Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Branches Western Canada Car starter Question

With the cold weather we were having I was using the timer start at night so I donâ??t have to plug it in. But my mileage dropped from 450kms to the tank down to 320kms, and gas isn't cheap. I fill up my tank yesterday for $40.
So lately I started plugging the car instead of using the timer, but Iâ??m not sure if itâ??s good to start the car while itâ??s plugged. So today I run out to unplug the car before I started my car, it was kind of funny standing a meter from the car when I used the remote to start the car.
Having to run outside to unplug the car beats the whole idea of having an auto starter.
Does anyone know if itâ??s bad to the engine to start the car when itâ??s plugged in?

i dont think so, its only a block heater. cant see it doing any harm. and jeez i only wish to get 450kms in the winter...

I have always had my car plugged in and started my car with the starter and never had any conflicts before. And I asked one of my installers about that same question and he said it doesn't do any harm. The only thing that will do harm to your car is having the heater set at full when you start your car. He said you should have it set at 1/4 to 1/2 and never past that when you first start your car. Having it set past that really puts strain on your motor.