A block heater becomes necessary in climates that experience extreme drops in temperature, primarily in the winter months. It functions by heating engine block fluids. Keeping these fluids warm helps a car to start in cold temperatures. If you're having difficulties starting your engine due to cold weather, it might be wise to install a block heater. Luckily, installing a block heater on a Saturn vehicle is a straightforward procedure that can be done in a few hours.
Turn your engine off and allow all components to sufficiently cool before beginning the installation process.
Place a drip pan beneath the radiator drain plug located on the underside of the car directly below the radiator. Unfasten the radiator drain plug and allow the coolant to completely drain. Note: to increase drain rate, unfasten the radiator cap beneath the hood of your Saturn as well.
Open the hood of the Saturn and remove the two mounting bolts of the radiator mounting bracket. Remove the engine block's drain plug located at the back of the engine block near the oil filter to release any remaining coolant.
Install the engine block heater by fastening it into the engine block's drain plug bolt hole using a 24-mm socket and torque wrench.
Plug the connector end of the heater harness into the block heater and route the wire over the engine towards the car's windshield. Secure the harness out of the way of any car components using a wire tie.
Route the wire or block-heater plug around the back wall of the engine compartment towards the passenger side of the vehicle. Secure the wire using a wire tie along the way to keep the wire away from any engine components. Route wire along the passenger side wall of the engine compartment towards the passenger side front light. Pop the wire out of the front grill for ease access and secure it place using a wire tie.
Replace the radiator drain plug and refill the radiator with new coolant. Fasten the radiator cap and close the hood of the car. Plug the block heater wire into an extension cord on extremely cold days.
