engine block heater

[panda24619]

dose any one have an engine block heater for their truck? i have one. just incase it snows in SD. HA! idk what a random plug was doing in my bumper till i was like O YEAH! if you have one have you ever used it. i might be staying in the snow next month for a weekend and dont want to be screwed. so should i use it? its never been used before.

 

[ecqm8000]

While I grew up in SD county, I now am in a slightly cooler area. In normal cold spells there is minimal need to plug in something gasoline powered. I will plug my Diesel in if the temp is going to be around zero (and that's only for an overnight park). Batteries and oil are usually what keeps a gas powered rig from starting. In extreme cold (way up North) it would help, and it makes for a quicker warm up. My diesel is putting out good heat within a couple blocks of the house.
One cold spell, I couldn't get a gas powered 79 Bronco to start, I lit a can of Sterno and placed it on the ground below the engine bay. This was a lifted truck and I didn't expect much. About an hour later the truck spun over and started like it was summer time. The simple heat was enough to "thin" the oil and warm the battery.
In-door parking (out of the wind) has a big influence on morning starts as well.

 

[carrot]

I don't think you'll ever need a engine block heater in SD! I usually pass a month in Canada and never had any issues with -25C weather. I would start to worry below that.

Just let it run in the morning for 5 minutes and wear some gloves. You'll be good to go. Don't waste any money on that. Just change your battery if its getting old.

 

[tonydiv]

Somewhere around here I have a block heater from a semi truck. It is actually a pump and heater that runs heated coolant through the motor. It was supposed to go in my Scout to keep the 440 big block warm, but I never installed it because I lost my diagram of how it was originally plumbed.

The nice thing about it, at least when it was in the semi, is that you instantly have warm air coming out of the vents when you start the truck.

Guess I don't really need it now since the Expy has a remote starter.

 

[panda24619]

so i wouldnt have to worry about it if it snows when i stay in the mountains here. it can go to about the 10s. its not THAT cold compared to some parts of the country but i know ill be a girl for that weekend. haha i mean my expedition already came from the factory with the engine block heater so no wiring is needed. theres a plug in my bumper. ill take a pic later today to post. thats the only thing i can thing its used for. maybe a battery jumper? idk.

 

[ecqm8000]

I'm sure it's a block heater. Follow the cord and it should lead to the block and dead end into a core plug. That is the most common style. Magnetic mats (on the oil pan), immersed oil and some that are plumbed into coolant hoses that "pump" (convection) heat are some other styles. I have seen and installed some that are spliced to power an onboard battery tender as well as a block heater. It was a bosses snow plow truck that he wanted to make sure would start when he arrived up at his cabin. The truck would go unused for months......

 

[nvycrmn]

i cant imagine it came from the factory that way. it is VERY uncommon for a gasoline truck to come with a block heater. hell, lots of diesel's dont come with them stock. i grew up in michigan where we get a lot of the lake effect weather and i have never had a problem with my trucks and they ALL sat outside. when in cold weather, biggest thing is the battery. you should be fine when you go to the mountains. but not gonna lie, sure would like these beasts to warm up a little quicker! hahah

 

[panda24619]

yeah it is uncommon. but i never put this in. and i dought the original owners would too. especially if it was a drug runner. i have done the built your car on ford.com and toyota.com and what not. and engine block heater is an option. but who knows. and i bet once i get my efans installed it will heat up quicker cause of the lack of a fan spinning when its cold. i need to follow the cable. idk what its for. theres also a cover for the plug. my hand was covering it.

sorry about the bad pic. it was night and it just sprinkled a little bit. and its in my bumper opening.

 

[BigDaddy]

... not gonna lie, sure would like these beasts to warm up a little quicker! hahah

We've had some fairly cold weather here in PA so far this winter and that is my biggest complaint! I solved it, though. Since I leave for work at about the same time the older kids get on the bus, I have been driving them down the lane and waiting for the bus with them. Idling there for 5 minutes or so helps the engine, but not those of us inside the truck, so I picked up 2 $15 electric heaters from Walmart (the kind with a heating element and a fan that circulates the heat. I use one for the Expy and one for the wife's Montana. I use very heavy duty extension cords and run them off an outside outlet at my workshop. At night, I plug them in and sit them on the consoles and in the morning, the vehicles are nicely warm inside. It makes for a much more comfortable beginning to the day.

