HI, new to this forum but I cant seem to find any good information on this. I'd like to put a block heater in my Saturn but I'm having trouble figuring out what size I need or if there's one that made specific for this engine available anywhere. I've just got a new engine for my car, same engine, with only 20k miles on it and I'd like to take as best of care of it as I can and with how harsh Minnesota winters can get I want to lessen cold starts as much as I can. Any help is greatly appreciated, or if there's a specific thread you could point me to that goes over this in detail would be helpful. Thanks!

 

The block heaters for these engines are cartridge style. You remove one of the block freeze plugs and thread the heater into the hole. It then warms the antifreeze.

If you search a bit, you'll find a reference to a manufacturer named Kats. The reviews for the units were horrific. Heating element going open circuit on day 2.

Those reviews were 2 years old fr Canada.
Just do your research.

 

I'm sorry, I must disagree. I believe this engine does not have freeze plugs. There was a Saturn dealer-installable 320W heater that you could also buy over the counter and install yourself. I have one on my 2001 SL2 I got years ago. I can shoot pics if you wish.

If you are in MN, try calling around to junkyards. You may find a donor Saturn with a 1.9L-specific GM block heater you can pull. Try row52 dot com. They have mechanics who will, for a fee, pull parts for you and ship them. Some guys will not ship anything larger than a starter or an alternator. But it may save you from driving to Chicago, Wisconsin, etc to get one. These block heaters are incredibly rare these days.

 

Hey! thanks for the response! Pics would be great so I can know what to look for.. Online or at the local yards.

 

Interesting, because when draining coolant during a change, you remove one of the freeze plugs in order to properly drain the block.....

 

I'd love to see a photo of your engine CM400T. I've been tinkering with cars for over 50 years and have NEVER seen one that operates with antifreeze in it that didn't have freeze out plugs. Would you mind sharing a pic of yours? Please.

 

The OEM Saturn block heater for these 1.9 engines was a bolt on style. It is mounted near the oil dipstick tube behind the exhaust manifold.There's an existing bolt hole in the block. I don't know the part number. I bought a NOS one on ebay about 10 years ago for my 2000 SW2. I want to say it was manufactured by a company called Phillips & Temro Industries, but don't quote me on that. They're still in business. I'll post a pic of the heater in the next day or two. Either way, the heater is pretty simple. It's just a heating element with a bolt hole and a power cord. The heating element just sits up against the block. You could probably modify the mounting bracket on one of the readily available ones to make it work.