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Long time watcher, first time poster. Imagine my surprise yesterday morning when I went to unplug the block heater on my 2000 F-250 PSD, and the receptical and power cord all the way back about 2 feet into the engine compartment was completly melted! Has anyone heard of this, or experienced this happening in the past? Any recomendations would be very helpful...before I contact the dealer about almost catching the truck in fire. Thanks!!!!!! 
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I have heard of one other truck having the block heater short out and the truck burn up. wells |
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Yes it happens. If you are using a long or small gauge extention cord, or a combination of both, there is a voltage drop at the heater, causing it to draw more current. Add to that, corroded plug blades, or corroded receptical contacts, it causes the plug and wire to heat up. Cut off the old plug back beyond the melted wire and get yourself a MARINCO power inlet. Click HERE for a picture of mine. |
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When I replaced mine because the wire failed near the plug, it was obvious that the crack in the insulation had been there for some time, as the wire was corroded way back up into the cord. So a wire with a few strands broken, and corroded up in the cord for a foot or two, is definitely going to heat up. On the bright side, it's mostly a self-limiting problem. Once the wire gets hot enough it will melt through at the break and then the heat stops. I don't really think you were ever in any danger of your truck burning down. (I'm assuming a properly-breakered GFCI circuit leading out to the truck of course!) If it melted because of a problem with the block heater itself, then you have some other issue too because a good unbroken cord should be able to take the current up until the point your breaker trips. Duncan |
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I found mine getting very warm and got it replaced under warranty, my feeling is that the magnesium chloride used on our roads is the culprit. I have seen this stuff corrode and eat up all sorts of stuff from aluminum wheels to wiring. Best thing is replace it and keep an eye on it, usually if corrosion is the cause you will begin to feel the plug getting warmer prior to an all out meltdown. Thank goodness you didn't have a fire. Hope this helps Dave |
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My gosh, several responses and no WELCOME to THEDIESELSTOP!!! Hope you enjoy, lots of good folks and information. Oh I guess I should also tell you that along with the site comes plenty of opportunities to spend your $$$$ and believe me you can spend lots  ENJOY!!!Dave |
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Thanks so much for the Welcome! You guys are awsome. I think you might be right about the mag chloride in Colorado. When I first looked at it, it appeared to have some caked up residue on it. There is a plastic sheath over most of the wire, but it stops about 6 inches from the plug. I'll bet that stuff got in there and started working its way up the wire. Thanks again! |
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This looks like a great solution! I will check into it. Did you install it yourself? What about cutting through the bumper? Looks tricky? Thanks again! |
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Yeah, this whole Magnesium Chloride thing has me a bit concerned. I've talked to a lot of guys in the automotive industry who say that stuff will eat through most anything on our vehicles.  Fast forward 10 years: 'Years back, municipalities started spraying ga-zillions of gallons of this stuff on the roads to keep the brown dust cloud down, and ended up sending vehicles to the junkyard sooner, tainting water supplies, killing off all vegetation within 100' of any road (already, they're finding dead trees within 10' of roads that regularly use this stuff) the stuff got on people's shoes and they tracked it into their homes, and now they realize there's some sort of health epidemic relating to the use of this 'pink-sticky-winter-road-wonder-drug' that was supposedly non-toxic (except to metal, plastic, rubber & paint - oh, and apparently, all living things).'  |
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Excurstroked & Coloradodiesel, The Colorado Powerstroke Club has a dyno day this Saturday in Denver. Even if you don't plan on running on the dyno, it's a good chance to meet some fellow TDS and CPC members. See here for info: http://www.coloradopowerstrokeclub.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=353 |
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Hey Bandit - Thanks for the invitation. It's funny, I actually found about this today. It sounds like fun and I would like to go, but unfortunatly I'm am already commited to Duck Hunting this weekend. I will try to keep up with your activities, and see if I can make it to a meeting sometime soon. |
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Regarding the install on the Marinco plug,which can be purchased from BASS PRO SHOPS,get a metal cutting hole saw and just drill a hole.A very easy install.The cable doesn't flop around anymore and you have a solid connection,cost you about 20 bucks. |
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Colorado, If your not up to cutting a hole in the bumper, you can just do what I did with my marinco plug. See here And here And finally here. Dave |
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After I cut the hole with a hole saw, I applied a high zinc primer,(cold galvinizing compound) to the cut edges, let it dry, then applied silicone sealer to the area before installing the MARINCO power inlet. BTW its also available at West Marine, although a little bit more money. |
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We've gotta couple Marinco dealers within a a few minutes of us I'll hafta go if they got em in. The Marinco will go perfectly on the new Black Diamond plated bumper too,I'll need two,one for the block and oil heaters  4cstr,I like the one shot of the hidden plug behind the front plate using an old spring loaded flip down license plate assembly from a Caddy I'm assuming,I used to have the battery jumper box outlet installed behind the license plate on the International 4700's with the same flip down assembly  BILL |
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CHP, Actually its from a Pontiac...but its still GM.   As for needing two...just do what I did. I went to Menards and got a contractor grade 3 plug outlet cord. I wired this cord into the outlet, and have that up behind the grill. I now have 3 plugs in which to use, one for the block heater, one for the oil pan heater(someday) and one for the in-cab heater(again someday). Dave |
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This is what my block heater did to my truck Click here: Fire damage This just happened Tuesday 11/4. 
