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R.I.P. Block Heater :-(

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by Dan., Mar 11, 2008.

  1. Dan.

    Dan. MPG Centurion

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    My block heater will be sorely missed. After numerous attempts this morning, I will finally announce my EBH as Dead. I suspected trouble since Friday, but this mornings test cinched it. It's definitely not heating.

    I back tracked a little to try to figure out what happened. Friday is Trash day, and the trash men have taken to running across the front lawns to pick up the cans instead of running along the street. So If one of them ran in front of my Prius they would have a chance of snagging the cored rather harshly. That's the best I can come up with. The fact that it was plugged in means that if some one did yank it they plugged it back in for me.

    I'll look at getting another one, but this one didn't even make it a year!

    :(

    11011011
     
    #1 Dan., Mar 11, 2008
  2. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
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    WAIT...you can resuscitate it! I've had to do that on 2 different EBHs already. Got to your local hardware store...you need a flat 3 wire 3 prong cord...it'll have the 3 prong plug like on your current cord and it'll then have 3' or so of flat cord with free wires at the end.

    The short in the current EBH cord is almost always right near where that reinforced area next to the plug is...so just cut back about 1-2" from that reinforced area and splice on the new cord. Should work fine. The new cord'll cost you ~$3-$4 and may save you the cost and trouble of a complete heater core replacement.

    Now get to work doctor...the patient still has a weak pulse!!
     
    #2 efusco, Mar 11, 2008
  3. Dan.

    Dan. MPG Centurion

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    YES... of course. Thank you doctor! So you think the short is within the first few inches closest to the three prong? I'll check the resistance across the leads and work my way back on the cord.

    11011011
     
    #3 Dan., Mar 11, 2008
  4. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
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    Both of mine were immediately behind that reinforced area and I know a few other people have had to do transplants as well and found the injury right in that same area.
     
    #4 efusco, Mar 11, 2008
  5. JimboK

    JimboK One owner, low mileage

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    I had the same problem, easily repaired. I didn't buy a replacement plug/wire combo, just a plug. The body of the plug unscrews, and then it has screw-on attachment points inside for the wires. That seems a little simpler than splicing. This is not the exact plug (the one I got was gray), but you get the concept. See this for more.
     
    #5 JimboK, Mar 11, 2008
  6. TonyPSchaefer

    TonyPSchaefer Your Friendly Moderator
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    Is there a way to extend that reinforced area? Would that eliminate the possibility of the cord shorting? There's got to be a reason why they are consistently failing at that point.
     
    #6 TonyPSchaefer, Mar 11, 2008
  7. diamondlarry

    diamondlarry EPA MPG #'s killer

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    I had the same problem with mine. I took an old extension cord(3 prong) that had been damaged somewhere in the middle and cut the end off and spliced it onto the EBH. Works great now.
     
    #7 diamondlarry, Mar 11, 2008
  8. abq sfr

    abq sfr New Member

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    If I were replacing the plug, after cutting out the suspect part of the wire, put a couple different sizes of heat-shrink tubing on the wire. After soldering the wires together and using electrical tape, move the heat-shrink tubing to the end by the plug and shrink it with the hot blower. That should help to keep it from breaking again.
     
    #8 abq sfr, Mar 11, 2008
  9. TheForce

    TheForce Stop War! Lets Rave! Make Love!

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    So are the ends of these block heaters prone to breaking the copper wire near the end of the plug? I kind of figured they would be having to grab the end to plug and unplug the power. My block heater failed last week and I haven't had a chance to diagnose it yet. This might be a good time to add the marine plug to my bumper somewhere.
     
    #9 TheForce, Mar 11, 2008
  10. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
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    The only reason I decided against that, and I even bought one as an alternative, is that I couldn't find a size that would wedge b/w the fins of that lower grill and didn't like the idea of it just hanging out there. The replacement plug w/ cord was the exact size of the old one and thus the cover fits and it wedges in the slats.
     
    #10 efusco, Mar 11, 2008
  11. JimboK

    JimboK One owner, low mileage

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    Good point. I didn't consider that because I've never tried to push the plug back through the grill. I've always just tucked it behind the edge of the front end bra. As I think about it, the plug I now have almost certainly would not fit between the fins.
     
    #11 JimboK, Mar 11, 2008
  12. patsparks

    patsparks An Aussie perspective

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    I suspect the garbo man plugged the car back in because he didn't want the guy with the electric car to be stuck with a flat battery in the morning.
     
    #12 patsparks, Mar 11, 2008
  13. hobbit

    hobbit Senior Member

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    Interesting. I wonder where the cordsets are made...
    .
    Makes me glad my plug is stashed safely up near the relay
    box instead of hangin' out there in the breeze...
    .
    _H*
     
    #13 hobbit, Mar 11, 2008
  14. Jimmie84

    Jimmie84 New Member

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    Somebody post a picture of what it looks like. I've went through 3 of them on my ride and the actual heater was the casue of the failure.
     
    #14 Jimmie84, Mar 11, 2008
  15. TheForce

    TheForce Stop War! Lets Rave! Make Love!

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    Well I finally figured out what was wrong with mine. The wires near the end of the plug broke. I took my multimeter to it and it read 0 ohm and about 30 when moved it around a little. Looks like I will have to replace the plug end.
     
    #15 TheForce, Mar 12, 2008
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