I need to know how many people use magnetic oil pan heaters and what wattage you use. I just bought one that is rated at 200 watts but I am worried about it catching the underside of my car on fire while I sleep, you see I don't trust things of this nature but it is cold outside. I cleaned off the oil pan and its not like I have a steady leak or anything but I still dont trust it. I also need to know how well they actually work for mornings where the low is around 0 outside, do they heat the rest of the motor or just the oil? Any help would be great thanks guys or gals.

Just use Mobil 5W-30 synthetic and forget the oil pan heater. Mobil will help the engine spin and that's what helps atomization of the fuel, and that's what fires up the engine. An oil pan heater does nothing at all for the upper part of the engine, where all the viscous drag is formed.

That's what I'd do.

What about a coolant heater?

That's a better option. It heats the Block much better.
That's what all the industrial Diesels have
--
'75 Jeep CJ5 345Hp ChevyPwrd, two motorcycles, '85 Pickup: The '89 Volvo is the newest vehicle I own. it wasn't Volvos safety , it was Longevity that sold me

200 watts seems safe. Think about it, most blow dryers are around 1800 watts enough to cause a burn on the skin but very doubtful it would cause a fire so at only 200 watts I would feel relatively safe. Most fires happen when the wiring or electrode shorts out causing some sort of sparks.. hehe now he's really worried.. As far as to their ability to keep the engine warm well they do seem to help to keep oil thinner and easier to move causing less strain when starting the engine. Do they warm the whole engine, well to a degree yes. Metal, as well as oil, is a conduit so any heat will travel from hot to cold. A lot of people install radiator heaters or engine block heaters. All you are really trying to do is prevent the fluids inside the engine from freezing. Any after effect such as quicker warmups is just a bonus from the original intent. If it does not get below freezing more than a few times a year I would just park the car facing south and hopefully with a wall in front of it. Doubt it would ever freeze unless it gets just plain cold.
--
Max..1989 244 DL 5 Spd., V15 Phase II Cam Bilstein HD, Turbo Swaybars, Poly Bushings all round, Turbo Wheels, Black leather interior, Electric mirrors, LED dash and gauge lights and now NEW ECODES with the turn signals, 1992 black 244 next project

Thanks for puting the wattage in perspective, Im not worried about freezing more than the fact that the car prefers a warmer starting condition. I have good coolant and 10/30 in it I just want the extra warmth for my baby when it gets close to 0 degrees outside which in washington only happens a handfull of times in the winter. I don't want to go through the trouble of an inline or block heater so this will work for this winter. Again thanks for the info.

Auxiliary heat of any type is often a bandaid treatment to assist cold-weather starts. A car properly tuned with a good battery should start without much difficulty down to -20F. Look at your owner's manual for recommended engine oil weights; 5w-30, even 0w-30 synthetic, can really make a difference. Plugs, ignition wires and distributor all in good shape? Battery jumper cables in the trunk, just in case? Drygas added with every gas fill-up?

Up here in northern New England we get a few nights every year to -30F. Our '90 244 was always the best to start on those early mornings, after the Honda, or Toyota, or 765T wouldn't start. By the way, your electric utility will love you for plugging in engine heaters. A little 200-watt unit will use $8-$12/month, assuming c. 10 hours daily usage of the heater. Use that money instead to change to thinner oil and for a tune up. chris in vermont, 94' 945.

It is a good thing for the engine to be a bit warmer to start, even if it will start in the cold. Apparently the gas savings will outweigh the electrical cost, by getting to a lean mixture quicker. Less strain on the starter etc. too. My 945 starts at -30 (yesterday morning) without the block heater, but it's happier with the help. Synthetic oil helps, for sure.

Nice bike, by the way (see my sig...)
--
67 144, 86 740T, BMW R69S, R60/2

Thanks everyone, It starts well in the morning and I really wanted to put synthetic oil in it but I didn't have the money so castrol 10/30 is the next best bet the car runs well on 10/30 and I am afraid to go lower because it tends to get cold in the morning and then heat up to 40 or 50 degrees during the day, and I want the viscosity for warmer temperatuers. I can tell you guys I am going with synthectic on my next change (about 2400 miles) Thanks again everyone.