On 27/11/2014 10:00, Thomas Prufer wrote:
On Thu, 27 Nov 2014 00:30:05 -0800 (PST), fred wrote:

Didn't BMW once offer a heat retaining lump of aluminium which once warmed up by a short run retained sufficient heat over night to give a comfortable car a.s.a.p.

Wonder how effective it was.

There was a retrofit heatbank offered, made some garage inventor: a Thermos with
sodium acetate. Sodium acetate is the stuff used in those heating pads that warm
as the salt crystalizes. It was said it'd keep warm overnight in winter,
providing faster starting, quicker heating etc. while being passive and just
plumbed into the coolant circuit.

Was on one of those "cool inventions" programs, never heard of it again.


Thomas Prufer


I remember something like that too (but I thought it was sodium
thiosulphate) - looked like a big oil filter cannister on the sump of a
Volvo.

Search on "block heater" - there are electric after-market options and
they are often standard in cold climates, using engine fuel.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Block_heater

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