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somebody didn't think this through....

6K views 50 replies 30 participants last post by  Rexer 
#1 ·
So...last night I decided it was time to start plugging the truck in at night (using the block heater) when I noticed something...

Whoever decided how long that cord should be on my truck should get his cord cut...the cord barely reaches the radiator let alone go past the grill for easy access...

Anybody else have this problem? What did you do?

Oh and the truck has a pentastar engine which is why I think I have this problem (you know that lovely big gap in front of the engine that people can stand in)
 
#2 ·
forgive my ignorance.

i've only ever heard of plugging diesels in when it's cold. but i also don't live in a very cold place either.

there are block heaters on gassers?
 
#3 ·
forgive my ignorance.

i've only ever heard of plugging diesels in when it's cold. but i also don't live in a very cold place either.

there are block heaters on gassers?

I'm jealous...I WISH I never had the need to have one lol
In all seriousness though it's a necessity, it more or less keeps the oil warm so that it can start on the really cold days (I start plugging my truck in as soon as it gets below freezing so that it warms up faster).

Also (and I'm sure that somebody more mechanically inclined will chirp in here if I'm wrong) but my understanding is that it's very hard on an engine when it starts up frozen, so it more or less adds to engine longevity IMO.
 
#5 ·
do all trucks now have that? or is it an option for you guys up in the cold states/Canada?
 
#12 ·
Looking at the front of my '13, there doesn't seem to be much of a spot to run a wire through to in front of the grille.. All the seams are pretty tight and the grille doesn't open up with the hood (like the 3rd gens). No space between the bumper and grille either, so I'm assuming this has something to do with is as well
 
#13 · (Edited)
In the colder states (Like Minnesota) it is very common to have a block heater on a vehicle. It is hard to find one without it. With that being said mine did not come with a block heater. Mopar has them as an option as well as add on. The design (In older vehicles) is supposed to have the end of the chord be able to reach the front of the grill so you don't need to open the hood. Since vehicles today are not designed with big gaps in the grill they are kept in the engine bay.

The main idea is to keep the oil from getting too thick in very low temps. You can actually buy aftermarket dip stick heaters that will replace the oil dip stick. These are a pain in the ass because the last thing I want to do when it is cold enough to plug a vehicle in is open the hood and swap dip sticks. No giggling!

To the OP. I would buy a length electric chord from Home Depot that you can get by the foot. Figure out what you will need to get from the plug in the engine bay to the grill. I would also get screw on male and female plug ends. I would feed the wire through the grill and then attach the plug end after you feed it through so it sticks out the front of the grill of the truck. Then when it gets warm remove it for next winter. You will have a plug hanging out the front of your truck but if you have spent any time in cold weather you know it is function over form. Also, see if you can get some kind of all weather cover to protect the plug.

I know this goes without being said BUT I am going to say it anyway. Make sure you route the chord away from moving engine parts. Common sense is so rare it is almost a super power.
 
#14 ·
In the colder states (Like Minnesota) it is very common to have a block heater on a vehicle. It is hard to find one without it. With that being said mine did not come with a block heater. Mopar has them as an option as well as add on. The design (In older vehicles) is supposed to have the end of the chord be able to reach the front of the grill so you don't need to open the hood. Since vehicles today are not designed with big gaps in the grill they are kept in the engine bay.

The main idea is to keep the oil from getting too thick in very low temps. You can actually buy aftermarket dip stick heaters that will replace the oil dip stick. These are a pain in the ass because the last thing I want to do when it is cold enough to plug a vehicle in is open the hood and swap dip sticks. No giggling!

To the OP. I would buy a length electric chord from Home Depot that you can get by the foot. Figure out what you will need to get from the plug in the engine bay to the grill. I would also get screw on male and female plug ends. I would feed the wire through the grill and then attach the plug end after you feed it through so it sticks out the front of the grill of the truck. Then when it gets warm remove it for next winter. You will have a plug hanging out the front of your truck but if you have spent any time in cold weather you know it is function over form. Also, see if you can get some kind of all weather cover to protect the plug.

I know this goes without being said BUT I am going to say it anyway. Make sure you route the chord away from moving engine parts. Common sense is so rare it is almost a super power.
DarthRam thanks for the reply...and while I know this is the usual whine but my thing is that I paid a crap load of money for this truck and I shouldn't have to run to home depot to make it work they way it should... but yes...logic tells me that this is the route to go; failing having the dealership fix it.

