# 2017 CTD Manual Trans Oil Pan Heater Install



## Dzbadfish (Nov 12, 2017)

My 2017 Cruze Diesel with manual transmission did not come with an oil pan heater. The dealership told me it had one but in reality it did not. So after much research, I have found very little info on the 2017 Cruze turbo diesel oil pan heater. Here is what I have found.

If equipped "new" the heater is a $100 option. My local Chevy dealer service dept. Informed me it would cost $450-$500 to have one installed. The local auto parts stores said they don't make an aftermarket oil pan heater but they had a few universal kits I could use. The block on the Gen 2 diesels are aluminum. They do not make a block heater only a oil pan heater. Calling the Chevy dealer parts Dept I was able to have him explain what the part looked like... Two bolts.... Two bolts, when threaded into existing holes in the oil pan, was all it would take to install the heater. The heater cord, I was told, is specific to auto and Manual Transmission. The pre installed plastic rivets line up with the holes located in your motor compartment. 

I ordered the parts through my Chevy dealer. 

Oil Pan Heater part # 55597519 - $109

Heater cord for manual trans. part # 39109070 - $148

Tools used: 7mm socket, 10mm socket, 1/4" x 3/8" socket adapter, 3" extension, 3/8" socket wrench, car ramps, wheel chocks, small Tupperware to hold bolts and sockets when not in use, flattened cardboard box to lay on to stay out of the snow. 

After getting the car up onto the ramps and chocking the wheels. I got under the car and realised they put a fiber board to protect the underside of the car. There are 17 - 7mm bolts that hold it to the underside. Once the bolts are removed the board will slide to the rear of the vehicle and come out. It is held in place by two tabs in the rear (external to the board) and three tabs on the front of the board that go between a plastic shroud and the frame. 

Once the fiber board is removed the two holes, on the front of the oil pan, stick out like a sore thumb. The heater can be installed upside down so be sure to install it with all the surface area touching the oil pan. A good practice I use when installing any bolt is I will get it as tight as I can by hand before using a wrench on it to eliminate cross threading. These two bolts are 10mm. Once the bolts were installed I routed the heater cord, from the top, down to the heater. The cord has a collar with four locking tabs on the end that secure it in place on the heater. Make sure these are all in the down position when pushing the cord into the heater. It took a little trial and error figuring out the route to position the rivets and clips to the existing holes but nothing major. Once done, install the fiber board. The rear tabs will help hold it in place while you push the three front tabs between the frame and the plastic shroud. Once lined up, install your bolts by hand and then snug them up with the 7mm socket. Then you're done!

I don't like the fact that you have to open the hood to plug in your heater. I will be looking into a product that will eliminate this. The parts are a bit pricey but saving the money in labor charges make it worth it to me. Buying them through my dealer saves me the headache of shipping, warranties, and customer service over the phone. I my self so not trust an aftermarket stick on oil pan heater. With the temperature changes in some of the places I work, like ND, MN, the glue would fail in a season. It took me longer to roundup the tools than the actual time it took to install the heater and route the cord. 

I'm posting this on my phone so I'm having trouble uploaded the pictures. When I can this week I'll upload them using the computer.


----------



## LiveTrash (May 24, 2015)

Odd that this wouldn't be standard, especially on the Diesel. I don't remember it being an option on my Gen 1 diesel when I ordered, I recall it being mentioned that it was a standard addition.

Great contribution, excellent writeup. I'm sure a number of users will find this useful.


----------



## Yordan Sampon (Nov 7, 2021)

Dzbadfish said:


> My 2017 Cruze Diesel with manual transmission did not come with an oil pan heater. The dealership told me it had one but in reality it did not. So after much research, I have found very little info on the 2017 Cruze turbo diesel oil pan heater. Here is what I have found.
> 
> If equipped "new" the heater is a $100 option. My local Chevy dealer service dept. Informed me it would cost $450-$500 to have one installed. The local auto parts stores said they don't make an aftermarket oil pan heater but they had a few universal kits I could use. The block on the Gen 2 diesels are aluminum. They do not make a block heater only a oil pan heater. Calling the Chevy dealer parts Dept I was able to have him explain what the part looked like... Two bolts.... Two bolts, when threaded into existing holes in the oil pan, was all it would take to install the heater. The heater cord, I was told, is specific to auto and Manual Transmission. The pre installed plastic rivets line up with the holes located in your motor compartment.
> 
> ...


