So there was a previous thread somewhere but I can't find it anymore. Regardless, if you've got oil spewing out all over your engine one morning when the temp is below say 15F it's probably because you either don't have the cold weather package or the oil separator lines from the valve cover to the cyclonic separator is on the fritz. At $1300.00 I wasn't about to buy a new one so we took it apart and figured out how to fix it. It's basically an 80 watt heater which has a control board embedded in the foam "blanket" which lives within a heat reflecting mylar film lined velcro wrap around pouch. Yeah. So, turns out the FET which regulates the current to the heater (nicrome wires in the inner blanket) goes walkabout. This FET has conviently had all the identifying marks from the manufacturer obliterated to keep you from replacing it. We did some head scratching and found a Fairchild FET which is the right foot print and probably over designed but does the trick. I no longer have to crack my filler cap and warm up the truck for 20 minutes before daring to venture out fearing an exon-valdez moment. It's available from Digikey, part number FDB3632CT-ND. You'll need a big chissel soldering iron. When it works the car sends it current while you sleep - I get in and it's 12F outside and 26F inside the blanket.
If the photo loads you can see it in the corner by the blue wires
If the photo loads you can see it in the corner by the blue wires
