plug it in ?

[MSC]

when i asked about the white smoke a few of you mentioned that i should make sure to plug the truck into an ac socket when it was cold, i found a male plug under the hood last winter & i pluged it in, nothing happened, so i don't do it anymore. the question is what is it? how does it work? how can i tell if it's working or not? thanks

[sldghamr]

the cord is attached to a block heater. it keeps your engine warm. usually takes about two hours to have any noticeable affect.

[94OilBurner]

After having it plugged in for more than a couple of hours, you should be able to put your ear down by the drivers side tire/wheel well and hear a slight boiling sound. Plus the engine will crank over soooo much easier.

[powerstrokes only]

Follow that cord back and make sure it goes to the pass. side of the block and is plugged in there, connection could be loose or cord might be cut some where, it will make all the diff. in the world in cold weather.

[MSC]

I traced the cord back & found a red 3 prong plug that was attached to nothing, just hanging in the air. This truck has a rebuilt engine & i assume that the PO decided not to attact heater to new engine, I could see the 4 shinny freeze plugs, now the truck won't start at all, it was 60 degrees here today I charged both batteries & cranked it several times all i got was white smoke out of the exhaust. is it possible that i burnt up one or more glow plugs? where are the plugs & what do they look like, are they hard to change. I spent a couple hours on the net trying to find motorcraft glow plugs without any sucess, dealer wants $25 each

[powerstrokes only]

Originally Posted by MSC

I traced the cord back & found a red 3 prong plug that was attached to nothing, just hanging in the air. This truck has a rebuilt engine & i assume that the PO decided not to attact heater to new engine, I could see the 4 shinny freeze plugs, now the truck won't start at all, it was 60 degrees here today I charged both batteries & cranked it several times all i got was white smoke out of the exhaust. is it possible that i burnt up one or more glow plugs? where are the plugs & what do they look like, are they hard to change. I spent a couple hours on the net trying to find motorcraft glow plugs without any sucess, dealer wants $25 each

Too bad there is not a heater, are you sure there is not a place to plug it in toward the cab? Go on E-bay and there are some super good Glow-plugs that glow way hotter and a don't cool off as fast and they are more like $10, maybe less. I would for sure get them if you don't have a heater. They are next to the injectors on top of the engine, unplug them and then get a deep socket to take them out( I can't remember the size). Good luck!

[Bamfster]

Napa also sells a heater that is spliced into the lower radiator hose. I have used them b4 and they work ok...never tried one on a diesel tho. Napa also sells the type that replaces the freeze plug for about $40. I bet once you get the GPs straightened out it'll start just fine. My 94 IDI starts just fine w/out being plugged in down to zero deg. The GPs are on top of the intake, just to the inside of the valve covers. Use a 10mm deep socket 1/4 drive with a few different extensions and maybe a U-joint. When you put the new ones in, be sure and add a bit of anti-seize to the threads b4 you install them. Haynes has an excellent service manual for these trucks.

[powerstrokes only]

Originally Posted by Bamfster

Napa also sells a heater that is spliced into the lower radiator hose. I have used them b4 and they work ok...never tried one on a diesel tho. Napa also sells the type that replaces the freeze plug for about $40. I bet once you get the GPs straightened out it'll start just fine. My 94 IDI starts just fine w/out being plugged in down to zero deg. The GPs are on top of the intake, just to the inside of the valve covers. Use a 10mm deep socket 1/4 drive with a few different extensions and maybe a U-joint. When you put the new ones in, be sure and add a bit of anti-seize to the threads b4 you install them. Haynes has an excellent service manual for these trucks.

Good advice!!!!!!!

[jjames25]

or an magnetic oilpan heater isnt that much either

[MSC]

I considered the magnatic heater but i wondered wether the magnet would be strong enough to hold it on always, i wouldn,t want to put it on & off everyday