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  #1  
Old 01-03-2010, 02:36 PM
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Block heater power problem, Wimberley, TX

I've been dealing with balky cold starts the lifetime of this car. Lately, they've been a real hassle, but what has always saved me is plugging in the block heater for an hour.

Except this morning. I got up early to plug in the block heater and went out after sleeping late to no start. It was as though the block heater didn't work! But of COURSE it works, it always works! Fixed the plug more firmly, waited. No go. Then did a ohm meter test on ends of block heater plug -- showed it was drawing power (seeing the needle move is the ONLY thing I understand about this test so any questions here will make me confused).

NO START THIS MORNING. Cranked the battery on down. Frustrated. So crawled under the car because even though I hear SOME noises, I am not sure I am hearing block heater noises. Followed the block heater cord a ways --

Ok, long story short -- the block end of my power cord is frayed and exposed. It's rubbing something else, can't see what, about a half inch before it goes into the orange square nut. I assume it's shorting and not coming on, because nothing anywhere that I can touch is remotely warm.

WHAT TO DO HERE. I can put a heat lamp on everything today and maybe get started but what am I looking at? Is this why my block heater is not coming on? I suppose I need to replace the power cord to the block heater entirely, right? Would this hard short have led to any other electrical problems? I think it's pretty much a self-contained unit powered by the plug, so I wouldn't expect it to have damaged any other mechanisms, right?

Bear in mind I am a dumb girl. What do I do now?

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Old 01-03-2010, 02:45 PM
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Definitely going to say it is shorting out at the point where it is frayed. Do you have any electrical tape around? Try wrapping the frayed portion of the cord (while it is unplugged of course) and report back!
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Old 01-03-2010, 02:47 PM
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ahhhhh... will try that! Duh! I got some very keen shocks while following the cord to try to troubleshoot. Ok, will tape it up and then see... I've probably killed the battery by now. GRRRR.
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Old 01-03-2010, 02:53 PM
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Also when it is this cold out try doing a full glow cycle, turn the car off, and back on again and complete another glow cycle. I think for the year of your car you should hear a "click" when the relay turns off.

While you have the hood up take your voltmeter and check to see if your glow plugs are working ok.

Dieselgiant has a great write up for finding and diagnosing glow plug problems. Here is the link http://www.dieselgiant.com/glowplugrepair.htm

Your hard starts may be something as simple as that.

What type of motor oil are you running in your vehicle? Up here in snow belt Erie PA it's 21* and I run 5w40 Rotella. It really helps a great deal with the poor engine when it is this cold out.

If you're up for the reading there are also a bunch of threads about doing a valve adjustment, timing chain goodies, and other such stuff about improving the start of a cold engine.

Good luck! Being stranded sucks, but being stranded at home is just a little better

Edit: Also how cold is it in where you live? Going by your location it's 52 degrees in Hill Country Texas. At that temperature you should be having perfect starts. You might have a bunch of dead glow plugs!
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Last edited by okyoureabeast; 01-03-2010 at 03:01 PM.
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  #5  
Old 01-03-2010, 03:08 PM
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Yeah, this is where being a stupid girl starts to suck. I bought a bunch of new glow plugs but I can't quite get to the GPs to test them. I bought a voltmeter and all -- just can't get at the GPs. I need to replace the primer pump and then I'd be all set to take off the fuel lines and get at the glow plugs BUT I can't get the old primer pump off. Yes, I've read all about GPs and the pumps at DG, NO, I can't do it. Frustrating.

I am sure I do need some GPs, and last time I had them changed he didn't ream them. So I am certain that needs doing. The indicator does not stay lit for long -- maybe eight, nine seconds -- and never in the life of this car has running multiple GP cycles helped with the cold weather start. I do not hear the relay shutoff you guys talk about, never have. Nor does the 'dome light' test ever show me anything.

I've got 15w40 Rotella right now.

The temp right now is about 40 but it was 20 overnight and this hunk of cold steel really hangs onto the cold. Life of the car, I've never had a smooth start under 30 degrees without heating the block.

Wrapped tape around the power cord and got that magic sizzle right away when I plugged back in. I THINK.
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Last edited by topanga; 01-03-2010 at 03:16 PM.
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  #6  
Old 01-03-2010, 03:23 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by topanga View Post
Yeah, this is where being a stupid girl starts to suck. I bought a bunch of new glow plugs but I can't quite get to the GPs to test them. I bought a voltmeter and all -- just can't get at the GPs. I need to replace the primer pump and then I'd be all set to take off the fuel lines and get at the glow plugs BUT I can't get the old primer pump off. Yes, I've read all about GPs and the pumps at DG, NO, I can't do it. Frustrating.
Definitely understand where you're coming from. My relay is located in the engine bay on the driver's side near the head lights. When I was having rough starts a couple of weeks ago. Turns out my glowplugs are fine.

