Well it's about 15 degrees (f) right now and going to get sonw to 0 tonight, so time for me to plug the beast in to help her start nbetter in the morning. This got me thinking I know very little about using the block heeater so wanted to ask a few questions:

#1) How can I tell it's working? No idiot light does not make it ewasy to see if the thing actually works.

#2) Is it ok to keep plugged in all night? I have to use a 50' outdoor extension chord (14 gauge).

3) Any particualr testing methods to use to check operation?

Thanks in advance!

Andy

 

good question. I have a 2005 and have never used mine. I took a trip to MN last year and it was 0 for 24 hours and truck started just fine. It was -5 here last night in Missouri and truck started just fine this morning. It was a little rough idling but then was ok.

 

Answer to questions 1 and 3: after 30 seconds or so of being plugged in, you will hear a very faint hissing noise from the passenger side wheel well. As for question 2, yeah, but its a waste of electricity. It's as hot as its gonna get after about 2 hours-I run mine on a timer.

 

Hey guys here is one for you! 06 F-350 6.0 PSD 15k on the clock. I went to plug in block heater and sparks flew, a blue flame shot out and a puff smoke came from the block heater plug. I quickly unplugged (probably not the best decision, I could have been electricuted). After checking my shorts, I called the stealership and took it in for diagnosis. They told me that they are not sure what caused the incident but the wire to the block heater is toast and so is the element. Two weeks later still no parts. I called the stealership today and they told me that the unit is on "nationwide backorder". Since I've never heard of such of a thing I asked for definition of "nationwide backorder". The no-service writer explained that he believes that FoMoCo is probably seeking a new manufacturer / distributor for the block heaters. So in the mean time my truck is without a block heater. It's currently -11 below and she is still starting w/o block heater. Anyone ever experience this probablem and is still alive? Please share. Anyone ever hear of this "nationwide backorder" on 6.0 block heaters?

 

Um, i don't believe it. Try your local international dealer I bet they will have one for you. The heater is installed by International when the engine is built, ford has nothing to do with it (i would assume nationwide backorder means they don't want to be bothered to order it for you). With that said i would bet the cord shorted and the heater is fine. The cords are a known problem. Road salts have a history of corroding the plug end and then wicking up the wire. In fact, I personally know of at least three garage fires started by shorted block heater cords... I would get another cord and change it out, if the heater is bad it will trip the breaker or will likely do nothing. If you are really concerned then just change the whole thing. The block heater will screw in and out but be aware you will need to drain the cooling system first.

 

First off sorry to hijack the thread, but does all 7.3's have the block heater installed? Or was this an option in our trucks? I have an 03 F350 with issues to start on relative cold days. All fluids, batteries, connections are checked and I'm still having a tough time to start the truck. How do I check to see if there's a block heater cord installed on my truck, where would it be located? Again sorry for hijacking the tread, but any info would be great. Thanks!

 

All 7.3s have a block heater and cord. I can't remember where it is, i tend to remember it is on the drivers side tow hook area but it may also be on the passenger side. Either way it is there. Remember all you need is about 3 hrs of running time so get yourself an appliance timer (from walmart or what ever) and set it to turn on the heater 3 hrs before you need to leave.

 

i can tell that mine is working by when i plug it is it sounds like a low level hissing noise it may be me but that is what is sounds like, also pop the hood and feel the radiator hoses to see if they are hot or warm this is a nother tell tale sign that it is working properly.

 

I don't know how you can figure its as hot as its gonna get after 2 hours. There are some variables. 1. how cold is it outside. 2. Was the engine warm when you plugged in?

 

It was -8F this morning and mine started fine without plugging in. By block heater began tripping the GFI 2 days ago so it was not plugged in. I pulled it into the shop this morning and plugged it in on a non-GFI circuit and it pulled 8 amps.

I checked the plug with an ohm meter; neutral to hot was 15 ohm, hot to ground was 165K ohms - the fault... I sprayed/ flushed the plug with cleaner and wd40 and it cleared. I put a little grease around the terminals and on the wire side to keep the salt out, that obviously caused the problem. Plug from Navistar did say "Made in China"... Time to find another cord I suppose.

 

Thanks for the info. I called International / Navistar and surprisingly enough thay have eight heater elements but no cords. I also asked if they could handle warranty issues on the engine such as the block heater(it was a long shot I know). And of course they said I would have to stick with Ford. That I do understand. They did tell me that both the cords and the elements do go bad. I had a '87 6.9 that ran like a champ and the block heater worked like a charm. I would kept that truck had the body not rusted off the frame. Had her for 13 years. So does anyone know the Ford part #'s for the block heater element and the cord? I would like to find them and **** off the stealership no-service writer by catching him in a lie. Or better yet, anyone know of a stealership in my area that has an actual diesel technician. This is why I go to this particular stealership because they actually claim to have one. The stealership that I currently go to is Beau Townsend Ford located in Vandalia, Ohio just north of Dayton. It is where I bought the truck. Sales is fine, service not so much!

 

In response to Fuzzy687-you should always plug your truck into the extension cord before connecting the cord to the outlet. My dad and I have a paving company- I know that our dump trucks will arch pretty bad if you plug the truck in last. I also unplug the truck last or you can have the same thing happen.

 

Go on E-bay you can get the Cord for $20.00. Very easy to install.

 

Speaking of stealership, don't go to Hidy Ford. I'm in Bellbrook, OH (near Dayton, OH) ... does anyone know a good 6.0L mechanic in the area?

 

The for the 7.3 the cord was on the drivers side. Not sure for the 6.0, but the 6.4 is on the Passenger Side.

My grandfather used to plug his up at night and then it would be hot when he got up at 4 am. I would strongly reccommend against this. He learned the hard way. Two tranny's later. Appearently if you plug it in for too long the oil heats up and therefore heats the engine block, well if its sitting there not getting proper air flow, the heat has to go somewhere, and the tranny is mounted to the engine and will warm as well. The extended us of the block heater broke the tranny fluid down and destroyed the tranny. The Dealership we use is Doug Stanley Ford in Desoto/Dallas Texas. Great Dealer ship. We have purchased about 9 trucks from them total.

After the second tranny failed while still under warranty, they had some tests run and determined that the block heater was the cause. I don't know if anyone else has exerienced this or not. They were good about not making us pay for the 3rd tranny. But advised us to plug the truck into a timer controlled cord and set it for 45 min before crank time. Obviously, we don't get -11 degree weather regularly, so the time was sufficient for our weather.

The 6.4 manual recommends the heater only be used below -10 degrees, so hopefully, I will never need mine.......Not a fan of weather that cold.

Just my experience talkin here.....Let me know what works for you