Bj”rn Forsstr”m (2:203/614.61) wrote to JIM WELLER at 19:14 on 07 Feb 2004:

 BF> I have never heard about this although I live in a "winter" country
 BF> myself. If my battery would need a blanket I would change it. I
 BF> believe modern cars are so easy to start, only a couple turns are
 BF> enough, even at -30 C and a block heater

New batteries cost money and cars are not always modern.  And here as in
Yellowknife the temperaturte can drop to -50.
 
 BF> makes it even more easy and makes the metal in the cylinders not to
 BF> "rise". A cold start at -20 C wears out the motor just as much as
 BF> 50 km warm driving and think about all that gas the motor requires
 BF> to start at - 20 C when all cold start
 BF> equipment just are pumping in gas that's only passing through
 BF> without being burnt.
 BF> IMO a block heater is more than 10 times better then a battery
 BF> blanket. 

In some cases both would be useful.

Take care,

Steven Horn (steven_a_horn{at}yahoo.ca)
Moderator, ALASKA_CHAT 
--- timEd/386 1.10.y2k+