912iS Engine Pre-Heat / Cold Start

[PacNW Pilot]

I own a Sling 2 S-LSA with the Rotax 912iS (fuel injected). Plane is hangared but the engine wouldn't start last week when it was ~42F out, so I put electric heating pads under the crankcase and oil sump and covered the top cowl with a sleeping bag for a couple hours and it fired right up. The set-up was temporary (and a bit of a PITA) to verify that was the problem, and I'm going to install a pre-heat system. Did some research and settled on the Reiff product as the best for my needs. FYI for others with trouble cold starting.

[PhilipRueker]

In the club I'm flying with we put a moving blanket over the cowl of each plane and have a portable space heater with a muffle that we put into the cowling to pre-heat planes.
That keeps them pretty happy to start in the colder months up here in Washington State.

[PacNW Pilot]

Nice! Good info, thx, I covered the cowl with a sleeping bag and it did the trick.
The Reiff instructions aren't great and no existing Rotax install videos on YouTube, so I may have to create some content
No wifi at my hangar, so going to build a GSM relay switch that I can use to turn on the preheater remotely before heading to the hanger so she's ready to go when I arrive.

[Cluemeister]

I use a twin hornet. Long, flexible cord, and you just set it in the cowling with a blanket over the top. Very happy with it.