AndrewBienhaus

Missing block heater cord under dash... help?

13 posts in this topic

ok, so this will sound a little stupid, but... ;-)

 

This 2006, has a plug and cap on the front bumper, no idea where the correct cord for that is, nor do I really care. (see later)

Never used it.

 

This summer, had a dangly cord under the car, examined it, found where it went on the front of the engine, and plugged it back in... Glenn thought based on description that it was a block heater cord, ok, cool, I'm good with that.

 

Battery has an issue, so I've been inside the styro compartment under the passenger feet this evening, and there, low and behold, is a female extension cord plug, that is sitting loose in front of the battery, running back behind it, and out under the passenger floor towards the engine. (slowly the path is becoming clear)

 

An Ohm meter reveals 34 ohms reading across the two blades... a little high for a normal block heater, but not out of possibility. Not a dead short, not an open circuit.


But, now, where is the bit that runs up to the plug on the front bumper... shouldn't it be connected? or maybe got shoved up at some point to get it out of the way?

If anyone can have a look, or, is familiar with the path of the wire, do you mind sharing, so I know where to look? Or start looking?

Otherwise, it's front cowling off time, to try and trace it, and I do not relish that once again... :-)

 

(if I can find it, and validate it's operation, I will do the front plug socket replacement idea, like the trucks have)

 

Thanks guys!

Andrew

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Parte de first, as above.... parte de second... well... ;-)

 

Question still stands, as above, but with the usual sense of "if it makes sense, I will try it", I have gerry-rigged a double male cord, and plugged the thing in, from under the dash.

Amprobe on black, says I am drawing 3.5 amps at 120v. (3.46a, slowly dropping over the last 10 mins to 3.39a)

Lots of popping and crackling from the heater under the car, and even some smoke! ;-)

(bear in mind, it's snowy and wet here, and the car just got oil sprayed last week, so I recognized the smoke smell right away - same as what burns off the hot exhaust after the oil bath)...

 

Now, at 3.5 amps, that's an easy extension cord to make up, and plug in through a side door, if we can't find that cord under the dash, but I would still like to.

 

But, do these things ever time out? temp max out? or are you losing 3.5amps all night long...?

Edited by AndrewBienhaus

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Hi Andrew

I have a block heater in my car and indeed there is a wire that goes to just under the front bumper on the right center. There you should find a round connector. A special connecter with multiple pins. If you don't see one, then the block heater option was never fully installed. What you seem to have going should work in lieu of having the cord go to the very front. Or you can just run the male end to the front of the car like on the old Chevys.

I find that even in the milder temps of -10C -15C my CDI is hard to start and I have to cycle the plugs a few times. If I plug it in for as little as 45 minutes though  the car starts right up in the cold but because of poor traction on ice and deep snow even with winter tires and not knowing if it will start when I come out of work if its too cold, don't drive it much in the winter months.

I must say I've never left mine plugged in for more than a hour or two so I can't tell you if it times out or maxes out but they are much like a heating element in a water kettle so I doubt it.

 

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On both of my smarts (an '05 and an'06) have the female plug under the carpeting by the battery.  This plug is powered by plugging in the block heater connector (see first photo attached)   It is there for those who want to not only heat the engine oil or antifreeze, but put a battery heater or cabin heater in there as well. 

 

In my winter car, there is a cabin heater (see second photo) that runs whenever I plug in the block heater.  It is all on a timer.

Smart Plug.jpg

Smart Heater.jpg

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Not sure if the block heater has a "Time-Out" feature. My block heater connector powers a "Polar Pad" oil pan heater. It does a great job. As for the Cabin Heater; I started using one last winter but it gave me grief. My car is parked outside and when it snowed, the melted snow would drip down into the door and freeze my windows closed. Now I just stick with the aux. electric heat to speed up the heating of the cabin. 

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Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh ha!

 

so, what you are saying Leadwing, is that the front bumper powers the block heater, AND the female plug above the passenger feet.

 

and so, by me making a male to male cord, and plugging in at the female, I am getting 110v where it needs to go, without having the front bumper adapter... do I have that right? :-)

 

also - no timeout/tempout... plugged in overnight, and it was still on, inside a heated garage. ;-)

But, after 5 hours plugged in yesterday, (at -6 out), I was able to start the car on a very weak battery. (battery is tired, and had weakened it by trying gloplug start earlier)

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2 hours ago, AndrewBienhaus said:

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh ha!

 

so, what you are saying Leadwing, is that the front bumper powers the block heater, AND the female plug above the passenger feet.

Correct!

 

2 hours ago, AndrewBienhaus said:

making a male to male cord, and plugging in at the female, I am getting 110v where it needs to go, without having the front bumper adapter... do I have that right? :-)

The female cord under the carpet near the battery only gets power when the plug by the front bumper is plugged into a normal 110V outlet.   The female plug by the battery allows you to plug in a number of standard 110V units such as the cabin heater or a battery warmer.  Those items will already have a male plug on them (just like your toaster, coffee maker, radio, fan, desk lamps, etc.) which you can plug into the female plug by the battery.

 

As Tolsen mentioned above, male to male cord is VERY unwise. 

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<snicker> yeah, I know... ;-)

But without the factory cord to test with, and a lack of diagrams, explanations, etc... as above, I had to try something. ;-)

 

will do the front bumper to truck plug conversion now... now that I know what is what, and what works.

(and I have use for a male to male elsewhere anyhow, when the genny is on and I want to lend power to a circuit)

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Andrew

Sorry to take this off topic but please use something like an EZ generator switch instead of a male to male cord.

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@ Andrew ............. Before trying the truck conversion, an easier solution might be to see if any smarts that have been written off have the cord you need.  Perhaps posting an ad in the Stuff I've Found / Stuff I'm Looking For threads mentioning that the special cord is what you need.  Another option would be to check out the local recycle centres (scrap yards) for smarts that may have come in with the cord somewhere in the car.

 

Just a thought!

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Agreed... however... ;-)

That still leaves a custom plug you have to carry with you, and a screw on special connector, that let's face it, was only used so that they wouldn't have to change the connector on the front of the car in the production line, depending on it's world destination. ;-)

Found a reasonably priced solution, made by NOCO... $19 Can on Amazon.

Google NOCO GCP1 - and now anyone's extension cord anywhere I am, will work.

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