I have a 1990 Regency with the 3208TA Cat, can anyone tell me how to use the block heater?

My Stagecoach has a switch on the dash that says "Block Heater" but I have no idea what happens when it is in the on position. Does it require a power cord to be plugged in somewhere? The owners manual indicates a block heater kit was used with directions on how to use it. The problem is: I can't find the kit on the engine and it certainly isn't stowed inside the coach. Is it permanently installed on the engine only requiring a separate power cord plugged into the house or, is it a device I must insert into the engine water pump and then plug it in each time I want to use it? If this was my Buick, I'd know exactly what to look for but I don't have a clue on a Cat.

I don't know that this'll be much help on your Regency, but I also have a block heater switch over the driver's seat.

I also discovered there was a block heater installed, but the wires went nowhere. Further investigation revealed a 120VAC outlet (hiding under the converter in a compartment under the bed) that was controlled by the block heater switch, but nothing was plugged into it.

I moved the outlet to a more convenient spot, and ran cord from the block heater and plugged it in. Now I have heat.

Generally, block heaters are on the lower side of the block, and, if wired, would have 16 gage or larger wires attached. It definitely makes a difference for cold starts.

On my Breakaway, there is a block heater installed in a freeze plug hole on the side of the engine under the exhaust, it has a cord coming into the power panel at the foot of the bed and is connected to a duplex outlet that is controlled from the front switch over my left shoulder above the drivers side window.

Yes, you will need to have the coach plugged into shore power or the generator running to have the block heater work. If the block heater isn't in the engine or the heater is not plugged into or wired into the coach 120VAC power then you will have to find the respective wire and plug it in somewhere for heat.

"...120VAC outlet (hiding under the converter in a compartment under the bed) that was controlled by the block heater switch, but nothing was plugged into it."

My block heater has no switch: standard light-duty electrical cord from engine directly through the bulkhead to a space beneath the foot of the bed where there is a 120v receptacle. When the plug is inserted into the receptacle, the heater is on; unplug to turn it off. Aaaand... without generator or shore power there is no juice, so boondocking in very cold weather requires an electrical decision.

I'll scour the engine tomorrow in search of any plugs hanging down, or something that would indicate a block heater is present other than the switch. THANKS MUCH!

I tried starting the gen set and found I can turn on the block heater via the switch on the dash. After letting the gen set run for a little while, I can then start my Stagecoach.

This is a great feature if you boondock since shorepower would not be available. I would still like the option of just plugging it in so I'll have to search the engine when I get a chance and see if there is a chord that will allow that.

I like this option a lot more than ether injection systems I've heard about.

It would still be a good idea to locate the block heater and make sure juice is getting to it; as I mentioned, on mine the block heater wasn't plugged into the 120VAC outlet.

BTW, ether injection should NOT be used on engines with glow plugs.

Thanks Rusty,

I'll check it out as soon as I get it back to the house today. I think the block heater must be hooked up and working. After I had the gen set warmed up, I flipped the block heater switch to the "on" position and noticed a momentary drop in RPM on the gen set. Still, it would be good to know where the block heater is, especially since it is almost 20 years old. This Cat does not have "pre-heated" glow plugs.

I've seen other motorhomes that had the ether injection as an option but I would never use it unless I did it manually. I've heard that if you spray too much, it can cause catastrophic damage to the engine. An automatic system can fail in that it doesn't shut off and that could be a real bummer!

IIRC, the 3208 uses a pre-compustion chamber (much like my 6.5L TD does); this requires much less effort to ignite the mixture, because the volume is small.

Block heaters are better, because the whole block is heated. If yours slowed the genset, it must be a hoss! Mine's 600W.

I had a 2000 watt heater on our 8V71 in the bus I converted and it would cause the generator to give a good grunt when it was turned on.

As a side post I must admit I have not used one this century as we now avoid the cold. If I had to use a block heater it is past time to move south.

Our coach sat in the driveway for nearly 3 weeks and when I went out and got to it on Friday morning it was 17 degrees and she wouldn't start. Neither would the genny. I plugged in the the block heater for about 2 hours and gave her a go again. It started instantly and so did the genny!
Must have fairly big wattage to work that fast.
We leave for Phoenix around Dec.16th depending on the weather. A big Colorado low smacked us with about 8" of wet snow last nite and they say freezing rain turning to snow for tomorrow.
Blah! Wish we took off 2 weeks ago.
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