There's a lot of things in life that I don't mine tinkering with but AC electrical is a big no no for me...truck would catch fire first night ;)

But that being said..."Make sure you route the chord away from moving engine parts. Common sense is so rare it is almost a super power." made me laugh pretty hard....well said...well said

I just fired off an email to Chrysler Canada....I'll post back on here what was said...
 
#16 ·
I don't have issues with mine, and have ample lenght to slip it out between the hood and the grill. I can't reach the wall but the plug sits outside fine, I only plug it in when its -20C or below.
Ya but you got a V8 right? If the pentastar filled up the engine compartment the way a big block would fit in it (in other words no standing room in the engine compartment....literally) then I think it would be fine...but that pentastar sits so far back in the engine compartment...it just doesn't reach...
 
#19 ·
I would check around under the engine bay, I found the cord on my '07 had been zip-tied further back and it was keeping about one foot of cord back there, at that time I could not pull the plug past the grille. One snip later and I had a cord that came out past the grille.

And just so you know, the V8's cord plugs into the rear driver-side of the block and runs behind the engine all the way to the passenger-side headlight, so it's an extremely long cord, I would be amazed if your cord just wasn't hung up somewhere because no auto manufacturer would require you to open the hood every time you need to plug the vehicle in since they all realize that if it's not convenient, it won't get used.
 
#25 ·
I have never used a block heater. My hemi Magnum has almost 300,000 miles and my hemi Ram has almost 200,000 miles. Down to 20, maybe 25 below 0F. Only once I had a problem, around 1989 it got down to -40F or -40C same, btw I went to start my Mazda 323 and the cam shaft broke. I had a 4 cyl 89 Tacoma and managed to get it to start. Had to put it in 4wd low range to make it move, though. I'm a cheap bastid and hate it when my electric bill goes up.
 
#28 ·
Plug-in heaters

Lived in Interior Alaska were it routinely drops to -60F. A two-cycle Skidoo will start with lots of encouragement but a vehicle will not unless it has 1) battery heater, 2) oil pan heater, 3) coolant line heater.
Then, maybe, it may start. A small milk barn heater modified to lay on its side works well, too. If you need quick start a propane heater works very well but slightly dangerous. Once the temp gets to -20F I parked the car for the winter and drove the Skidoo aka snowmachine, and at -45 I parked it because that is too dang cold. Believe me, -64F is very, very cold. At that temp you need two things: lots of hot coffee and your sweetie.

-sevensix
 
#29 ·
Hi Rexer, where are you in northern Ontario. I haven't found the need to plug my truck in up here but there is a lot more Ontario north of me. This is my second Ram although both have been Hemi's. I do however use the remote start on a regular basis.
 
#30 ·
Nice find rkuhl84!

Asur- I guess that I was wrong in that assumption, but no...unfortunatly without extending the cord it won't reach that far, I suppose if I removed the cord from the plastic tubes protecting it (can't for the life of me think of the name for the tubing) I *might* be able to get it to reach that far

mrolow- I like, and maybe a quick fix if the dealership doesn't want to take care of i (gonna see if they'll do it, best long term way)...but failing the dealership fixing it long term wise I may install the bumper plug that rkuhl84 posted.

hydrex - I'm a rather cheap bastard myself (hence partially why I want the dealership to fix this), but that being said...when it's that cold out I prefer that my truck was plugged in so that it pumps the heat out that much quicker


sevensix - I've been in -40 more times then I care to think about..but if I never ever have to be in -64F it'll be too soon!

venom108 - I've never installed one myself, but yes that *sounds* like what your looking for

Bruce E- actually I'm not that far from your kneck of the woods...I'm over in the North Bay area, where I work right now we have a couple inches of snow already. I don't have the auto start but beleive me...it's top of the list!....I know I'm usually ahead of everybody else in plugging my truck in at night...but I'm glad cause I'd rather have found this out now rather then later...
 
#31 ·
The ex-wife lived in Vegas for awhile. She drove a Minnesota car out there. When she brought it in for an oil change the tech guys were all waiting for her when she came back. They wanted to know if she had some type of experimental electric car. She said no. They pointed to the electrical plug for the block heater and asked what that was for. They couldn't grasp living somewhere where you needed to plug your car in at night.

Some vehicles need to be plugged in. Some don't. If your car needs to be plugged in some of the old mechanics called your car cold blooded. I had a 2000 Intrepid that needed to have the gas pedal pushed all the way down to start when it got to -10 or so. Vehicles do weird things when it gets in to the -20 range.
 