Hey do you happen to still have those pictures of the correct path of the cable? I also have a 2017 CTD manual and im struggling to figure out where the correct path is...


----------



## Barry Allen (Apr 18, 2018)

LiveTrash said:


> Odd that this wouldn't be standard, especially on the Diesel. I don't remember it being an option on my Gen 1 diesel when I ordered, I recall it being mentioned that it was a standard addition.


Gen 1 cars could get a block heater, but I’m not certain it was standard.

Gen 2 has no block heater option because ECU programming will throw a CEL if temperatures aren’t what is expected. I guess the ECU assumes the coolant temp sensor reads wrong if the engine is off for hours and then coolant temps don’t align with intake air temps.

My understanding is that GM did lots of cold weather testing and the engine starts “fine” down to -40. The ceramic glow plugs are reliable and fast to heat, so as long as the fuel isn’t gelled up it will start without a block heater.

The oil pan heater obviously helps even if using synthetic oil.


----------



## 6Speed2016LT (Jun 14, 2016)

LiveTrash said:


> Odd that this wouldn't be standard, especially on the Diesel. I don't remember it being an option on my Gen 1 diesel when I ordered, I recall it being mentioned that it was a standard addition.
> 
> Great contribution, excellent writeup. I'm sure a number of users will find this useful.



The first thing I did with my cruze when I got it was install an oil pan heater. The stick on kind, it has performed flawlessly and definitely helps with the cold Canadian mornings..... Clean the bottom of the oil pan very well...Peel and stick, then seal the edges with some silicone to keep a good seal. It's all in the instructions. Then run the wire up front, use some zip ties, Done...

Here is what I bought, but the prices have certainly jumped. All you need is between 100 to 200 watts...

https://www.amazon.ca/Zerostart-340...9Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=


----------



## Barry Allen (Apr 18, 2018)

I'd actually prefer an oil heater immersed in the sump. Hotstart sells one that is 50 watts so I think I can maybe install that without a thermostat and not have to worry about overheating the oil.

I'm going to talk it over with my cousin because I have a little bit of an oil pan leak. If we can easily drop the oil pan to fix that, I might see if we can take the pan out to a machine shop the same day and get a 3/8” N.P.T. thread installed in the right spot to fit the heater. It's only 2 1/8" probe length, so at the bottom of the oil sump probably has clearance to install it and not worry about it.

With that kind of heater you get about 100% of the heat going into the oil in the sump.



https://www.hotstart.com/assets/Catalog/HOTSTART-OW-OE-Oil-Heater-Part-Numbers.pdf


----------



## boraz (Aug 29, 2013)

Barry Allen said:


> Gen 1 cars could get a block heater, but I’m not certain it was standard.
> 
> Gen 2 has no block heater option because ECU programming will throw a CEL if temperatures aren’t what is expected. I guess the ECU assumes the coolant temp sensor reads wrong if the engine is off for hours and then coolant temps don’t align with intake air temps.
> 
> ...


no block heater available for g1 for literally the same reasons as g2

g1 has the stick on pan heater

ive never plugged my gen1 in (cuz first winter i had it, the cord was on recall for fires and it started at -51 no problem....)


----------



## Barry Allen (Apr 18, 2018)

boraz said:


> no block heater available for g1 for literally the same reasons as g2
> 
> g1 has the stick on pan heater
> 
> ive never plugged my gen1 in (cuz first winter i had it, the cord was on recall for fires and it started at -51 no problem....)


Interesting, sorry I was mistaken. 

I guess I mixed up the gasoline engines where you can get a block heater (that's something like 85 watts?!) and it only comes on when the outside temperature is below 0ºF, with a thermostat built into the power cord. There are instructions for bypassing that thermostat in the cord if you want the heater on all the time it's plugged in, but maybe that's a thing to do with the CEL coming on?


----------



## 6Speed2016LT (Jun 14, 2016)

Barry Allen said:


> I'd actually prefer an oil heater immersed in the sump. Hotstart sells one that is 50 watts so I think I can maybe install that without a thermostat and not have to worry about overheating the oil.
> 
> I'm going to talk it over with my cousin because I have a little bit of an oil pan leak. If we can easily drop the oil pan to fix that, I might see if we can take the pan out to a machine shop the same day and get a 3/8” N.P.T. thread installed in the right spot to fit the heater. It's only 2 1/8" probe length, so at the bottom of the oil sump probably has clearance to install it and not worry about it.
> 
> ...



