Hi all, I got a "complete winterization package" from Kendall Toyota in Fairbanks. They did not install a block heater but oil pan heater and battery trickle charge...said Prius didn't use a block heater. Some cursory online searches tell me that's false, and this last -40°F morning I have got troubling noise and shakes (EGR valve? Head gasket?). This Prius has less than 90k miles and previously lived in California before being sent to essentially Hoth. My pending fight with Kendall aside, I haven't found any solid guides on DIY install for 2015 Prius block heater. Any assistance this forum can provide is appreciated (e.g., pictures of port location as Google and YouTube have not yielded great results).
Block heater install is a pain from top of engine or bottom and it's really hard to show where the mounting hole is. It's more of a fell your way around, cause it's near impossible to see. Here's a tube that shows an 08 Corolla install location. Might be slightly easier to find from under the car but I still wasn't able to see it from underneath with the Prius jacked up.
You can definitely get a block heater, but a pan heater is way easier to install. Disappointing that the dealer couldn't get this right.
I had dealership install the block heater (on our ‘10) when ours was new, and when a wire shorted on it (2~3 years back), I replaced it myself. The main hassle is all the conduits and their brackets, right where the heater element needs to be, just before being pushed into the recess. can’t recall if I removed wipers and cowl but pretty sure it would help. You need to unbolt brackets, pull/push everything out of the way and tie it out of the way. Only apply the heat transfer lube to the heater element after you’ve managed to get it into the hole, by just pulling it almost out, and reaching finger tip dabs of lube to it with your other hand. location is at back, drivers-side corner of engine, about halfway up. I did most of the conduit wrangling from above, and the install from below. Again, assuming I didn’t remove cowl/wipers, that mighta helped with install from above. Working from below is tiring, and totally blind. we use the block heater year round btw, aiming for 2 hours use before cold starts. Figure it’s good for the engine. Also allows you to spoof the car into giving you EV, say to get the car from garage to driveway/street maneuvers. what’s the miles on yours? Could be head gasket going.
Can you spot the location ? I can't spot the location in any of those 3 photographs. I'll also ask the OP ( original poster ) @db_08868 have you been able to find the block heater installation hole yet?
Step 5 (and illustration 5) shows a close up of block heater pocket location. For orientation, note EGR cooler back flange, in upper-right corner of pic. Looks to be just below block/head split line: https://attachments.priuschat.com/attachment-files/2023/11/245429_2010_Prius_Block_Heater_Installation_Instructions.pdf another thread of interest: 3rd-gen block heater
The first pic is the guy with his finger on an installed block heater. (File upload under iOS starting safari Priuschat post write with settings safari javascript on, desktop mode, safari settings javascript off, safari post refresh, post more options, upload files, upload files x3, safari JavaScript on, safari tab to original edit, safari post refresh, position files as desired, reply to thread). Works on a new post or reply but does not work if trying to add file to a post edit. Simple.
Funny thing is, just popping the hood, you can see the wiring for the block heater disappearing into the morass of wires, hoses and brackets, but you cannot follow it back to the heater element.
I was able to find the location. It is -50°F here today, and while I have a one car garage, I'm going to wait until next week when it is at least above -20°F to actually install the block heater (3rd party heater). Kendall Toyota got back w/ me and, their argument, for why they didn't install was simply because of a warranty conflict between the heater supplier and the dealership. Trash explanation but that is the update on that front.
