here i go again....

[zpd307]

i have thought about gp many times. but, if i had bad plugs, i dont think it would have started yesterday when it was in the teens. i just checked the heater, it has been plugged in since 5:30 this evening. i do not hear any sizzle. it is getting late enough so i didnt try to start it. it seems that when it gets around 0, is when it doesnt want to start.

 

[RedTruck]

Gary,

You really only hear the sizzle noise right after you plug it in. It'll make a periodic noise once in a while after that. you should be able to put a hand on the brass part of the heater and feel warmth if it's been plugged in since 5:30.

If it started cold in the teens you've got some heat from the gp's. You can ohm those out to check as well. There is plenty of info on what your readings should be if you search here. I think someone just posted asking about it a week or so ago.

I need to get rolling for the night, but I'll be driving for the next half hour. If you need a sounding board give me a call.

Paul

 

[Big Red]

the way i check block heaters on big rigs is to plug them into a drop light. if the bulb dims a little that is usually an indication that the heater is working.

 

[f-two-fiddy]

Start by checking the block heater at the cord. Put Your MM on 20K ohms. Contact both plug spades. You should see very little resistance. It it's open. Crawl up and pull the plug off the BH. Check the B H terminals the same way.

The cords seem to fail more than the actual heater.

 

[Dsl_Dog_Treat]

How do You go about changing the O-Ring?

Ya gotta drop the fuel filter off then the brass nipple has to come off, can't recall right off hand what size the nut is, but once ya get that off, disconnect the power feed wire( should already have) to the heater and it will allow the heater assembly to drop down and you'll be able to access the oring.

 

[nyteshades]

what amount of ohms am i looking for. and would i feel heat from around the heater. i agree that the heater will save me a lot of aggravation.

You're looking for 0, which says the element isn't broken. If you get anything else, you have a broken element. Your sending an electrical signal through one wire, and trying to catch it on the next wire (which should all be one wire). If there's a break, you won't catch the electrical signal on the other wire.

 

[zpd307]

i checked the plug this morning, after my meter warmed up. had to bring it inside over night. i get a reading of 1. the decimal just moves to different positions when i change the ohm setting. i am not familiar with ohms, so does this mean something is broken, the cord or heater. after work today, i will check the actual block heater. so 0 ohms on anything is good if it is in working order. anything other than 0 is bad?

 

[nyteshades]

For continuity purposes, that is correct. You're looking for a short.

 

[jcarr]

Gary my block heater tested good and measured 15 ohms. I found my plug was a problem on mine. The wires were broken at the back of the plug. A heater element has to have some resistance that is what creates the heat when electricity is ran through it. I also measured a couple new BH's and found they measured between 15 and 20 ohms. Alot of times when you plug in your block heater if its working it'll spark when plugged in, my does.

 

[zpd307]

hmmmm. so is my reading of 1 good or bad? i know that im not getting a spark when i plug it in. i will have to bundle up tonight and crawl under the truck and do some investigating. i hope it is just the wiring. i do not feel like replacing the heater right now. how many amps do the gp's take when heating. i should redo the gp harness wires and bypass the connector. maybe that would help also.

 

[fields_mj]

That sounds like a dead short to me. If you are really only getting 1 ohm of resistance, I'm surprised your not blowing a breaker back at the box, or burning the house down. I'm new to diesels though, so I could be wrong. Can someone else chime in?

 

[zpd307]

heres what i learned so far. with the meter on and the probes not touching, i get the reading of 1. when i touch the probes together, i get 0.00. so i pulled the cord off the heater. i put the probes one on each end of the plug, if that makes sense. one wire gave me a reading of 1 and the other gave me 0.00. i bought a new cord today and tested them. both wires gave me a reading of 0.00. i tried to test the heaater itself, but with the starter there, there is no way i can get my fingers up in there with the probes. so i put the new cord on and wala, i can now hear the sizzle. i also found corrosion on the passenger side positive battery clamp. i also put on a brand new fuel filter filled with howes diesel treatment. so now im waiting a bit for the heater to do its job. keep your fingers crossed........

 

[f-two-fiddy]

Cool, easy fix.

Another failed cord!

 

[zpd307]

i also hear the faint electrical sound when i plugged it in. i hope this works, because then i will feel comfortable not driving it for a couple of days in the cold, knowing i can plug it in and get it started.

 

[Jake S.]

Have faith, it'll work now. I have to plug mine in for a hour then it will start no prob.