How to TEST and DIAGNOSE your BLOCK HEATER

This is applicable to all makes and models of vehicles!
Also, had a brain fart during the video if you picked up on it. To clerify:
1 ohm = 1 ohm
1 kiloohm = 1,000 ohm
1 megaohm = 1,000,000 ohm
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Thanks for watching!

[@kevinthompson4997]

Thanks for this video. When it comes to electrical issues, I'm useless. You explained this in a way even I can understand!!

[@Fastcarsforme]

Anytime I'm talking diesel trucks with anyone, Kyle, I drop your name and Dark Iron. Thanks for all your videos.

[@Richard5873]

One of the best videos out there for diagnosing plug wire and heater. Thanks

[@evelynollet3147]

awesome

Good job explaining and demonstrating. Very helpful. Thank you

[@igor5206]

You shouldn't ignore the ground prong and here's why. If you have a short between the hot prong and ground you will blow a breaker and your check here may still show proper resistance across positive and neutral. Case in point, its -35 outside, my block heater is showing 30ohms as usual, but its also showing a short between ground and positive (You can test this using the diode function on your multimeter).

[@swashington942]

rubbish

[@johnford010]

Yes, you are correct. As a short to the ground can trip breaker if severe enough, but it will definitely trip a GFCI

[@JBizzle822]

@@johnford010 Ohm reading will only indicate a bad circuit not if the circuit is good or how good the connection is.

[@310sbell]

Great video! very informative. Turned out my heater worked fine. It was a dirty male electrical plug. didnt look dirty just dull. hit it with a wire brush and its fine now.

[@kimlashum243]

Very helpful, i wasnt sure where to start until watching this video, a huge help Thank You Very MUCH !!!!!!

[@dorapoynor3420]

Currently have some kind of electrical issue with Farm Tractor. Thxs to video was able to find my culprit. Its my block heater!

[@Luna-dt1nt]

nice vid man i had problems turning my 97 ram 5.9 cummins this morning temperature was 7 degrees F...... GOTTA CHECK MY HEATER BLOCK AND CORD. THX AGAIN

[@randyvanetta5197]

All your content is always very informative. Thank you.

[@darkirondiesel]

You’re welcome!

[@saltydog3394]

the video stands the test of time - well done mate! Now its like -6 F and the 7.3 95 Ford heater plug keeps popping the breakers when it plug er in ... so I will check it out with the MM and go from there - but shoooooot its effin cold or what -20C so yea good times

[@MapleJames76]

Great video, also showed how to use the tester. Fist bumps from Ontario

[@jamesmahle1259]

Your videos have been helpful to me; therefore thank you. I cannot believe how cold it gets up there!!!

[@henuemphuse]

Cheap multimeter with a diode setting will be your best friend for a surprising amount of auto work. Like $20 on Amazon, Walmart

[@rictic1929]

Well done, simple and to the point. Thanks it was very helpful.

[@ScottKetchem-o6s]

Thanks for an informative video with clear video and explanation

[@claymiller2141]

Very good video! Great explanation and clear instructions given.

[@joh1627]

Great info, thanks

[@Powerstroke98]

Good info indeed. Was checking my block heater on our diesel motorhome in this manner, and it appears to have very little showing when checking in this method, so I'll assume my block heater is toast. Hoping it will start ok without it, as it should be above minus ten, so not extreme, but still cold here in B.C.

[@franky7777]

as a back up, i use a magnetic block heater, and this will allow me to move it from vehicle to vehicle, some have different wattage, so go for something that will be suitable.

[@daviddorge1559]

Thank you sir. Informative and helped with what I was looking for

[@ofrenchieo1]

Great demonstration and illustration. Very helpful. Thank you!

[@AaRonation]

I didn't know Jared Dines worked on Powerstrokes! (JK, great video man, this is the first one I've seen from you, definitely a sub here)

[@Kimbeattie]

Great video, well explained thank you from Canada.

[@gereltgerelt]

Thank you so much for the video from Mongolia

[@mrmotofy]

Use dielectric grease on all those connections to help keep a good water tight noncorrosion connection

[@jeffcarpenter6306]

Good video. I had a new 20 amp circuit put in my home for my truck to be plugged. When I first plug it in it seem to be ok. Then after a short time it blows my GFI. So doing these test may help me to find where the default is.