Edited by minskerm (11/06/03 11:54 AM) |
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I'm probably going to mount the outlets side by side on the passengers side of the bumper diamond plate face and move the license plate to the drivers side pending the states requirements,thought it might help to get more air into the area where the Power steering cooler is. I thought Menards had an IRL racing team 
I gotta say you have a very nice rig to boot Thanks for taking the time to shoot the photos
BILL |
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Quote: Holy Engine fire Batman!  Talk about results from a short out.
Sorry to see that happened
Any possibilities at pointing the finger at Ford's part under warranty if it is still covered that caused the damage? Just a thought. |
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Quote: Damn!!! I hope that everything is ok, and the only thing burnt is the truck (Meaning that if you had it in a garage the garage didn't burn down also) Sorry to hear/see about that. Hope that everything turns out ok. Any idea what insurance is gonna do?Dave |
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Quote: Holy $hit! Details please. How long had it been plugged in and burning before you saw it? |
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This happened at around 7am Tuesday according to the neighbor. I was at work at the time. I leave for work around 5:30. Someone in the neighborhood called 911 and the fire dept put out the fire. We're lucky the house didn't burn down, it parked right in front of the garage. It had been plugged in for several days since it got cold here in Utah. The extention cord is about 50', but is a thick one. It did trip the GFI it was plugged into. We came home at 4:30pm to this unpleasant surprise. The truck is at the local Ford dealer now. We're waiting on who wins the battle of who pays, Ford or State Farm. |
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Quote: Hope State Farm rolls up their sleeves and gets Ford to take the fall on it or most of it
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Wow. I know it sucks, but on the bright side, your home is still standing. I wonder if Ford recommends maximum time intervals for continuous use of the block heater. I leave mine plugged in all night. |
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Which Marinco plug did you use? Rich |
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Marinco Onboard Charger Inlet... part #150BBl
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Just found that Amazon.com carries them which is interesting I guess,here's the Amazon Link for $16.99 each. I need two of them,I'll be orderin' Thanks for the part number Birdman
BILL |
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Quote: I got mine from West Marine. Itls the only one I saw. They called it a "remote battery charger inlet connector" or something like that. It was around $20. |
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Did you go to West Marine via the internet? Rich |
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Quote: Uh, unless you are in Alaska or something you should use a timer and only run the thing for maybe 2-hours at the most. Scott |
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Quote: I'm in Alaska (except the Fairbanks folks call it the Banana Belt down here), and I use a timer for about a 3 hour run. Hasn't been that cold the past few winters either, but you really don't need to leave it plugged in all night unless you own stock in a utility and want to boost their earnings. |
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You had to have had either a short or a thin spot in the wire somewhere. A thin or frayed spot would overheat due to the amperage draw. There is absolutely no harm in plugging the truck in year round. Most emergency response vehicles(diesel) do so year round. That keeps the motor a little warmer because they do not allow warm up time before the engine gets hammered on going up the road. |
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Quote: I have a West Marine close to me. I've checked out their website, and would buy from there also. |
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Quote: Just got the damage estimate $21K+. State Farm decided to total it. Guess I'll have to start looking for a new one. |
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Is there a post-mortem on it yet? I can't think of a way that could happen. You have at most 20A coming down an electrical cord, but those are by design intended not to spontaneously combust (and in most extreme cases should trip the breaker anyway.) You have a 1000W or so block heater element but how hot does that get, and besides it's in the coolant jacket of an iron block that normally gets much hotter than that. Most of the potential fuels under your hood aren't very good ones - it's pretty hard to light off diesel fuel for instance - and none of them AFAIK are very volatile. Very strange. Duncan |
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I'm not at home right now, so I haven't had a chance to talk to the Ford dealer yet. Once I find out exactly what happened I'll post it here. |
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Bummer to hear the news for Monday morning there If you're looking for another Ford would they have the Toreador Red or Dark Toreador Red available? BILL |
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They never did determine exactly why the blocker heater burned up. State Farm paid us $34,500 for it. After the loan was paid for old one still had $8K+ to put down on new one. Click pics to see photos of new and old burned truck. |
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Nice looking rig (the new one, the old one ). Nice that you got it replaced so quickly. I'll bet State Farm will be talking with Ford about that one.
