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Block heater?
A good friend of mine told me, Cold starts are one of the hardest things on a diesel engine. He says he runs his engine heat on his Aqua Hot the night before he starts his engine. I have been plugging block heater in a few hours before I start the Detroit, Block heater really works good after about 5 or 6 hours plugged in when I start the Detroit the Scan Gauge says engine temp is close to 100 degrees. It is a little bit of a pain dragging a heavy cord out, plugging it in to house or a power pedestal, to the rear of the bus. Has anyone wired block heater to a 15 amp breaker in the main breaker panel, to turn on block heater turn on breaker??
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9 Replies
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Hi Art, My Bus has an outlet in the Engine bay powered by a relay and control switch at the driver. Since i live in CA i figured it wouldn’t be necessary. I can use the Webasto to preheat the engine if needed. I used that outlet to power my Chassis battery Guest charger.
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Liberty put a 120volt outlet in the back that’s on a dedicated circuit and breaker on the 120volt electrical panel in the coach; I think its labeled “Engine Block Heater”. Liberty also did the same thing with a second outlet, wire, circuit, and breaker for the chassis battery charger; labeled “24 volt charger” IIRC. If you don’t have a dedicated circuit for the chassis batter charger I’d recommend that you wire both in at the same time. You might be able to your use the same duplex outlet, with each outlet in the box on a different circuit. Don’t forget to use marine grade, stranded, tinned cable to run the lines.
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My 24volt charger is in compartment with inverters and it has a switched 120v for charger, did Prevost put the block heater plug in upper rear little door at pass side? I also live in Ca on the Central Coast and weather is nice most of the time, but he said just being cold is hard on it?
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The Block heater 110 VAC power outlet on my CC is against the back wall above the rear Passenger side door. Just under the third brake light.
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The left over oil slick from engine shutdown completely disappears from cylinder walls during spring / summer weather with plugging in / use a block heater. I don’t remember seeing the S-60 engine manual a suggestion to practice that procedure.
Block heaters are highly recommend in cold weather. They also carry a long list of failures, starting buses on fire.
Everything is risk and reward.
AL
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Both my ’88 and ’98 Country Coach’s had a dedicated 30 amp circuit and on/off switch at the drivers position. I am surprised to hear that this is not standard across the board. Of course, if I needed to fire up the Webasto in the morning to take off the chill the block heater is not necessary. But if it’s been chilly and I have been away from the bus the block heater will have the engine ready to crank in less than an hour (not hot, but warm enough). I find that the series 60 is MUCH more tolerant of the cold than my 8V92. The 8V REALLY needed to be warm before you tried to fire it up!
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Your Royale should have one. Look in your main breaker box in the coach. Is there a breaker labeled”Block Heater” or “Engine heat”? If so, it should be located on the engine bay ceiling. Open the engine doors and look straight up. This plug would only operate while the coach is plugged in or running generator.
Clint & Tammy Summers
2000 XL 45 Country Coach (rivets)
1977 FC31 Bluebird Wanderlodge (more rivets)
Vonore TN -
There is no breaker and no plug in engine area. I added a breaker and a plug in living area I labeled it heater, I use that plug for a Dyson heater I use when it’s cold, It’s hard on the contact’s in the pass through on the Inverters to run electric heaters, My toe kick heaters don’t run through inverters.
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Art,
I was told that there was an AC recepticle for a block heater also,
there is not. The folks who owned our coaches didn’t think it was needed.I turn on the Aquahot engine heat exchanger switch on the dash when it will be under 40º at night. I either have the Aquahot on electric or diesel.
I did the same with my 1965 5a’s wabesto, which had an engine loop.
Jonathan Fine
1997 ROYALE XL40
#201
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