Engine coolant heater question

[painthorsemom]

Another question from a new duramax owner. The cord to plug for the engine coolant heater (engine block heater? same thing??) is short and right now I am draping the cord over the edge of the body under the hood in one of those notches on the inside of the body panel. This means I have to open the hood everytime I want to plug the heater in. This is a 2006 Silverado LB7 engine. My old '96 Sierra 6.5 just had the cord hanging down in front and I accessed it through the left front wheel well. Is there a way of threading the cord down into the right front wheel well a way that won't damage anything and I don't have to open the hood?

[DmaxMaverick]

A little careful routing should get it to the tow hook, or under/over the bumper in the area. I do not recommend having it hanging in the wheel well area.

[painthorsemom]

Dmax, it seems like the cord is fairly short. It seems like it's only a couple feet long! I'll just have to wait for a warmer, sunny day and see if I can try your suggestion.

[JohnC]

Put Rotella 5W40 oil in it and forget about the plug. I think I've plugged mine in twice in 4 years...

[DmaxMaverick]

It's long enough. Barely.

[DennisG01]

Do you have a spot where you can put this?

http://www.thedieselpageforums.com/photopost/data/519/Block_Heater_Plug_a.JPG

Mine used to just make it over the grill/under the hood - would hang out about 3 inches. The constant moving around of the cord end caused the wires inside to fail, which why I went with the permanent install.

Where 'bouts in Eastern PA are you?

[WyoDutch]

I wrestled with that idiotic, too-short cord until I finally realized it was simply too short and no amount of jury-rigging was going to fix that.

So... I bought a 4-foot long heavy duty extension cord and gave the factory cord the length it should have had right from day one.

I secured the business end of the xtension cord behind the right front bumper (up out of the way as much as possible from road garbage... snaked the cord upwards and plugged the heater cord in.

Everything is secured so nothing rubs or vibrates.

So far, so good.

[More Power]

Last time I checked, you could buy replacement block heater cords at most auto parts stores. They plug in at both ends, so installing a replacement (perhaps longer) cord is possible...

Jim

[WyoDutch]

Last time I checked, you could buy replacement block heater cords at most auto parts stores. They plug in at both ends, so installing a replacement (perhaps longer) cord is possible...

Jim

I did not know that.

[Kennedy]

Another question from a new duramax owner. The cord to plug for the engine coolant heater (engine block heater? same thing??) is short and right now I am draping the cord over the edge of the body under the hood in one of those notches on the inside of the body panel. This means I have to open the hood everytime I want to plug the heater in. This is a 2006 Silverado LB7 engine. My old '96 Sierra 6.5 just had the cord hanging down in front and I accessed it through the left front wheel well. Is there a way of threading the cord down into the right front wheel well a way that won't damage anything and I don't have to open the hood?

The cord is plenty long:

http://www.kennedydiesel.com/dmaxblockheater.html

[Kennedy]

Here is what I use:

http://www.kennedydiesel.com/docs/proheatpadinstall.html

[Spoolmak]

I used the simplest solution to the 'too short' heater core cord.

In my 2004, the cord runs up inside a split wiring 'shield' and exits the shield quite high. I just removed the cord from the top 18 inches of the split wiring shield, cut a small notch into the split of the shield where the cord now exits, and with straps attached the plug onto the passenger side tow hook, facing forward. All I do now is push the house extension cord onto the now solidly attached heater core plug.

Worked for me.

Tor