im curiosu i dont have a plug on my truck i have the hoook up but i need the cord were would i get this and can i just leave it pluged in all the time when i get one or should only leave it pluigd in for like 2 hours at a time i dont know ne thing about that whole deall but im reallly thinkin about gettin one even tho my truck starts no problem in the winter until now but hopfeully the mechanics fixes that lol soo where can i get one? and can i leave it pluged in

 

You probably can get a cord from Lowe's or the hardware store. Or just cut one off the wife's iron or toaster.

Apparently mine burnt out at some time, and someone put one on my truck that fits in the lower radiator hose. I have never tried it yet.

 

Never tried to buy just a cord, but you could try NAPA.

As far as how long you can leave it plugged in.
Most block heaters come in various wattages.
I have seen them from 500 watts up to 1500 watts at most places.
750, 1000 and 1200 are very common wattages.

If you leave say a 1200 watt heater plugged in 24/7 you electric bill will most likely take a rather large jump.
The block heater will be fine though.

And as a final part of this, since you are drawing a rather large amount of current for a block heater, don't use a small AWG extension cord 100 feet long to plug it in with.

A 12 AWG cord no more than 25 feet long.

If you have to go farther get a larger AWG cord like a 10 for up to 100 feet at the most.

And lastly try to plug into a circuit that has a very small load on it in your house.
A 1500 watt heater will be drawing about 13 amps.
That is about as much as you would load a 20 amp circuit as an electrician.

 

http://www.jegs.com/webapp/wcs/store...22861_-1_11497

You would only need about 3 hours max..... at -30F if you can plug it in with a timer or a switched plugin turn it on at 4 oclock when you get up to go to the can.....

 

I used an electric water heater timer from Home Depot running off a 240 volt, 40 amp mig welder outlet in my garage with about 15 foot long piece of salvaged extension cord running out of the timer to the truck and set it for 3 hours before I had to head out to work, but if you go the same time every day you can set it and forget it.

My thermal heat gun told me the top of the intake manifold was about 78 degrees when it was in the 20's outside.

And less than a month later, my block heater quit working, and I just replaced all the hoses and thermostat!

 

thanks alot apreicate it im presuming you would save some fuel pluggin it in comparted to starting it in the 0 temps would i stil have to let it warm up for 10 min or ne thing or just a few minutets?? i let my truck usally run in the winter 10 mins usally until the cold idle kicks off only in the winter tho

 

I start mine at 7am and leave at 730. Maybe excessive, but it works for me.

 

Unless it is very cold, my defroster usually will start defrosting the windshield as soon as the engine starts.

As soon as I can see where I am going, I start driving.

 

why dont it have a shut off automatically where it hits a temp and it shuts it off well i got my truck back my mechinic says to hold my glow plug button for 15 seconds when its below 32 he said the glow plugs will be fine witch i guess is ok becuase my buddy has a 93 n/a 7.3 and his glow plug system stays on for liek 15-20 seconds b4 it goes to relay but i dont understand mine only ever stayed on for no longer then 10 seconds last year but im gonna have it pluged in for about 2 hours tomarow morning and see how it goes....

 

Was able to find a cord up here in Anchorage,AK at NAPA.
It was a universal cord that was kind of c (see) shaped with 3 pins for the cord to plug on to. They listed it as a universal freeze plug heater cord in there engine heater catlog. I was glad to see the freeze plug heater when I was replaceing the starter. May be hard to reach with the starter in. $14.00

 

hey akdieseltrap! im from anchorage too!! nice to meet you im part of the alaska regional member on this site! u should say hello if your not a member there yet

Ray

 

If the block heater is on, I just wait a few seconds for all 8 cylinders to start firing and the oil gage to show pressure as things are warmed up in there and the defroster works right away.
However, with no block heater it takes almost a full minute for all 8 to fire, then I'm off, but I take it easy until I see the temp needle start to move.

The factory book even said you did not have to wait as it will warm up much faster if you drive it as it will not warm up as fast as a gasser will just idling.

 

Hello Everybody.

I am also from Alaska- (Nome) and have a simular problem. My truck does not start with a S@#$ when it's cold, even plugged in. This fall I installed new filters and new glow plugs. I just purchased a new 1000W block heater, not installed yet, but I know the oil pan heater works- burned my wrist when installing a new starter a few weeks back.
It turns over fine and starts 'till around 25 F, then I plug it in. Does not seem to make much of a difference (thus the new block heater). Try that next.
My question after over an hour of searching these forums, are there "hotter" glow plugs I can install? And i guess there is a cold start temp sensor that might need replacing? (new to actaully owning a diesel, instead of driving them everyday from a heated garage, which I don't have.)
I know that the fuel is clean, so thats not the problem, it just does not want to fire up, turns over like an 1/2 inch impact with no load, but does not want to fire up.

 

BTW- it's an '89 F250 7.3 automatic with around 150K.

 

One of 2 things might be happening.
1: The block heater that is in there now might not be working.
2: And if it is working the book said to be sure to let it warm for 3 hours before starting it.

That's why I made the timer set up for mine so it turns itself on in the winter and all I have to do is set the start time when I park it for the next morning.