A block heater is a must on any engine you plan on keeping for the
long-haul in a cold climate.  That goes double for a diesel!  Any parts
house that specializes in foreign cars should have on for the Vanagon
diesels.  I think the freeze plug is the same on all inline 4 VW
engines, gas and diesel, so it follows that the heater is probably the
same too.
A preheated engine will start much easier with less wear and tear, and
the heater inside the van will start putting out heat a lot quicker too.

Mike Moery, Anchorage, AK
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**'Ol Bessie  '82TD Westy***

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf
Of Theresa Reinhardt
Sent: Tuesday, October 30, 2001 1:29 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Diesel - block heater

To all Diesel van owners out there -
Does it make sense to install a block heater,
and has anyone done this (& where did
you get it?),
or is the problem with the diesel turning
to jelly in the tank before it ever gets to
the nicely heated block?

Teresa
in Peoria (where we get all that cold Canadian air)

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