I recently purchased a 2006 e61 530xiT. We have extreme winter conditions and often see -40F temperatures. Have any forum members had experience adding engine heaters to their sportwagon? I am sure many Northern Europeans have done so, although the European heating products I've seen are not offered in North America.

So far I have added a heating element to the oil pan near the drain plug (see image). I am considering adding a trickle charger to the battery to improve cold weather starts. Any other suggestions welcome!

BTW - that is a hockey puck in the picture which I temporarily used to hold the heating pad in place until the adhesive dried.

 

Your oil pan add-on is something that should help with cold (and you do mean COLD) starts. And batteries lose cranking power at those low temps too. Aside from parking in a protected area I think you've got it set for extreme climates. These recommendations would apply to diesel BMWs too.

My '86 524td had a built in block and fuel filter heater system. It worked perfectly even in our comparatively milder climates. Back then, BMW touted its diesels as "Artic Certified" and I believe it.

 

This have been discussed many times before.

Check out Webasto and Ebersp?cher.

I have the Defa system working with a 230 V plug-in.

 

On my last diesel, a '79 MB, I had a battery "heating blanket" in addition to a block heater and I had no trouble starting the car when it was parked outside in -30F in northern Wisconsin weather (an added benefit of the block heater was the early onset of warm air from the heater). Even though we had winter blended fuel, "doctoring" the fuel was necessary to keep it from turning to jell at those low temperatures-- a problem that sidelined many diesel powered vehicles back then but, from what I understand, has been cured via new fuel tank designs.
Al T.