# Block Heater Cord



## Sluggo54 (Jun 15, 2005)

Why, oh why, did GM make the block heater cord 4" too short to extend through the grill? With a couple inches of ice or wet snow on the hood, I am not interested in opening it just to plug in or unplug the heater. 







Will now consider constructing a half foot, three conductor/grounded, 15 amp, 14 ga "extension" cord.

Upon reflection, it was probably the same impulse that led them to extend the skid plate to where the draining oil just hits it squarely.

Slug


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## PDX_Doug (Nov 16, 2004)

Slug,

No offense, but this is GM we are talking about here!









Happy Trails,
Doug


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## Ghosty (Jan 17, 2005)

what the heck is a block heater ??? -- just kidding -- just been a few decades since i have actually seen one...


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## Colorado Outbacker (Jun 6, 2005)

If it makes you feel any better at all my Ford F350 has the same issue. In fact my wife got a little zap last night trying to reach in and plug it in. Oh yea did I hear about it.

Have a good one! sunny


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## Crawfish (Sep 14, 2005)

I'm with Doug, I think all the auto manufactures are out to please the bottom line.









"*Let's Go Camping*"

Crawfish


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## 7heaven (Jun 4, 2005)

I've thought about adding a block heater, but I can just see the DW (or me) backing out of the driveway without unplugging...


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## Mtn.Mike (May 3, 2005)

I have heard from others on different forums that if you "slice" the covering that the heater cord is wrapped with it will give you more cord. As you can see I have the same vehicle and on other forums they say that unless it gets to zero degrees they don't even bother plugging in. I will wait and see if that's true.

Mike


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## RCColby (Oct 12, 2004)

Slug,
I agree!! I had to extend mine also. For an extra ten cents GM could have made it a foot longer.
Bob


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## Sluggo54 (Jun 15, 2005)

Mtn.Mike said:


> I have heard from others on different forums that if you "slice" the covering that the heater cord is wrapped with it will give you more cord. As you can see I have the same vehicle and on other forums they say that unless it gets to zero degrees they don't even bother plugging in. I will wait and see if that's true.
> 
> Mike
> 
> ...


I'd just as soon spend the money on the electricity and have a bit warmer start, maybe a faster warmup, too.

"I've thought about adding a block heater, but I can just see the DW (or me) backing out of the driveway without unplugging... " (7heaven)

That part isn't too tough to deal with. Fire trucks are routinely left plugged in - the cord to the truck is restrained so it won't pull out of its moorings, as is the receptacle on the truck. Of course, it all has to be arranged so we are dealing with a straight pull, and you have to have enough cord! but it works well if no-one remembers to unplug the truck.

RC, you're right - another lousy dime. Doug - I hear ya...

Slug


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## tdvffjohn (Mar 10, 2005)

All of our Fire Trucks are plugged in inside the drivers door. You cannot climb in without unplugging.

I would suggest to do what my son now does. Plug it in and the lay the extension cord over the drivers mirror so you see it first thing.

John


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## NDJollyMon (Aug 22, 2003)

I've seen plenty of people draggin' extension cords down the road! That's funny!

Most of our fire trucks have air hoses plugged into them, not electric.
They have AUTO-EJECTORS on them. It's really funny to see them fail, and the driver dragging the piping off the ceiling of the station down the road!

Ahhhhh...rookies keep my sense of humor going. (of course, they are ALL rookies to me!)

PS...everything comes with BLOCK HEATERS up here.


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## dougdogs (Jul 31, 2004)

I was able to cut two ty-wraps under the hood and my plug now extends about 4 inches out from the grill


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## tdvffjohn (Mar 10, 2005)

Rookies? LMAO Actually our Fire Trucks have both air and electric plugs on them. The electric is not for a block heater but for everything on a charger, hand lights, thermal imaging camera, portable radios.

