Block Heater Cord Loosens Off

[rpn453]

Has anyone else ever had their block heater cord loosen off at the connection with the heater unit?

My block heater stopped working a couple of weeks ago. I assumed the male end of the cord was bad (common problem) so, after confirming an open circuit with the multimeter, I cut it off and tested the wires. Still an open circuit. Doh! I was so sure that the plug would be the problem that I didn't even leave enough wire to solder it back on. I ended up cutting a better one off the end of an extension cord and soldering that on instead of using one of those screw-together ends, which would have been to bulky to slip into my front grille when not in use.

I get the heat shield for the exhaust manifold off and see that the connection where the cord plugs into the heater has loosened off. I push it back in and it works, but requires little effort to remove and install it. So I cut a hose clamp and made it into a strap to hold the connection together, with another hose clamp to keep the strap in place.

I've heard that this is how most block heaters are constructed. Why is this the only electrical connection under the hood that doesn't have a way of locking it into place? Every other connection relies on more than just friction. Terrible design. I hope my fix holds up.

 

[GMBoy]

Not sure what vehicle you're talking about here, but I know the engine block heaters we use on the GMT900's have a retainer clip on the cord that locks it onto the actual block heater to keep it in place.

 

[rpn453]

Originally Posted By: GMBoy
Not sure what vehicle you're talking about here, but I know the engine block heaters we use on the GMT900's have a retainer clip on the cord that locks it onto the actual block heater to keep it in place.


It's on my Mazda 3.

A clip would work. I've also found out that my buddy's Dodge uses a nut to lock the connection together on his truck. I'm guessing most people would never notice a non-functioning block heater, so they probably don't get any back on warranty. I'm a few months past my bumper-to-bumper warranty now, so I have no reason to see Mazda about the problem.

 

[bdcardinal]

we never see block heaters at the Mazda dealer i work at. ill try to look at the parts lookup to see if there is a retainer for the block heater.