Jump to content

Block Heater

railguy777

By railguy777
in Topics

 Share

Recommended Posts

railguy777 Enthusiast

railguy777

Posted
Posted

My truck came with a block heater. It was -20 last night here in Ottawa and no more than -15 today so I thought I would plug in the block heater and see how it worked.

I plugged in the heater cord that came with the truck and checked the voltage =120 v. Was curious about how much draw there is but my amp probe  showed zero amps

when plugged in.  It appears there is no load  Just wondering if anyone else experienced this and if there is something I need to do under the hood to connect the heater .

  • 3 weeks later...
SRNicholson Enthusiast

SRNicholson

Posted
Posted

If what I've read is correct the block heater cord has a thermostat built into it and it won't even allow the heat to kick in until -18C or lower. My reading included only the diesel engine,   If you find out different let me know!

 

I can't tell what you drive, might be good to add that info to your profile.

Darry Pastula New Member

Darry Pastula

Posted
Posted

If your amp probe said 0 amps the block heater was not drawing power. Your input voltage will always read 120 volts but that does not mean that the block heater was on. And Yes it has to be at least -18 for that heater to turn on. I don't like that either but if GM says it's ok to start a -18 engine then. it's ok with me...I've started mine with -30  (no block heater) and it started OK, and always has. By the way diesel means nothing, they only make one block heater and one block heater cord, so it doesn't matter.

 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Latest Articles

  • Posts

    • Grumpy Bear
      OCI, not when but why?

      By Grumpy Bear · Posted

      Here's a starter kit:    CC Jensen, a Danish oil testing Concern gives us the following guidelines:   ISO 14/12/10 Very Clean Oil ISO 16/14/11 Clean Oil ISO 17/15/12 Lightly Contaminated ISO 19/17/14 New Oil ISO 22/20/17 Very Contaminated and not suitable for any service.   In addition CC Jensen gives a table showing how engine life is increased by cleaning up the oil. For example cleaning the oil from 19/17/14 to 13/11/8 will extend motor life by a factor of 6X.   But even cleaning it two “Life Extension Classes” will double motor life. So perhaps giving those classes would be useful:   21/19/16 20/18/15 19/17/14 18/16/13 17/15/12 16/14/11 15/13/10 14/12/9 13/11/8   *************************************   https://testoil.com/program-management/setting-iso-cleanliness-targets/   Third paragraph from the bottom will give a starting point.    Your next question should be, okay 10um at what Beta ratio and the answer is in the graph Beta 75.   Then the next question is what is your chosen filters profile? (Purolator PL series below) The red dot is Beta 75. This was the information I obtained from MANN a few years ago. So the best filters, Purolator One, AMSOIL EA, FRAM Ultra, Royal Purple, Bosch Premium should get a doubling engine life over filters like Purolator L, any service filter from any quick lube, WIX, NAPA, STP, Mobil 1, Purolator BOSS.    And as noted by CC Jensen a 2-5 micron @ Beta 200 bypass system has the capability of a six fold improvement. AMSOIL has such a system as does Donaldson.       Now having said all that testing is the touchstone. Test the oil NEW and test it with your chosen filter. Then test over milage. Do the work, get the result. But understand this in NOT absolute BECAUSE this is one factor in isolation.   Example:    A valve spring supplier can state that with cam X and a valve train of Y grams the valves will not float to 7K rpm. is that true if the builder choose a system 20 grams over limit? Common sense must be used and limits understood. 
    • bruceb58
      Road Master Active Suspension

      By bruceb58 · Posted

      This doesn't look like a GM truck. Not needed on a HD truck
    • CamGTP
      Gas Prices

      By CamGTP · Posted

      It varies a ton around me. Some places are still at $5.00 or higher and others are way down into the $4's.   Offroad diesel was $4.02 at the one station I passed today.
    • Hdwrguy
      2027 Chevrolet Silverado: Official Discussion

      By Hdwrguy · Posted

      So after reading the reveal from Chevrolet, I kept asking myself...why did the trim levels change?   Here are the official ones:   Work Truck (WT): The quintessential fleet truck, built with durable, easy-to-clean interiors for commercial or utilitarian use. Custom: A stylish, road-oriented trim that adds a more refined appearance, standard dual exhaust, and modern exterior styling. Custom Trail Boss: An entry-level off-roader featuring a 2-inch factory suspension lift and 34-inch mud-terrain tires on a budget. Silverado: Serving as the new base consumer truck (replacing the previous LT trim), it comes standard with the Z71 off-road package when equipped with 4WD. Trail Boss: Steps up the off-road hardware with the 2-inch lift, 34-inch tires, monotube shocks, an exclusive off-road hood, and more premium interior options. ZR2: The flagship off-roader. It boasts 35-inch mud-terrain tires, Multimatic DSSV dampers, front and rear electronic lockers, forged carbon-fiber interior accents, and an available hardcore Bison Edition (co-developed with AEV). High Country: The pinnacle of luxury. It replaces bright chrome with modern satin chrome, 22-inch wheels, premium leather, real wood interior trim, a panoramic sunroof, and an exclusive front-passenger touchscreen. As others have stated, why would you want a Silverado - 'Silverado' - wth?? LT needs to remain!!!   Also, there will no longer be a dedicated Z71 model.  All 4x4 trucks will have the Z71 package. Carplay is also something that cannot be removed.  Hopefully it will remain.     I am excited about the 5.7L V8 (350 C.I.D.)  Old school Chevy power.  My only concern is whatever version of AFM/DFM cylinder deactivation.  Too bad that isn't an option a buyer can choose to have or not.   I will definitely be stopping by my local dealership when these trucks start showing up.
    • richard wysong
      Gas Prices

      By richard wysong · Posted

      I haven't seen diesel for less than $5.30 anywhere in my area

  • GM-Trucks.com Clubs

  • Popular Contributors

×
×
  • Create New...