We had a town nearby pulled out of the firehouse without the rear driver on a Tiller. Dragging a hose.....nah, two parked cars and a tree totaled the ladder. Ouch

John


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## hatcityhosehauler (Feb 13, 2004)

> That part isn't too tough to deal with. Fire trucks are routinely left plugged in - the cord to the truck is restrained so it won't pull out of its moorings, as is the receptacle on the truck.


I've seen more then a few pumps heading down the street with a cord being pulled along behind it. Our apparatus division has issued a memo stating that the auto-ejects are not to be relied on, and that the MPO/Chauffer's pull the shore line power before starting the engine. Ours are there for the MDT setups, to keep the batteries on the engine charged. The only apparatus that we have air plugged into are the machines that leak it so much you can't release the spring brake without waiting a minute or two.

Tim


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## 2500Ram (Oct 30, 2005)

Colorado Outbacker said:


> If it makes you feel any better at all my Ford F350 has the same issue. In fact my wife got a little zap last night trying to reach in and plug it in. Oh yea did I hear about it.
> 
> Have a good one! sunny
> 
> ...


Your plugging in the wrong end first


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## dougdogs (Jul 31, 2004)

Maybe this deserves a new thread, but am I the only one who went to Home Depot to purchase a 24hour, one event timer for their truck?? I have it programmed to turn on around 4:00am, instead of drawing current all night long.

At 6:30 am the truck always starts right up, no glow plug light, and I have heat in less than a minute.

and I was able to see a difference in my electric bill!!


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## tdvffjohn (Mar 10, 2005)

Doug, my son does the same.Works well


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## hatcityhosehauler (Feb 13, 2004)

Hmmm, going to have to make some notes, just incase I get an oil burning truck in the next few months......where is that tylenol? The NTF seems to be coming back









Tim


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## Sluggo54 (Jun 15, 2005)

Colorado Outbacker said:


> If it makes you feel any better at all my Ford F350 has the same issue. In fact my wife got a little zap last night trying to reach in and plug it in. Oh yea did I hear about it.
> 
> Have a good one! sunny
> 
> ...


I kinda sat up in the middle of the night with this on my mind. It's bothering me that she got zapped. Basic questions, but.... Are you using a grounded extension? Is the socket wired correctly, and grounded? Wouldn't want momma to get a real bad zap. That really messes up their attitude.

Bud's wife, years ago, reached in to dry the spark plug wells on her flathead Plymouth, while it was sorta running. She was short, and well endowed, and zapped the heck out of her - her obvious assets. He said it was real funny for about fifteen seconds.

Slug

As for the block heater - my truck came from Lawson Chev in Hector, MN - so it not only has the heater, but the winter front.


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## Sluggo54 (Jun 15, 2005)

Mtn.Mike said:


> I have heard from others on different forums that if you "slice" the covering that the heater cord is wrapped with it will give you more cord. As you can see I have the same vehicle and on other forums they say that unless it gets to zero degrees they don't even bother plugging in. I will wait and see if that's true.
> 
> Mike
> 
> ...


Mike, on mine there's nothing left to cut. It's still about four inches too short.









I wish I hadn't said that, now.

Slug


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## tdvffjohn (Mar 10, 2005)

She "was" short and well endowed. What happened


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## cookie9933 (Feb 26, 2005)

Tim,

Tylenol won't help New Truck Fever. There's only one cure for that.

Bill


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## NDJollyMon (Aug 22, 2003)

dougdogs said:


> At 6:30 am the truck always starts right up, no glow plug light, and I have heat in less than a minute.
> [snapback]62098[/snapback]​


It's obvious your weather is not as cold there!









Up here, your engine would be like a melting ice cube...with a little moisture on the outside.


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## dougdogs (Jul 31, 2004)

NDJollyMon said:


> dougdogs said:
> 
> 
> > At 6:30 am the truck always starts right up, no glow plug light, and I have heat in less than a minute.
> ...


yeah, it rarely gets below zero on my mountain


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