I had the infamous oil pan leak early this spring. Started with a few drops.... Simple job to fix. I just used the RTV sealant as there is no gasket. There are 2 potential places the oil pan can leak....upper and lower....99% of the time its the lower one. I can tell you that using that stick on pad heater does wonders. I have timed how long it takes me to get heat without having it plugged in, and then while using it. There is a significantly faster warm up time with it plugged in. Also, as heat rises, once the oil is warmed up, it slowly stars the warm up the rest of the block as well. I leave for work at 5:30 am, I have it come on around 1AM.

Jason


----------



## Barry Allen (Apr 18, 2018)

6Speed2016LT said:


> I had the infamous oil pan leak early this spring. Started with a few drops.... Simple job to fix. I just used the RTV sealant as there is no gasket. There are 2 potential places the oil pan can leak....upper and lower....99% of the time its the lower one.


Last oil change was the Chevy dealer and I got the call to come out to the service bay and look because "You have an oil leak." It was a drop or two on the back side of the oil pan and I just didn't care much.

This oil change (yesterday) it's the same. No huge amount of oil dripping or spewing anywhere, so it's not a huge deal to me right now.

Where are the leak points?


----------



## Barry Allen (Apr 18, 2018)

6Speed2016LT said:


> Also, as heat rises, once the oil is warmed up, it slowly stars the warm up the rest of the block as well. I leave for work at 5:30 am, I have it come on around 1AM.


Electricity where I live is so cheap that I just don't care about having a timer on the heater. I'd love to have a setup where I plug it in as I park the car and just leave it on. 50 watts is nothing to worry about.


----------



## 6Speed2016LT (Jun 14, 2016)

Barry Allen said:


> Last oil change was the Chevy dealer and I got the call to come out to the service bay and look because "You have an oil leak." It was a drop or two on the back side of the oil pan and I just didn't care much.
> 
> This oil change (yesterday) it's the same. No huge amount of oil dripping or spewing anywhere, so it's not a huge deal to me right now.
> 
> Where are the leak points?


Mine was leaking in a few places around the lower oil pan. Apparently it is more common then you think from what I have heard/read. I just went to the store and got some automotive grade high temp RTV. Took it up to my mechanic, drained the oil, cleaned and prepped the surface. My mechanic took a soft buffing tool and cleaned up both mating surfaces real good (after scraping off what was left of the RTV) He beaded the RTV around the pan, mated it back up and torqued the oil pan bolts to spec. Cant remember exactly what the spec is, but its pinned on this site somewhere... He let it set for about 20 mins, I drove off and have not had a problem since.


----------



## boraz (Aug 29, 2013)

Barry Allen said:


> Interesting, sorry I was mistaken.
> 
> I guess I mixed up the gasoline engines where you can get a block heater (that's something like 85 watts?!) and it only comes on when the outside temperature is below 0ºF, with a thermostat built into the power cord. There are instructions for bypassing that thermostat in the cord if you want the heater on all the time it's plugged in, but maybe that's a thing to do with the CEL coming on?


The oil pan heater is thermally controlled as well, for the same reason...car won't understand why the oil /coolant is so hot compared to the other sensors


----------



## boraz (Aug 29, 2013)

I'm deleted, and bought the coolant heater thats inline of the lower hose, probably install this week


----------



## Barry Allen (Apr 18, 2018)

boraz said:


> The oil pan heater is thermally controlled as well, for the same reason...car won't understand why the oil /coolant is so hot compared to the other sensors


The coolant heater in gasoline cars is thermally controlled (only turns on when ambient is below 0ºF) but the oil pan heater is continuously on regardless.


----------



## Barry Allen (Apr 18, 2018)

Ideally I would like to have a plug-in heater setup that warms engine oil and then pumps it to dribble into the valve cover, spilling over the cylinder head to drain back to the oil sump. This would function to keep the engine oil warm and also heat the engine itself.

I've seen coolant heaters that pump through engines, but that's mostly for large Diesel engines. For large generators that backup critical functions (like a nuclear power plant) the engines are maintained in a "hot standby" so they can be started and at full rated power within about 20-30 seconds. These setups have heaters that keep engine oil pumped and above 100ºF, and keep the entire engine block warmed by pumping heated coolant through the engine.


----------

