block heater
 

I have a 95 E300D. I think my block heater is burned out. I have checked the cord and there are no cuts in it. I have felt the block after its been on for a few hours and it does not feel too warm. how hot is it supposed to get.

I want to test it with a resistance meter, like checking glow plugs. anyone know the resistance for a working one.

They do not get really hot. On 40-50 degree days you can feel the warmth on the valve cover. Today it was 22 where I live. My car has to be outside, and when it's that cold, the valve cover feels like it is 60 degrees or so.

Uh I can hear the boiling in my block?

Yes you can hear it
 

The block heater has only a small heating coil, so the entire engine wont heat up enough to register on the coolant temp. gauge. (You have 12 quarts of coolant, plus the entire mass of the engine to heat!). But, even on the coldest sub zero mornings, after my block heater has been on for a few hours, the top of the valve cover feels luke warm to the touch.....

The heating element itself gets very hot.....yes you can hear it cooking! This doesnt take long...plug the thing in and listen....within a minute you should hear the little thing bubbling in there. If not, you need a new one.

They wear out with age....you can get by with a marginal one, but when you put in a new one you will be surprised at how much cooking noise it makes.

Mark

Block heater....
 

Clean the male pins on the heater element plug socket... then take a small screwdriver and bend the little female plugs on the cord side so as to grip the pins better....they get pushed out after awhile and lose contact.....If you plug it in out of the block...it gets real hot real fast!....If you test it like this...shut it off quick after seeing if it works....

thanks all, one quick and maybe stupid question. :stupid:

If I pull the heating element out will antifreeze come out? I don't know if this is in a freeze out plug.

Block heater....
 

Yes.....It is in direct contact with the water....just like a home electric water heater....drain your system first if you need to remove it......