Does anyone else have a plug (like for an extensition cord) behind their front bumper?

My 97 4x4 expedtion has one, I just found it today during oil change.

What exactly doe sit plug into...

I know disels often have plugs for external heaters, but I didn't think my 4.6 would need that

 

i believe there is/was an option for a block heater, maybe thats it?

 

That was the only option I didn't get.

I guess you didn't buy it new.

Maybe it's not orginally a Texas truck.
Must be from up North someplace where a block heater would be useful.

 

Thanks for quick replies!

Yeah I didn't but it new, heck I haven't had it 6 months yet.

Interesting though

Some kind of snow package?

I am supposed to have the tow package

Previous owner nailed a curb in the front, and I haven't been able to figure out how they hit it so hard as to take a 6in long chunk out...now I figure it was probably on ice up north

 

If this plug you found has a cap on it, then its a block heater.This is really useful for were I am living. Brrrrr.

 

I would get a carfax on that truck. You may have a rust-belt truck that was re-located to texas.

 

If you follow it back, it goes into the engine via a plug that looks like a 3 leaf clover. That is the block heater. You'll have lots of need for that in TX D:

It is a $55.00 option, that when purchased with another kit you get a $ 55.00 credit, so it is free. At least on my truck when I ordered it, that is how the packages were put together.

Actually if you need to leave early, and it is in the high 30s low 40s, you start the truck and the engine temp is already up in the operating range, so you can take off straight away. I use mine up to the 40s when I am leaving early for the airport, so I don't have to let it idle that long in the driveway at 4:30 am, and annoy the neighbors with my Bassani xhst

 

I've checked the body, and though there only a few questionable spots near the rear hitch. I am not worried.

I would like to know how the heater works though...yeah in texas we don't get much cold, but then again, it still gets cold in winter and would be nice to not sit around in the cold while my engine heats up

Are then temp limits?
Does it regulate itself?
Can it catch fire and burn my engine down?

 

You plug it in. It warms the engine coolant to temp high enough to open the thermstat. Once open the water flows thru the engine keeping the system at operating temp. No warm-up required for the heater inside=nice and cozy in the frosty morning. Don't have to wait in the driveway, just go. Don't forget to unplug. Lots of trucks have them in the north, its almost standard on diesel powered trucks I think.

It regulates itself, should not harm anything or they would not have made it, just don't touch-it bare handed.
If if gets to hot the electrical circuit its plugged into should trip.

 

never seen a block heater warm a engine enuff to open
the themostate
and also have seen many frie stuff with the cord
usually we in canada plug in for 2hrs before at -10c
most large parking lots at hospitals etc have tther
outside plugs go off and on in 1 hour intervals
power conservation
mitch

 

What Watsonr is talking about is a tank heat not a block heater. I tank heater is installed on the heater hose to heat and circulate coolant to warm the engine, a block heat just heats the block.

 

does this plug have a connection like it would connect to a extension cord? I have something similar to it but it was the daytime running lights connection. Its not requiered in the states but its there anyway.

 

The block heater is a resistive heating circuit, runs at 1 setting, full on.
Full on is not enough to get the coolant to 192*F, but it is a sliver inside the operating range when you start up.

I have mine on a HD timer ( 30 AMP contacts ) and it goes on at 2:00, for when I have to leave at 4:30.

One word to the wise, resistive heating is a heavy curent draw, so use at least a 14AWG extension cord for it, if the cord is of any length.

I have my timer wised on a 12AWG cord with 30AMP cord ends, but that is what I had around.

If the AWG of the cord is too small, you will notice the cord gets hot. Again this is if the cord is of any length ( say a 25' cord that is 16/3 ).

I have yet to see a cord in good repair catch fire. Guess if you get in the habit of driving off with it plugged in, you will damage it enough to catch fire. That is true of any cord, abuse it enough and it will go poof. The breaker / fuse on the house should trip if it gets too far along in the short. Then again 16/2 and 18/2 extension cords that people put under rugs and walk on all the time, catch fire and burn down houses all the time. But that is more along the lines of the cord shorts, and creates heat, and the rug that it shouldn't be under catches on fire. The cord only goes so far, and the breaker / fuse shuts it down.

97f150f/s,
It is a standard US 3 prong cord end, not the one you are talking about.

 

"If the AWG of the cord is too small, you will notice the cord gets hot. Again this is if the cord is of any length ( say a 25' cord that is 16/3 ).

I have yet to see a cord in good repair catch fire."

Take that cord with a heavy draw on it and leave the extra cord coiled up on itself on the floor or under a mat and it will burn.

They say even in the coldest temps you won't heat the block any more than plugging it in for four hours. Some people get in the habit of leaving it plugged in all the time but it just costs more. There is the danger of burning out the block heater as well. Its just below freezing here today but thats not cold enough to plug in. I mean you could, but your vehicle will not have any trouble starting.

 

In 98 the engine block heater was like $30.00. The heavy duty battery was $72.00 option but if you ordered the cold weather package which is the battery and the heater it is only $90.00 dollars. The engine block heater warms the engine to about 100 degrees, not all the way up to operating temperature. It is really nice on those 0 degree mornings because it only takes about 5 minutes of running to get heat from the heater and also it makes starting the truck a lot easier then having it cold.