[@p71collector]

The Borg have a saying: ''resistance is futile" Were they talking about block heaters?

[@branden_570]

Great video thank you!

[@cookinghard1]

Really good video I like how you explained everything The other last night actually my wife went and unplugged the van and well she didn't unplug it she pulled the extension cord and she comes running in and told me that the other piece came off and I said well then you just ripped it off the van and she said no I pulled them apart and I said to her okay well that's okay I'll fix it in the morning so I went out this morning to see it and here it was all the wires were in the one end so yeah she ripped it but she doesn't want to admit it and I told her that CSI tells me that you pulled the one extension cord and just let the other one hang because then I showed her and she got kind of perturbed and walked away so anyways happy life is a happy wife right lol

[@phillipcrook8336]

Thanks man. I appreciate this information.

[@evanch123456]

Which fuel additive do you use on your truck in the winter.

[@charlesbugeja4273]

Mine just died and out here Leisure Falls is bloody cold. Manitoba is kicking my ass.

[@orionxingu1758]

Thanks for the good info.

[@Insightfulshorts611]

Thanks for the video dude👌🤟

[@vladimirmejberg]

Thank you! Buddy.

[@robdmau]

Do you have a video of replacing the heater itself?

[@MURRAYBROWN-n5q]

Thanks. Very informative. What would you do to test a GM cord, that doesn't "light up" the block heater until minus 20 C?

[@chrisnielsen3562]

Some Gm cords have a built in thermostat and won’t send power the bloc heater until it’s -18° outside.

[@chrisnielsen3562]

I’m testing a brand new cord as I type this . Got it in the deep freeze now I’ll test it in the morning. I only had continuity on one wire so hopefully both will have continuity tomorrow 👍🏽

[@antonioflores391]

Did you need to drain oil or water to install that? Asking for my 6.0 L ford

[@LOGIBEAR01]

Just test continuity on the wires when then the cord is unplugged. Resistance does work i guess.

[@timdusterhoft723]

Thank you Sir

[@SottTCarey21]

Dose it mater which end is plugged into the heater itself. As in thr block heater and the round orange plug. Dose that matter which ened goes in

[@johnmiele5058]

On a 2000 super duty diesel F250 where exactly is the block heater located is it easy to get too it ???? Thanks

[@stefanboman1118]

Thank you, now I know how to do.

[@mdwdirect]

Very helpful. Thanks!

[@matthewmcgowan5164]

Great info!!!

[@SleepingNinja1265]

Is it normal for a block heater to hum when plugged in? I just plugged in my truck for the first time this season and I noticed a humming noise coming from the where the block heater is? Ive had the truck for 10 years and never noticed the noise before? Seems like after about 20 minutes it stopped humming all together?

[@bobmonger6142]

Wow! Great instructions. I'm a teacher!

[@FuZybOy-cq3rt]

I'm assuming, after viewing this video, the block heater circuit does Not involve the fuse panel. Is this a good assumption?

[@ac28loaiza3]

Well done video!!

[@jobertech1494]

Hi there.. i have my question..is it okay to interchange the two main wires except the ground?

[@RussianbillionputtingWorth]

My block heater lights up. On a timers. Just like your hot water tank same deal.

[@larryhewitt1078]

just like checking a water heater element on your house

[@RB-cz5jn]

Good video

[@jacobmartin1951]

Great video man thanks!

[@rail413]

Great video! Thanks!

[@jackklug2860]

Hi awesome video! I have a 6.0 Powerstroke and the cord is new and checks out. The block heater also checks out regarding the ohm reading. Whenever I plug it in my gfci outlet blows no matter what outlet or extension cord I use. What do you think could be the problem?

[@darkirondiesel]

Hmmm that’s strange. Can you try plugging in another similar vehicle with the same outlet and cord to eliminate it’s a problem with the residence electrical? Like a weak breaker?

[@igor5206]

Check for a short between the two prongs and the third ground prong.

[@hiphopman72]

Well done vid brother

[@darkirondiesel]

Thank you

[@5aydenn]

Where's my plug for my heater block warmer located at on 2001 Pontiac Montana

[@dillonkolp7158]

Thanks for this video!

[@darkirondiesel]

You’re welcome!

[@CentralCanada]

Thanks for the vid' . I might have also have a block heater cord or element issue, nothing definite yet :-l

[@CT9905.]

Very informative, what would cause a block heater to Fail?

