block heater question
Thread Starter
|
Junior User
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 88
Likes: 0
From: Carlisle, Ia
block heater question
sine it has turn cold the truck has been starting ruff and with the polar vortex hitting it would not start. it have warmed up some and now she runs fine but continues to hate the morning starts. last year i replaced the glow plug relay and i just tested the glow plugs and got a reading of .2ohms on seven and 2.4 ohms on the eighth. i also tried to test the block heater and cord to get no reading on the heater but got 14 volt out of the cord with it plugged in. do these number sound right? from what i have found i believe that the block heater is bad but not 100% sure.
Lead Driver
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 5,096
Likes: 1,498
From: western SD
You should be getting 110 volts doing that. The wires in the heater cord are known for breaking right behind the male plug. A replacement plg can be purchased at the local hardware store. Just clip the male plug off and install the new one.
Thread Starter
|
Junior User
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 88
Likes: 0
From: Carlisle, Ia
Shouldn't I also get some resistance reading through the two prongs of the element as well? When I tried I couldn't get anything. I made sure not to ground the meter on the housing and just read the connection prongs.
Lead Driver
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 8,476
Likes: 37
From: Madison, WI
Trending Topics
Thread Starter
|
Junior User
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 88
Likes: 0
From: Carlisle, Ia
FTE Stories
Ford Trucks for Ford Truck Enthusiasts
10 Best Ford Truck Engines We Miss the Most!
Joe Kucinski
2026 Shelby F-150 Off-Road: Better Than a Raptor R?
Brett Foote
2027 Super Duty Carhartt Package First Look: 12 Things You NEED to Know!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Most Surprising 2026 Ford Truck Features!
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 Ford Trucks Coming to Mecum Indy 2026
Brett Foote
5 Best / 5 Worst Ford Truck Wheels of All Time
Joe Kucinski
Ford Super Duty: 5 Things Owners LOVE, 5 Things They LOATHE!
Joe Kucinski
Every 2026 Ford Truck Engine RANKED from WORST to FIRST!
Michael S. Palmer
The Best F-150 Deal of Every Trim Level (XL through Raptor)
Joe Kucinski
Lead Driver
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 8,476
Likes: 37
From: Madison, WI
Double-check that your meter is reading resistance properly by touching the probes together. Should show close to zero resistance. If so, and if it still shows infinite resistance when you check the element, then it's most likely failed.
Thread Starter
|
Junior User
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 88
Likes: 0
From: Carlisle, Ia
I just checked my readings again and got 120V through the cord but still no resistance through the element. Also I tried to test the glow plug again but am a little confused on where to test. Do you go off the negative of the battery and the pins or off the third pin and the other pins? From what I have found two pins are the injectors, two pins are the glow plugs, and the third is a ground. Anyone now what the order is?
Hotshot
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 10,408
Likes: 75
From: Plankinton, SD
The glow plugs are the outer pins on the connection. The middle is a common ground, the ones beside that are the injectors. Test the glow plugs with ground on the battery. If you test the injectors, you use the middle pin for a ground.
Lead Driver
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 8,476
Likes: 37
From: Madison, WI
That would suggest the element is shorted somehow. You would expect it to trip the breaker on the house circuit when you plug it in. Do you have the meter set on the lowest resistance range?