#33 ·
Wow that's some serious cold. I can't imagine that. Even in the teens my 440 Kawasaki is one hell of a bear to pull over. I am a smaller guy and it takes about all I have to get it to spin fast enough to fire off when it hits below 10 degrees.

The old 96 12 valve would start right up with no block heater one winter when it was a couple below. The truck was stored outside in the winter (2wd) and we had to move it to prepare for a snow storm. I cycled the heater grid and it cranked over 3 or 4 revolutions and fired right up. I was impressed.

Never had cold enough to make a vehicle not start though that's serious. That video was very interesting.
 
#35 ·
Does it even have a heat setting:LOL::gy::shrk:
 
#38 ·
I have never used a block heater but I assume it's only a simple 2 or 3 line cord. You could pretty easily cut/extend it if you have basic electrical knowledge. They probably make longer cords as well if you don't want to cut it.
 
#39 ·
I have never used a block heater but I assume it's only a simple 2 or 3 line cord. You could pretty easily cut/extend it if you have basic electrical knowledge. They probably make longer cords as well if you don't want to cut it.
There's a lot of things in life that I don't mine tinkering with but AC electrical is a big no no for me...truck would catch fire first night ;)

Ya that's been covered, but in the end...why should I be splicing wires on a brand new truck? I know mines not the top of the line trim model...but I paid enough IMHO that they should be paying & fixing it themselves...though I do find it strange that nobody else has stated that they have/had the same problem...for those with block heaters I mean lol
 
#42 · (Edited)
I no longer live where it hardly gets cold enough to snow much, when it does snow a bit, the 911 operators start getting phone calls about being chemically attacked by aliens.

When i did live in Connecticut life was different
We didn't have money to spend on things like Block Heaters
Instead we went to a place that sold large appliances, like refrigerators & stoves,
We would ask someone if we could get the shipping cartons that were no longer needed. We took those cartons home & stored them away until winter, when the temperatures got cold enough, we placed the flattened cartons on the ground between the front tires. That insulated the engine & cooling system from the frozen ground where the cold is stored by Mother Nature, we all think the cold settles onto the hood & gets at the engine compartment that way, but it doesn't

If you are lucky enough to have a block heater, run the electrical power through a timer, have it set so that the power comes on about 3 hours before you have to have to use the vehicle. 3 hours is all that is needed to warm up the motor oil

I just found a article from Anchorage Alaska, to day is the day to get your block heater Timers

Winter 2013/2014 Timer Distribution at University Center Mall

Distribution of timers for use with engine block heaters is scheduled for Saturday, November 16, 2013 from 8:00AM until noon, or sooner if supply is exhausted. The location and times of distribution will coincide with the University Center Community Health Fair.
 
#43 ·
The engine block heater is listed as code NHK on the vehicle information report, and on the 4.7 engine, the cord and the plug end (covered with a rubber cap when not in use) is located on the passenger side at the front of the engine compartment next to the coolant overflow container, just lift the plastic trim/cover around where the coolant overflow container is and you will find it there, standard flat 3 wire/3 prong cord as used on 120 AC devices, tv's, computers, etc.
 
#44 ·
I like putting my extension cord in the engine bay.
Prevents *******s from stealing the extension cord
 
#45 ·
Most factory installed block heaters don't have long cords, just enough to get through the grill. A good reason to install a short extension cord, use the ones that have the LED in the connector. It will light up when the cord has power. Nothing like plugging in a vehicle to a dead cord/outlet.

Gives you a chance to route and tie/anchor it to the vehicle so if you forget to unplug it would damage other components.
 
#46 ·
Most factory installed block heaters don't have long cords, just enough to get through the grill. A good reason to install a short extension cord, use the ones that have the LED in the connector. It will light up when the cord has power. Nothing like plugging in a vehicle to a dead cord/outlet.

Gives you a chance to route and tie/anchor it to the vehicle so if you forget to unplug it would damage other components.
Ya...I've used them all my life (well...driving life ;) ) and must agree they're always short. The problem though is this time it doesn't reach outside the engine compartment....funny thing is that I also use a extension cord with an LED in it for this very reason lol. In the past I've always used a zip tie and secured it in place within the grill of my vehicles...

I sent a quesiton to Chrysler Canada via email/web page and still havn't heard back from them as of yet...
 
#47 ·
On my truck, a 2004 diesel, I don't have fog lights and zip tied my block heater to the opening for the fog lights. My cord was long enough to do this. Like others have said, just get a short extension cord.

I've been to North Dakota in the winter, everyone had there vehicles plugged in. Even if you don't HAVE to, its nice just to get heat a little quicker.
 
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