Block Heater working but not working

[shaley]

600 wats sounds high. My 45hp 2120 uses a 400 watt and so does my TC55. Heck my dodge only has a 750 watt. Sounds like it is something else. Have you checked the resistance of the glow plugs? Are they working? Got any cetane boost in the tank?

 

[greg0145]

I have a TC40D and it has been single digit temps here the last week or so. I don't have my heater plugged in and I still start up with no problem. I do cycle the glow plugs 3 times before turning it over but it fires right up.

Mine is only turning over once and then the starter gives up with the clicking sound (kind of like with a weak battery)

Because the battery is only a year old and I spray coated the terminals with the red greasy stuff that protects them from corrosion when I installed the new battery, I never considered problems in the starting system but I will investigate everything from the battery to the starter. I will also replace the block heater because it seems suspect.

Thank you to everyone who contributed!

 

[Jerry/MT]

First a small correction, the tractor is a 2002 TC40D.

To determine the wattage I have a device called Kill A Watt EZ I purchased on Amazon. You can plug in a device, let it run for a number of hours, enter in your electricity cost per kilowatt, and it will display how much electricity the device used and how much it costs to run that device per hour, per day and per year. The meter indicated that the block heater consumed 8.7KW over a 21 hour period or about 414 watts per hour. I spot checked just now and it indicated 420 watts and 3.4 amps. When I plug in the block heater I can faintly hear it sizzle and this is normal from previous years. I measured the resistance at the three pins of the heater. They are not labeled. The resistance between the outer pins is 34 ohms. The resistance between the outer pins and the center pin or the block is infinity or open.

The glow plug circuit is working normal, the battery is new and indicated just over 12 volts (Red Optima with 800 CCA) The engine is not turning over quickly, that is the problem. It has been so cold, sub zero, that the engine will need to be heated in order for the engine to turn over quickly enough to start. In the past that only required the block heater to be plugged in for a few hours.

Just now I touched the heater itself and it felt warm but not hot after being connected for 10 minutes. I have never touched it before so an not sure if this is normal.

How long did you plug the heater in before you tried to start it? 2 hours should be long enough to heat up the water jacket if it's working correctly. You hear it sizzling so it's working somewhat.

If it's supposed to be 600 watts, and your reading 420 W then the element is probably breaking down and needs replacement.
Generally if you get the water jacket warm, the engine will turn over fine because the oil on the piston rings/cylinder walls is warmed up and it's viscosity is reduced.

 

[TO_Bud]

Mine is only turning over once and then the starter gives up with the clicking sound (kind of like with a weak battery)

There is a lot of internet chatter on the Optima batteries being problematic, I've never had one, but it is sounding battery related to me. Here is a link to proper charging procedure for the optima ... Click here. You didn't say what weight oil you are running, it can be a big factor at low temps, you need to get that engine spinning good to get it to ignite the fuel. Put a charger on that battery if you can. If not, pull it and have it tested at your local autoparts store.

Not sure if my link made it so try this Charging an Optima or AGM Battery : Batteries Are Us

 

[moship]

greg0145,

Did you check to make certain your coolant did not end up in the oil pan? That is a lot of fluid to consume and not notice.

 

[CurlyDave]

...The glow plug circuit is working normal, the battery is new and indicated just over 12 volts (Red Optima with 800 CCA) The engine is not turning over quickly, that is the problem. It has been so cold, sub zero, that the engine will need to be heated in order for the engine to turn over quickly enough to start. In the past that only required the block heater to be plugged in for a few hours...

12 volts is too low for a battery. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead紡cid_battery

Click on the graph of voltage vs. charge to enlarge it. You should have over 12.5 volts at full charge.

Low battery voltage can be caused by cold, and in cold enough weather a battery will sometimes not take a charge.

I would try jumping the battery with heavy jumper cables and from a running vehicle before I got too carried away with fixing the block heater which might be OK.

 

[greg0145]

I plugged in the block heater and connected a battery charger for 90 minutes and the tractor started.

The battery, although fairly new, may not have the capacity to get the job done in really cold conditions.

The block heater is putting out some heat but may not be as effective as previous years.

The oil level is normal. There is no sign of coolant in the oil. I don't recall the viscosity of the oil but I am mindful when I change the oil that it will need to be appropriate for cold weather. I do recall it was a fully synthetic oil formulated for diesel engines. The oil on the dipstick doesn't seem overly viscous so I don't think that was the problem.

I do see evidence of coolant leaking from a fitting. I don't know what the fitting is called. The fitting is located on the right side of the block a few inches northeast of the oil filter. The fitting has a small diameter hose connected to it and the hose continues to the bottom of the radiator. Another project for another day.

Thanks for all the insight and suggestions.