Block heater plug question

[huy397]

Hi all,Where should I have the cord come out of ?I'd like it to come out in the facia part, so that it won't scratch anything around the grill or even hit headlights.But my cord seems too short...Please help.

[DavidPIL]

Hi huy,Yeah, it does seem the cord is too short to stick out the front if you route it like the diagram shows. Since my vibe is parked in a garage (completely open though), I'm not going to have too much trouble popping the hood when I park the car, plug it in then leave the hood unlatched while it sits. I guess I could still completely close the hood but I don't see the need to. If you don't route the plug wire around the battery, you should be able to bring the wire through next to the Radiator up to near the grills (eithe lower or upper). Either there or dangling just behind the Grill so it could be plugged in fron underneath the front. I'd strongly suggest fastening it with velcro or something like this if you did that though. I do believe there are holes in the bumper frame(I have my horns bolted in to 2 of them), maybe you could attach some clip to one of the holes then just reach under the car to plug it in.Dave

[huy397]

thanks Dave, but what diagram are you talking about ?

[DavidPIL]

The diagram which came with the heater unit. Had the basic instructions on it. The front page showed where the heater went in both the 1zz and 2zz engines then the back of the page showed the routing for the wiring. Did you get that piece of paper? Mine had 2 other sets of instructions attached for 2 other languages (assuming SPpanish and French). If you need them, let me know, I can sca it in and postDave

[joatmon]

I think maybe his came with the car, so he probably didn't get the install instructions.huy397, can you use a short extension cord to run the heater plug wherever you might want?

[DavidPIL]

Ah yeah, just checked his Info and noticed he's in Canada. The diagram I have still might help though. Might help you re-route the main wiring from the unit. I'd imagine it is routed just like the diagram (Under or around the battery).Dave

[huy397]

joatmon, is it such an good idea to have a n extension cord in the engine bay ? As of now, I just have plug hanging from the corner of the gril, hopefully it won't scratch anything or hit the headlights.

[joatmon]

Probably be fine as long as you didn't run it near anything that got really hot, but it sounds like you already have it run to a more convenient location.

[huy397]

Salsa.That's exactly what I am doing now.I just hope my timer doesn't get stolen....

[DavidPIL]

Hi...I was going to put mine on a timer too but since I don't have regular "out the door" hours... It would be rather useless. I'm running an extension cord from the house into the garage (No electricity in the garage), plugging it into a switched outlet in the basement so I can cut the power when it's not needed. Wil still leave the hood propped open as i had eluded to in a different post. The car is relativelt safe from the elements, just not safe from cold. (Old garage-no door and a window that has been removed). This actually makes the cold worse because the inside never gets any heating from the Sun.I actually ran my wire around the end of the intake hose near the front of the vehicle then looped it back over the battery. It's secure there and easily accessed after popping the hood.Dave

[pmh013]

I ran my cord between the top edge of the headlight and the lip of the hood. If you are concerned about the wear mark the plug will leave on the hood (and it will), then don't do this. I'm OK now, because I have the front end protector, but after having the cord hanging out all last winter, there is a "smudge" from where the cord swings against the hood at highway speeds. I can't seem to scrub it off, and I've tried. Maybe a power buffer would get it out.

[meathead333]

ok, i am thinking of getting one too. heres my thing, i have that billett(sp?) grill. also, how would the block heather work with the whole 110/220 difference they have in germany????

[Sub-Vibe-R]

quote:ok, i am thinking of getting one too. heres my thing, i have that billett(sp?) grill. also, how would the block heather work with the whole 110/220 difference they have in germany????The stock block heater is made to work with 120v AC. PLug it into a 220v outlet will create major damage to it, even burn the heating element and/or the cord.It is like to plug you hair dryer in a 220v plug. It will work, but not for a very long time.

[meathead333]

thanks....yeah thats what i thought.

[joatmon]

There are all kinds of things that will let you take you western hemisphere electrical devices and plug them in in Europe. I don't imagine that the block heater draws a whole lot of currrent, so if the power is different over there, you can get something to adpat it for you. You'll probably need something like that for other stuff as well.

[huy397]

guys, I have a timer that has the following spec:*15 amps "resistive"*1750watt tungsten*1750watt inductive TV5*12FLA (72LRA ) MOTOR*125 VOLT AC 60Hzis it a ok timer to use with the block heater? thank you

[joatmon]

I would guess that the heater element is a resistive type.I have no idea how much current the block heater draws, but I have seen a post here where someone said it cost "pennies a day" to run, so it can't be too much. Page 2-19 of the 2004 owners manual says: Plugging the cord into an ungrounded outletcould cause an electrical shock. Also, thewrong kind of extension cord could overheatand cause a fire. You could be seriouslyinjured. Plug the cord into a properly groundedthree-prong 110-volt AC outlet. If the cordwon’t reach, use a heavy-duty three-prongextension cord rated for at least 15 amps.So, if they are saying that a 15 Amp extension cord is adequate, I'd guess the block heater draws enough less than 15 Amps that your timer should be strong enough to run the block heater off it.