Well tonight in the North Carolina area were I live it will be around low 30 to almost the teens I went ahead and decided to use my block heater, I've used it a few times before were I'd wake up about a hour before work and make sure it was running.

Well I don't have to go to work until Sunday, so I'm good for now, but the way the wiring in the house was completed, my outlet outside front porch is connected to my bathroom outlet upstairs then the lower bathroom to another outside outlet then a 15 amp GFCI breaker in the main panel. One time when I used the heater it had blown my 15 amp GFCI breaker in the bathroom, so right now I have a 20 amp in my upper bathroom (yes it might be a little over kill for protection).

Well I've already checked to see how the trucks doing especially using a 25' heavy duty contractors extension cord plugged into a amp meter then to the block cord. When I've looked at the meter it would be showing around 7.9 amps and around 970 watts.

I checked my wiring on my GFCI and it's showing about the same amps for going to the outside outlet, the amps to the GFCI was showing around 8.6 amps. Now I know that other people have stated around 10 amps or so, but this is what I'm getting for mine, and yes I only leave the GFCI leading outside on (reset) for about a couple of hours, usually I'll have it off (test) so that I don't have it running all night long.


This is from my meter testing from the GFCI inside out to the truck.


You can already see from the rain that everything is starting to freeze, If you look at the passenger side you can see the extension cord connection. What I've done is from the cord I have my meter connected to the cord, then wrapped around the leaf spring, then I have the extension cord around the side mirror (this way I remember it's plugged up), then across the grass to the outside plug.

 

I would stay off the roads down there unless your interested in a new truck. I know you know what I mean, southerners and Ice don't mix. Hey great write-up.

 

With the description you gave about your house wiring, I would be more concerned about your house burning down..... Not a starting issue with your truck.

 

Where in NC are you? I'm south east of Raleigh and having fun with the ice as well.

 

Charlotte area

 

Yes I know what you mean, of course forgot to state I'm in the National Guard and I've been in southern and northern areas, and also desert sandstorm areas, luckily tomorrow is Saturday so shouldn't be a lot of people on the road

 

A truck in North Carolina probably does not need to use the block heater (unless you want to just try it out). My 6.0 has started just fine in temperatures down to -20 deg F (OK, it grumbled for a minute or two but ran just fine).

If the block heater is needed in moderate cold conditions, I'd suspect a problem with injectors or the FICM. The real diesel experts here could give you bettter info on this.

Lou Braun

PS: Some day I need to find the end of my block heater cord. It is buried somewhere.... Just need to find it.

 

Well yes i do have a FICM issue, currently I have new batteries, but I need to get a new alternator, cause currently I'm around 12.1 to 13.4, 12.1 with lights on and stopped, around 13.4 still with lights on but driving.

With my FICM when I start up when it's been cold I've seen around 44.0 for awhile while the glow plugs are still running. Once the glow plugs turn off I'll see the FICM voltage go between 48 to 47.0.

Hopefully soon I'll be getting a new alternator (probably a DC alternator or Mean Green), and send my FICM to Ed on my first day off of a 4 day off work, this way I should be able to get it back around Friday no later than Saturday.

 

Jon,

Do that quick! You could be doing damage to your injectors. I didn't know that my FICM voltage was low at first, and I ended up replacing two injectors after I had Ed replair the FICM

Matt

 

Penny wise, dollar foolish... House is wired incorrectly, uprating breakers without having the correct size wiring is a code violation, having the external outlet without a dedicated GFCI breaker is wrong, running the truck with a bad alternator is wrong, saving a few pennies to risk a multi-thousand dollar repair is wrong.

Heater is supposed to be 1000 watts, so that is probably right. Truck should not need a block heater until temps are well below zero F. Your alternator output is classic diode failure symptom. At the very least, stop using the block heater and instead put on a 10 - 20 amp three stage battery charger all night.

Brian

 

Yes I know the alternator is key, I might need to talk with CarMax since under the warranty I have with them does cover alternator, I'll see if there shop is open today since we had this ice storm.

I'd really want to get the heavier amp alternator, but right now I'll have to wait