somewhere other than the stealer. You can probably get it done for 2/3 the price anywhere else.

Yes a 0W30 synthetic would be an excellent choice.

No I drive an '04 G Coupe model M6 - the Canadian version of a 6MT.

 

I had dual block heaters in both my 69 and 70 Ford wagons - one small block and one big block. I also used interior heaters. When you plugged that thing in it sucked some amount of juice.

 

IMHO, No use starting a car if you can't go anywhere or stop once you get it moving.
Tires first then heater.

 

LOL Brian, guess a car should never get so comfortable with life.

It is getting a break from those blistering hot and humid summer temps though.

 

Ha. Well winter tires it is. Blizzaks here I come, block heater will be installed in November I guess then.

So you guys suggest on -50C weather not to start the car then if I dont have a block heater installed and just wait for a warmer day if I dont plan on driving the car that day?