Heating the Engine Block
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Heating the Engine Block
Hey all,
I'm new here and had a question. I'm from Colorado and have had some chilly weather lately. I've been using my heating block chord to get the truck ready to start in the morning. It seems I may have a problem in my new home (built in November of 2004) where the power goes out in my garage recently when I hook up the chord to an extension chord going into my tool bench. The tool bench power strip then goes to the wall and seems to be shutting down electricity in a number of outlets in the area. Could my truck be causing this kind of mess or is it more likely a mess-up in the electrical wiring of my new home? Thanks for any advice you may have.
Also, my door locks go on and off on their own sporadically making it difficult to leave my truck running when I go to quick stops like the store or gas station. That is unless I keep a second pair of keys on hand. Have any of you experienced the same trouble?
Thanks.
I'm new here and had a question. I'm from Colorado and have had some chilly weather lately. I've been using my heating block chord to get the truck ready to start in the morning. It seems I may have a problem in my new home (built in November of 2004) where the power goes out in my garage recently when I hook up the chord to an extension chord going into my tool bench. The tool bench power strip then goes to the wall and seems to be shutting down electricity in a number of outlets in the area. Could my truck be causing this kind of mess or is it more likely a mess-up in the electrical wiring of my new home? Thanks for any advice you may have.
Also, my door locks go on and off on their own sporadically making it difficult to leave my truck running when I go to quick stops like the store or gas station. That is unless I keep a second pair of keys on hand. Have any of you experienced the same trouble?
Thanks.
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Your garage should have a GFCI circuit for its outlets. Either one outlet has the trip/reset buttons and the rest are cascaded from it, or there's a GFCI breaker back in the breaker box.
If there is moisture in the end of the extension cord outlet, or inside along the length of the cord from breaks in the insulation, then your GFCI protection is doing exactly what it's supposed to do. Can you run a short known-dry cord from the wall outlet directly to the truck, just for testing purposes?
Duncan
If there is moisture in the end of the extension cord outlet, or inside along the length of the cord from breaks in the insulation, then your GFCI protection is doing exactly what it's supposed to do. Can you run a short known-dry cord from the wall outlet directly to the truck, just for testing purposes?
Duncan
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Oh, one more thought: the block heater draws a good 10 amps. If you have 5 more amps going on that circuit at the same time (assuming it's your typical 15A GFCI circuit) then it could be tripping for that reason.
Duncan
Duncan
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Thanks man, I'll try running another chord to the truck this afternoon when I get home. Thanks for the idea. The strange thing is that it just started doing this recently and I've used it since November with no trouble. What should I do if there is moisture getting in the chord?
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From: Cleveland Area
Put the cord in your grill or somewhere out of the moisture. And I just carry a spare key for times I leave the truck running. Check and double check before I close and lock it while it is running, that way it should stay there.
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Thanks guys for your advice. I do keep the chord up in the grill. With it being so cold, the ice in the cap or cover of the chord trickled down to the base of the connectors and settled there. With it being wet, the GFI kept being tripped. When I plugged in the new chord, I first wiped clean the connectors-the shorting seemed to stop. I appreciate your advice everyone. I think I got it figured. The highs today were like 10 degrees. So I think the engine got gummed up too and were just creating a string of things that were keeping it from starting it right. I got some other ideas from a mechanic friend of mine that is going to replace a couple of my glow plugs that are out.
Could the stress of constantly trying to get the truck started be causing damage to any other parts of the truck?
Could the stress of constantly trying to get the truck started be causing damage to any other parts of the truck?
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Originally Posted by legg9734
Could the stress of constantly trying to get the truck started be causing damage to any other parts of the truck?
Duncan
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Thanks. I got it started last night. The temps never went over 2, 10 degrees was shooting too high. I drove it a bit last night and it started right up this morning. I'm taking it in to get the glow plugs done next Monday, that should help. I think there was just too much moisture on the extension chord and it was causing the trouble.
Now what about my doorlocks that persist on turning on and off on their own while I'm driving or any other time the truck is on. Anybody know anything about that. Thanks again, you're helping out a rookie here, but I'll be a lifer driving these diesels!!!
Todd
Now what about my doorlocks that persist on turning on and off on their own while I'm driving or any other time the truck is on. Anybody know anything about that. Thanks again, you're helping out a rookie here, but I'll be a lifer driving these diesels!!!
Todd
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From: Dallas GA
Originally Posted by legg9734
Now what about my doorlocks that persist on turning on and off on their own while I'm driving or any other time the truck is on. Anybody know anything about that. Thanks again, you're helping out a rookie here, but I'll be a lifer driving these diesels!!!
Todd
Todd
To remove the switch panel, lift up on the end closer to the dash and it should pop up, then slide it forward for removal.
Look to see if the plugs that attach to it are loose or corroded. If this is not the case you might want to remove the door panel to check the rest of the harness in the door.
Another thing to check is if the swithces themselves are bad. Check the switches using a Multimeter set on the Ohm setting to check if there is an issue with the contacts .
I would do this for both the passenger and driver sides. Keep us posed on what you find. Hope all goes well.
DEAN
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Same Problem in Loveland, CO, Heater has never caused a problem for 5+ years and it just happened today, wierd. Fixed now, same as yours. I keep the key in the little box below the wheel at all times to start the truck, and the other key in my pocket at all times to get in. There is also a key under the truck, locked out once, never again. Stay warm.Hyside
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It did it three more times today. But I realized that water from my wife's defrosting vehicle had trickled down my driveway and alongside my extension chord. I changed the chord, dried out my engine block heater chord and all went well. I'm glad I finally got it figured. One friend of mine recommended taking out the GFCI in my outlet in the garage, replacing it with a standard plug in. I may very well do it. But with the cold and all, the problem may just be in that. Time will tell, but thanks again.
Todd
Todd
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Originally Posted by legg9734
One friend of mine recommended taking out the GFCI in my outlet in the garage, replacing it with a standard plug in.
Duncan
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