2002 Ranger Edge 4.0 L 2WD.

My Canadian Ranger came with a block heater, and I use it in the colder temps as a pre-warm to eliminate cold starts. I went to use it for the first time this Fall, and when I plugged it into my extension cord, the male end of the block heater cord started to smoke and popped the breaker on the GFCI outlet.

The extension cord was old, so I bought a nice new outdoor/winter one, and upon trying it again, it doesn't smoke but still pops the breaker.

Would the problem likely be with the block heater cord, or the heater element itself?

And by the way, is it a real bear to replace the element?

 

If it's like mine, the heater is in a freeze plug hole on the passenger's side - you can see it plain as day if you take the wheel off on that side. Sounds like it might have shorted...

 

Thanks for the reply. So, do you suspect the problem resides with the element, or the element's cord?

 

I would start with the cord and check it for any kind of physical damage. If the cord looks okay, then you might be looking at replacing the heater (which requires draining the coolant.)

 

I have an easy check if you have a DMM.
Take the meter and set on Ohms to the high range
(Mega Ohms) then one probe on the cord you can pick
what side just not the ground and the other to the clean
place on the block. It should not give any reading like it's
an open circuit.Next step if it does not read as an open
is remove the cord from the heater and check the heater
the same way. If you happen to get a reading then you have a heater
that is leaking power to ground that is why the GFIC is tripping and the
element is bad and will need to be replaced. If it shows open then you
want to switch to a low range and check both heater terminals now you
should see about 8~15 Ohms if you see open you have a bad heater.
Do the same with the cord while it is not hooked to the element. You
will have to check each terminal to ground and should see open. Then
check while it is still unhooked both terminal and you should see open.
If you need help on this just send me a PM and I can help with that.
But most likely what you have is a bad element that is leaking power to
ground and that can kill someone if they happen to put a hand on the truck
and for some reason the GFCI did not trip. It would ground through there body
and that is really bad.

Sean

 

Thanks Yahiko. After learning that the criminals at Ford wanted $100.00 just for the cord, I went and bought a new aftermarket kit (element and cord) for $35.00

Hopefully the Re & Re won't be too difficult.

Thanks for the replies.

 

animals like to chew the cord here in MT

 

Good tip; I'll inspect the cord first, and if it does look chewed or frayed, and the female end of the new aftermarket cord will work on the original Ford element, I'll try just the cord.

 

Also the element end in the block will rust out over time, more so if the coolant has not been changed or air got in the coolant.


Overflow bottle is THE most important component in a cooling system !!

 

Ya, maybe I'll just change the element as a matter of course, seeing how I have it 'n all.