Help w/block heater

[BigRigs]

I went out this morning to plug my truck in for a few hours this morning before I left for work, was on for about 2 hours, went out to start it and noticed a "hissing" type noise, kinda like a slow leak in a tire, so I'm trying to chase the noise down and noticed it from the engine area. Looking for a "leak" of sort, I tried unplugging the heater cord and the noise faded away to gone. I plugged the heater back in and it started doing it again, it gradually rises up in noise and levels off, then unplug again and it fades out to gone. Now its in the low 20's right now, and I decided to drive my DD instead b/c I have to leave for work......but.....any help, any ideas on what it may be, sounds like its coming from the area of the element. I also had been noticing that I didn't think the heater had been working for me over the past week or two. Thanks in advance for any help/advise

[DevineRacingF350]

My element just went out. Didn't make the hissing sound but I got a replacement element with a new cord from Napa for $42 yesterday.

[BigRigs]

Thats not a bad price at all, I thought it would be mor ethan that, I'll check my NAPA. You wouldn't happen to have a part number handy do ya? When you replaced it was it like it looks, just un-thread old one, and quickly slip in the new one?

I'm kinda hoping its just the heater, over the past weekend I had replaced the oil cooler assy and thats when I did the super duper flush w/Restore to replace the gold junk with the quality red,I drove it for 200 miles the next two days after and everything seemed good, all my temps were right on! Then of course this starts and it makes ya immediately think something other than "the obvious"

[Rav52202]

Mine does the same thing. Its always done it from day one. I just figure its the heater heating.

[DevineRacingF350]

Yeah it was a direct replacement, threaded in the new one and attached new cord. I go to lunch in an hour and I still have the box in the truck. I'll get ya the part #

[BigRigs]

Originally Posted by Rav52202

Mine does the same thing. Its always done it from day one. I just figure its the heater heating.

I will admit I've never noticed it before but I may be a little more sensitive to things after doing the oil cooler and stuff.......interesting. Does yours make a noticeable difference in better starts in the cold, I think mine may still be on the outs, might just go ahead and replace it anyway

[BigRigs]

Originally Posted by DevineRacingF350

Yeah it was a direct replacement, threaded in the new one and attached new cord. I go to lunch in an hour and I still have the box in the truck. I'll get ya the part #

Nice, thanx!

[DevineRacingF350]

Napa part# 30513 made by KATS. Took about 3 days to get in, but it's worth the quality piece.

[Endless_Summers]

Mine makes a HUGE difference starting the truck in the morning! Always starts easily and idles great.I'll have heat blowing out the vents within a couple minutes if it was plugged in.

Not meaning to thread jack, but is there a max amount of time it can be plugged in? I've seen some guys saying around the 3 to 4 hour mark. Would it be bad to plug it in all night long?

[BigRigs]

Originally Posted by DevineRacingF350

Napa part# 30513 made by KATS. Took about 3 days to get in, but it's worth the quality piece.

Thanx again! I'll be calling on my dinner break, I work second shift