Quote:
I am sure I do need some GPs, and last time I had them changed he didn't ream them. So I am certain that needs doing. The indicator does not stay lit for long -- maybe eight, nine seconds -- and never in the life of this car has running multiple GP cycles helped with the cold weather start. I do not hear the relay shutoff you guys talk about, never have. Nor does the 'done light' test ever show me anything.
Hmm this is interesting. I'll be honest I don't hear mine shut off either. I just count to 28 ( one one thousand two one thousand) and turn off and repeat. Hopefully someone else will chime in.

Quote:
The temp right now is about 40 but it was 20 overnight and this hunk of cold steel really hangs onto the cold. Life of the car, I've never had a smooth start under 30 degrees without heating the block.
I've never been to Texas in my life. I have no idea how cold it gets in the winter However if it gets cold like that every year consider putting in 5w40. Also do a search for "rough cold starts". You probably are suffering from a mix of low compression, bad glow plugs, and low battery power.

There are also a lot of other things that can affect this, but check the easy stuff first.

Quote:
Wrapped tape around the power cord and got that magic sizzle right away when I plugged back in. I THINK.
Let us know! I betcha that was the problem right there. I would consider replacing the entire cable. I'm not a big fan of wrapping electrical tape where it will constantly get exposed to the elements.
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  #7  
Old 01-03-2010, 03:27 PM
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I actually had the battery and alternator checked yesterday... they tested fine, much to my dismay. I would have inifinitely preferred a battery problem to a compression problem.

I figure I need valve adjustment anyway. Do you figure that's about three hours at a shop?? There is just no way I can manage it on my own. It's a matter of strength, and I just can't do it, even as much as I've read. Just can't manage it.

We've been having about a month long cold snap here, temps in the twenties at night. Brrrrr.
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Old 01-03-2010, 03:37 PM
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Originally Posted by okyoureabeast View Post
Definitely understand where you're coming from. My relay is located in the engine bay on the driver's side near the head lights. When I was having rough starts a couple of weeks ago. Turns out my glowplugs are fine.
ok -- it was your relay and not your plugs? That's where my relay is, too. The strip fuse is intact and I've cleaned the contacts. I guess I should search and find what your symptoms were...
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Old 01-03-2010, 03:49 PM
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Originally Posted by topanga View Post
I actually had the battery and alternator checked yesterday... they tested fine, much to my dismay. I would have inifinitely preferred a battery problem to a compression problem.

I figure I need valve adjustment anyway. Do you figure that's about three hours at a shop?? There is just no way I can manage it on my own. It's a matter of strength, and I just can't do it, even as much as I've read. Just can't manage it.

We've been having about a month long cold snap here, temps in the twenties at night. Brrrrr.
Same here. It's been ungodly cold with crazy amounts of snow being dumped. They closed i90 and the state troopers are warning people not to go out unless they have 4 wheel drive!

Valve adjustments are a yearly maintenance item. I am about 50,000 miles out of adjustment but it's just too darn cold to do it. Time wise I couldn't tell ya.

And my hard starting problem: I have no idea what it was. However my car is back to normal. The engine was shaking terribly and sounding like it was mis firing, but now it starts up fine and idles normally even from a cold start. It's even colder then it was when I started!

For the glow plug relay what I did was I pulled the cover off the relay and disconnected the 5 pin connect at the bottom of the relay. I checked the resistance and everything checked out just fine. My problem was finding a good place to ground the wire. Eventually I figured out that the engine block was the best

Edit: Oh yeah how's that block heater working out?
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Last edited by okyoureabeast; 01-03-2010 at 03:54 PM.
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  #10  
Old 01-03-2010, 05:00 PM
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FIXED! Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!! Turned over on first touch of key.
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  #11  
Old 01-03-2010, 06:14 PM
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I'd recommend spending the $17 and getting a new cord. Fastlane p/n W0133-1634519. Otherwise you're dealing with straight 110v power, in the dark, under your car...

With the frayed cord you'll probably pop a breaker on the panel with a short circuit, but shooting sparks in an area that probably has oil on/around it wouldn't be a great idea.
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  #12  
Old 01-04-2010, 04:38 PM
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phone call

I just talked with her.

Location: Wimberley, TX

She is trying to repair the damaged block heater cord, until the new one arrives.

She needs local help installing her air cleaner assembly.
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  #13  
Old 01-04-2010, 05:47 PM
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I got the plug rewired to the point that it shows resistance and reinstalled it. I even somewhat got the air cleaner back on. Now I sit and wait to see if it heats the block... it's not whirring or pinging like it used to, which Roy says was the possible sound of it shorting but I really think was the block heating. We'll see in an hour if any of it worked... thanks for the link to the new power cable; ordered it!
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  #14  
Old 01-04-2010, 07:03 PM
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Refurbed plug useless, car cold as ice.

This day SUCKED.
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Old 01-04-2010, 07:29 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by topanga View Post
I got the plug rewired to the point that it shows resistance and reinstalled it. I even somewhat got the air cleaner back on. Now I sit and wait to see if it heats the block... it's not whirring or pinging like it used to, which Roy says was the possible sound of it shorting but I really think was the block heating. We'll see in an hour if any of it worked... thanks for the link to the new power cable; ordered it!
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Is the 7A resort on the Blanco River still in operation?
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