 

[nvycrmn]

you put the heaters INSIDE the vehicle? i see a car fire in your future! hahah. i may do an engine block heater when i move back to iowa. it has been shown that letting your vehicle idle in the morning really doesnt do much except waste gas. at least with a block heater, you just jump in and go.

 

[panda24619]

did you read that on yahoo? haha that was on there today.

 

[BigDaddy]

you put the heaters INSIDE the vehicle? i see a car fire in your future! hahah. i may do an engine block heater when i move back to iowa. it has been shown that letting your vehicle idle in the morning really doesnt do much except waste gas. at least with a block heater, you just jump in and go.

Trust me...20 year veteran of the fire service here and I am super paranoid about electrical fires, etc, especially when it comes to my vehicles. The heaters are inside the vehicle, but I took the following precautions:

1. Heaters have a tipover shutoff
2. Heaters have an overheat shutoff
3. Contractor grade heavyduty extension cords
4. Cords are run to GFI outlet
5. Heaters are run on the lowest fan setting, with the heat set mid-level
6. Heaters are sitting on the center console, aimed toward the rear of the vehicle, with nothing combustible anywhere near them (nearest thing in the path of the heat is the rear seat).

We don't use them every night, but I've used them over a dozen times so far with no issues at all. The first few times, I actually did get up several times during the night to check on them. Even now, if it is windy, I check as well.

 

[Chrismdean09]

I would plug it in what can it hurt plus overall the hardest part on an engine is starting when the oil has dripped down into the pan so i always try to keep it plugged in when possible just because overall its better. However you dont have to its just a good thing to do though

 

[Chibrew]

I have a 05 EB that I bought used and it came with a block heater. The cord was in with the spare tire. I found it when I was looking for the relay and fuse for the HD trailer package. Anyway living in Chicago, I don't need it, but I use it since it is there. The truck warms up real quick in the morning. It's something I'd never install or go out of my way for, but since it's there, why not use it.

 

[panda24619]

i met up with navy and looked at it and the cord goes right into the block. so the only thing it can be is a heater. i want to test it out one day. just to see if it works. haha

 

[ZentineZ]

plug in

I have a 98 EB and have a factory one also I plug it in all the time and I live in AZ,,,,,,,,, yes AZ but I live up north its been geting in the teens and below zero so,,,, to your question, yes I would plug it in if it works?

 

[panda24619]

i just want to see if it works. even if i go to the snow i dought ill need it but i just want to see. haha

 

[99 Expy]

My 92 F150 straight six came with a block heater, but hell, I started that once when it was -35 and it started right up without the heater. Not much for power, but had 250 k and didn't even burn or leak oil and never gave me a problem. Anyway, you should be good without the block heater plugged in. My 4.6 starts up fine here in Laramie, and we have had -10 with -35 windchill the last week. I will have to check if mine has a block heater.

 

[ecqm8000]

You can do a contunuity test. Some of these heaters are thermostat controlled. That is if you plug it in when the engine is warm and the weather is also, you might think it does not work. The core/freeze plug styles are on/hot when plugged in. When I plug my F350 in to a "hot" extension cord, I can usually hear an "arc" (buzz) sound. I have wired a switch to my power source to avoid shocking myself when the plug is covered with moisture. The next morning, the block around that core plug will be warm to the touch (compare to the oil pan) and your temp gauge will show heat when the truck is started. If your heater has gone unused, there is no reason in my mind to think it is bad. A well used heater is the one I would suspect. Just like any electric heating element, they will go bad eventually. The aftermarket Zerostart (3100040) kit list for for less than $37. So it is not a big deal to install or replace one (if you've drained the coolant first).