[@aheppner9750]

Some failures can point to the antifreeze’s fault but personally I’ve seen these elements simply wear out over time (nothing lasts forever) as well as in some cases the element somehow expands slightly and contacts the element housing, This is a manufacturing defect as a bunch of heaters from the same brand have had this issue. Long story short, you have two different things that can fail, cord and element. As shown in the video, if one’s good then generally the other is at fault if your test procedure is done correctly.

[@joewiddup9753]

1. Corrosion. 2. Leaving the heater plugged in when starting the engine. The water pump can actually prevent hot coolant from getting away from the heater and cause burnout. Especially problematic with DD60, C-11, and C-13 and some Deere applications with the heater in the water portion of the oil cooler. The block heater manual tells you not to run the engine with it plugged in, but few people read the manual.

[@chaseiv58]

Mkn is at 18ohms 2017 duramax. Is that okay?

[@MetalsmithChamp]

That yellow male plug you had in your hand is a 15 amp plug it should be a 20 amp plug. Those block heaters are just like a electric hot water heater element. I am sure your block heater is at least a 1,000 watts. Which means you should have a 20 amp plug on it. I have been doing electrical since the 1970's. All block heaters are 120 volts AC!!!

[@justinbrauer8020]

What about the gas trucks with the thermostatic controlled plug? Dose it have to be -18 c or colder to check it?

[@darkirondiesel]

Hmm that’s a good question, I’m not sure! Go to a parts store and ask to see one and quickly test the resistance haha. If you find out let me know

[@justinbrauer8020]

@@darkirondiesel I will do that. She is -40 wind -50 in North West Alberta Canada.

[@darkirondiesel]

Yup that’s how it is here in the prairies right now too. Just gross outside. And the wind is awful.

[@jayonez137]

My block heater on my 73 keeps tripping by GFI. If there’s a break in the cord well that trip the GFI?

[@darkirondiesel]

It’s probably shorted out or something. Either find the fault in the cable or just replace the whole thing.

[@jayonez137]

@@darkirondiesel Yeah but my OHM reading is 14.7 Connecting directly to the plug hanging out of the bumper. 14.7 tests good. No? Am I missing something? My heater works fine on a circuit that’s not GFI protected. If I plugged into a GFI trips no matter what GFI I use outside. Which was never the case until a few days ago when it started tripping all of my GFI outlets outside. If I plug it directly into a unprotected circuit and it seems to work just fine. Just can’t figure out why it’s tripping my GFI’s all of a sudden

[@ryanterry5157]

@@jayonez137 did u ever figure it out I’m having a similar problem

[@jayonez137]

@@ryanterry5157 Yup Went to the Ford dealer and bought a new OEM wire. My block heater was fine. The wire was shot.

[@mestons]

Great video

[@marunio1]

Great explanation bro.

[@asablack1364]

Overnight my Cummins only heats up to *110. Is that about average? Thanks for sharing.

[@darkirondiesel]

Your coolant heats up to 110 Fahrenheit from being plugged in?

[@lord_beethoven1169]

How to test your block heater: wrap your hand around the oil cooler.

[@wayupnort6271]

Great info. Thanks! 👍🏻

[@martinsalazar1352]

👍🏻👍🏻

[@anthonydeleeuw]

When I saw the circuit showed 0.06 ohms when you put the positives down the negative together, I was expecting to see the same numbers when you connected them to the block heater cord. The reason would be because there is no power coming from the block heater. So why would the ohms change to 36 ohms?

[@ocelot2703]

Ohm is a measurement of resistance in the conductor path, the heater coil has a certain resistance. The measurement of resistance is not dependent on power in the circuit. The meter has its own power source for circuit testing.

[@bradhall7855]

Could have made it shorter by just showing the resistance on the block heater.

[@mattsmith2739]

U dumbed everything down just enuff that i think i understand sorta

[@Jerz609]

Thank u sir. Subscribe 👍

[@omfgnerd83]

Dose the 6.4 have a block heater fuse?

[@darkirondiesel]

Block heaters don’t have fuses. They aren’t tied into the trucks electrical system.

[@omfgnerd83]

@ oh thank you, we spent 15 minutes looking and checking fuses lol

[@johnmiele5058]

On a 2000 super duty diesel F250 where exactly is the block heater located is it easy to get too it ???? Thanks