Block heater....again?

[dashbarron]

Anyone else had block heaters go out below 100k on their pickups?

Had a '17, upgraded to a '22. The block heater went out on my '17 right before I traded it, so I never ended up replacing it. Now my '22 with 40k miles block heater is out too. Needless to say with -10° air temp this week it's been a strained start in the morning.

I still have the block heater from the '17 I never put in...is this the same one, will it work with my '22?

 

[zrock]

Never had issues starting my old diesels or gas pots for that matter in -30 when i ran good quality battery's and a good synthetic oil.. If your struggling to start at that temp you have other issues. I have never run a block heater in my veh after switching them to full synthetic.

 

[06 Dodge]

The block heater in my 2006 5.9 CTD was still working great when i sold it back in 2022, it saw any a cold winter nights of -25 so for you to have 2 in a row is unlucky

 

[68PowerWagon]

Maybe something wrong with your power? I wouldn't think they would be that fussy with fluctuating voltage though.

 

[nlambert182]

They're the same... but haven't heard of many ever having an issue. It does seem strange that you've had 2 go bad on 2 different trucks though.

 

[Dean2]

mlambert is right. I use a block heater any time it gets below freezing so pretty much 6 months of the year. WAY easier on diesel or gas engines if the block heater is used and you get heat a whole bunch faster.

We mostly didn't run them on a timer, just plugged them in when we got home, and unplugged in the morning. Have owned many dozen, never had one Kack. Have had a couple of cords go south, but never the heater itself.

 

[crash68]

Maybe something wrong with your power?

^^^ this
@dashbarron there probably something wrong with where and/or how your plugging the block heater in or you have some bad luck when it comes to block heaters

 

[nlambert182]

Lemme ask... are both being plugged into the same extension cord on the same circuit in the house?

Maybe try moving it to a different one. Could be an issue with the circuit. I literally fixed one in my house last night after it killed my garage door opener.

 

[06 Dodge]

One thought is if you use a timer is it a cheap $5. Walmart one or a quality one rated at least 10 Amps? Also are you uses a drop cord of 25 feet with minimum of 14 gauge wire?

 

[zrock]

Just my opinion leaving block heaters plugged in all night is just a waste, put on a good timmer and set it for a hour or 2 before you leave and that is lots of time. Also when i was young and running block heaters i always found the best were the aftermarket circulating heaters that went inline on a heater hose. Jump in your veh and usually their was no frost or ice build up on the windshield, cab was slightly warm and had instant heat. If i were to ever run one again that would be the route i would go again.

 

[RamDiver]

Three things to consider.

Rural power sometimes experiences high or low voltage and/or spikes.
Are you also changing lots of light bulbs too?

Too long of a small gauge extension cord can be problematic.
A shorter and larger gauge is best.

A cheap a$$ed AC timer is just a bad idea, especially when connected to your not-so-inexpensive truck.

.

 

[Dean2]

Just my opinion leaving block heaters plugged in all night is just a waste, put on a good timmer and set it for a hour or 2 before you leave and that is lots of time.

You are entitled to your opinion but my experience tells me that at -40 or 50, it isn't a waste to leave it plugged in all night. Hell, even -20 is cold enough to warrant all night heat.

 

[RamDiver]

That reminds me, time to go plug in my truck's block heater, to ease the start coming soon'ish.

.

 

[crash68]

A cheap a$$ed AC timer is just a bad idea, especially when connected to your not-so-inexpensive truck.

What about a home automation switch that turns the block heater about 2-3 hours before I have to leave if the outdoor temperature is below 40F. Being in Michigan the temperature can go from freezing at night to waking up to 60°F and then dump a foot of snow later that day... LOL

 

[06 Dodge]

What about a home automation switch that turns the block heater about 2-3 hours before I have to leave if the outdoor temperature is below 40F. Being in Michigan the temperature can go from freezing at night to waking up to 60°F and then dump a foot of snow later that day... LOL

When i lived in north IA I put my block heater on a 15 amp timer to come on 2.5 hours before using it, 4 hours if it was to be at or below -5

 

[RamDiver]

That 2 hours of block heater earlier this afternoon meant my truck was toasty warm in a few minutes, can't imagine why anyone wouldn't see the value in that.
Plus, less stress on my truck is less stress on me and it will likely last longer.

Whatever floats your boat.

The temperature on my return trip this evening at about 23:00 was -13°F.
Tomorrow morning it will likely be colder.
I will be plugging in the block heater again for a couple of hours before I head out tomorrow afternoon.

.

 

[RamDiver]

What about a home automation switch that turns the block heater about 2-3 hours before I have to leave if the outdoor temperature is below 40F. Being in Michigan the temperature can go from freezing at night to waking up to 60°F and then dump a foot of snow later that day... LOL

I picked a bargain on a 3-pack of AC outlet switches with wireless remote control.
I've been meaning to see if they will connect from my house to the barn in my avatar and use one for the block heater.




Then once I decide on a departure time, just use the remote a couple of hours before departure. A warm truck is a great feeling in the cold winters of Canadastan.

.

 

[dashbarron]

^^^ this
@dashbarron there probably something wrong with where and/or how your plugging the block heater in or you have some bad luck when it comes to block heaters

Starting to wonder this. Stopped working, tried mix of Cable and timer, even changed the plug on the end of a cable because thought it wast hat. Someone had to borrow it for a day and had no issue. Now it's completely not working. I'm wondering if I'm browning it out or something.

 

[dashbarron]

These are the ones I've used for years for trucks and pickups: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YQLRX7T?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_2&th=1

 

[nlambert182]

Starting to wonder this. Stopped working, tried mix of Cable and timer, even changed the plug on the end of a cable because thought it wast hat. Someone had to borrow it for a day and had no issue. Now it's completely not working. I'm wondering if I'm browning it out or something.

Try moving it onto a completely different circuit where you plug it in. I'd also test the voltage from the outlet you're using as well as test the voltage at the end of the extension cord and look for loss.