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Your misfortune got me looking into why mine is misbehaving. Checked it out today. I only had 64 volts running thru the line which should have been 120, I also checked my heating element, it showed zero resistance, which on our other truck it shows 14 ohm's. Under further inspection, after the tape was peeled off, at the base of the plug, evidently from 4 years of whipping around in the wind at 70 mph, one of the 3 lines were severed. I ended up pulling entire line out, cutting off the bad, and rewiring it because I needed the special receptacle that mates to the heating element. I'm also going to route it to the rear of the truck because where I plug in, I back into anyway. I'll need to order a new heating element Monday. Your mishap probably prevented one on my end by bringing it to my attention. I also noticed that 4 years of that few inches of cord and plug being allowed to "float" around behind the bumper assy beat the tar out of the corner of the radiator fins, about a 2 by 5 area. Live and learn. |
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After the new element, install a Marinco charger inlet. You can find it on ebay for a little cheaper than anywhere else, but I really like mine. I installed in on the drivers side below the bumper on that 4" wind deflector and had about 12" of slack wire. Anyway if you don't get your wires crossed, it'll work like a charm for you and won't break down from being moved contstantly. |
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Quote: Well that new truck is pretty sweet! But I did shed a couple of tears when I saw your old one. I'm a sensitive guy - those pictures really tugged at my heart strings. I hope you're making a steady recovery. |
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Guys, keep a check on this thing. I went out this morning to find mine melted back about 2 inches from and including part of the moulded plug. There was no warning prior to this happening. 
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Quote: I'm on a semi personal crusade here and would personaly like to know how you drug this old topic up, but great job in adding to the data base using an existing thread. We all need to keep a close eye and check this thing periodically since failures can have big consequences. Larry keeper of the "little secrets"
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Larry, I just did a search on several key words like "cord", "melted", "plug", "heater", "block", etc and then followed the links to those messages in an attempt to find answers until I hit on several (many recent). I am glad the truck didn't burn up and also, like others, wonder if the system from FORD shouldn't have a fuse built in to prevent something like this?? I never felt the plug to be warm when unplugging and had no indication as to it failing. The extension cord in use is rated at 15 amps and 1875 watts, and is connected to a heavy-duty timer to activate about 2 hours prior to starting truck. I bought this cord and used it for about 3 months last year and it is heavier than the one I used for the 3ish years prior to that. |
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I find that my rig still doesn't like to be started with only 2 or 3 hours plugged in; I usually plug mine in late at night to drive the next day (average 8 hours). Then she starts up no problem. This could be a factor of: being outside (not garaged) in Michigan, sitting for several days at a time, and running 5w40 oil (I know that she would probably start better with 10w30, but I don't get enough miles on her in the winter to justify changing the oil at 1000 miles). Just thought I would throw that in. I'll be checking my heater cord tonight - Anyone wrapping their cord with electrical tape as a preventative measure against wear? |
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Sounds to me like the ones that fail early are a result of pulling on the cord instead firmly grasping the plug to unplug 'em. They won't last long if ya' pull on the cord. That's why the Marinco receptacle is a good idea. It also pays to do a little maintenance on the plug. It helps if you take a knife blade and run it thru the plug tines to spread them back out so they make better contact in the receptacle. |
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Quote: I think they are plugged into a charger as opposed to a heater. Short runs with lights and sirens don't allow for the alternator to keep up with the demand. I know here in So Cal (read mild temps) people get mad because I leave the engine running with the AIC on charge protect. Can't please everyone! |
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I wondered the same thing so the last time I was at the squad HQ I checked out the rig. I could definitly hear the hissing of the block heater. So here in NJ, we both charge the rig as well as heat it. Rich |
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Rex, I always unplugged by grasping the plug and not yanking by the cord. I suspect that the tugging and general use of the wire/plug, with it hanging over the bumper and stuffing in back inside the bumber lip, along with the just plain general use of it over the years may have weakened the area right behind the plug. This would eventually give the same result as yanking on the cord. Then again, perhaps its just a CHEAP setup for the factory? I am just going to fix it for now, and later go the Marinco route this spring when its WARM.
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Quote: Or you could get the marinco setup materials now and come to the next NOVAPS meeting and you'll have 10, 20 maybe 30 guys that can help install it. If I'm there I can do the "technical" stuff ... LOL ... between Ron's and my rolling parts warehouses they won't be much that won't be available and with a little notice the impossible just means Ron or I have to dig it up from our stuff and put it in our vehicle. Larry keeper of the "little secrets" |
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I suspect what we may be seeing is a resistance build up in the plug from corrosion. I found the prongs in my plug (truck side)were getting very corroded from the road salt. One morning I unplugged the connection without gloves on and noticed the heat from the plug. I cleaned the prongs, thinking this might be building up the heat, and have not found the plug to be warm since cleaning it. I will be installing the recepticle mount mentioned in previous posts, as soon as I find a spring loaded plate holder, and will coat the prongs with silicone grease to prevent any corrosion they might see. The 25' extension cord doesn't see much corrosion as mine rides in a heated cab with me.  Rick 1999 250 PSD SD 1982 Mercedes Benz 300D Turbo 1966 TR4A |
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Block Heater element shorted out. Element and cord replaced under warranty. Marinco fitting sitting on basement worktable waiting for me. 
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Woop's - Block Heater Plug Melted
Re: Woop's - Block Heater Plug Melted
Re: Woop's - Block Heater Plug Melted
