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Block heater buzzing

MrMarty51

MrMarty51

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Miles City, Montana
Yesterday evening, was out checking oil level on the wifeys Buick Century. Oh yeah was still on full from about three weeks ago when I last checked it, finally oil leak stopped.
Anyhow, while out there I could hear a faint and distant buzzing kind of a sound.
I thought sounds like a neighbor running a noisy vacuum in their house. Never thought any more about it.
This afternoon I go out and that noise is still emitting from where ever it was coming from.
Unlock the door and I then could tell it was the truck.
Pull hood latch, get hood open. Noise sounded like maybe ABS box. Could not feel anything buzzing or vibrating, thought HHHMMmmm, unplug the block soft plug heater, takes a few seconds and the noise stops.
Must have been the boock heater boiling the coolant away from it.
After I got hkme from My running round, plugged back in the heater.
Went out to move the trash bin to the street and it now was not making a noise.
I wonder if it is okay to leave the block heater plugged in for two or three weeks at a time without firing up the enjun ?
 
NVW said:
My block heaters will make what I think is a "sizzling" sound, other than that I'm no help
Click to expand...
Yeah, this was quite some above the usual sizzle noise. Most times I cant hear the sizzle.
From the back gate to where the truck sets, over 20 feets. I could hear this.
Now I’ll be going out daily to see if it does that again.
 
ak diesel driver said:
Same, we used to plug them in and listen for them to sizzle to verify they were working
Click to expand...
Yup, if I could not hear it sizzling after a couple of minutes, I’d go in and check the GFI that circuit is hooked to. Go back in a half a hour or so to see if I could then hear the sizzle.
This noise was way i er that though. Indid not have in My hearing aids and I could hear this from over 20 feet away. That sound of like a shop vac in an enclosed building a short distance away, while outside that building.
 
Honestly I have never heard a peep from mine, but it's the factory 600 watt one. barely does anything for it in the COLD weather other than I can tell it's working when I crank her up it's not as noisy as if when I didn't plug her in! I probably need to replace it and add a second one on the passenger side.

@MrMarty51 the sound your describing could possibly be the element arcing inside the block, or the cord on the beginning of giving up. if you have an amp clamp you might consider checking to see if it's pulling more juice than normal at various times.
 
Yes on sound normal.
Yes ok to leave it plugged in a long time. All emergency generators wether diesel, gasoline, natural gas are required to have a block heater running to maintain minimum normal operating temperature. So even here in the land of stupid hot, we have generators that have a block heater running for 12 months a year.

The block heater is like anything and wears out in time. So eventually it will need replacement and two things wile it out: using it and corrosion in the system (from not being flushed usually).
The block heater is like anything and wears out in time. So eventually it will need replacement and two things wile it out: using it and corrosion in the system (from not being flushed usually).

The other draw back is just electricity cost.
 
@dbrannon79
Always check the heater with the cord attached as the first step.
If no reading then remove the cord and test the cord.
I have replaces a lot more cords than I have the heaters.
Most times, if there is enough cord hanging through the front of the truck, clip off the plug about four or so inches back, bare the wires, retest the cord, if it then checks okay, install a new cord end.
The cord at the plug end is usually the biggest failure and replacing just the end saves a few bucks.
 
I have a extra heater I've been wanting to put in.. it's one that goes in radiator hose.. (cut hose and put it in) but can never find out if it is right diameter to fit in lower hose.. I don't want to cut the hose and then it not be right... Fire replace the block one at the same time
 
Get a circulating heater, they can go in one of the heater core hoses, they aren't that much and will heat the whole block.

When I rebuilt my engines, I Put a regular block heater on each side. That way the whole block is heated.
 
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