Finally got round to wanting to use my block heater for 2013 XF and discovered I need an extension cord which the dealer sells for $115. Suggestions where to get one for less?

 

Is there no standard plug in the grill? Mine attaches using a regular extension cord.

 

I'd read block heaters are only standard fitting on Canadian spec.

Can't believe this doesn't include the lead!

Graham

 

If it is like the block heaters used in the earlier XJ, the cord is just a small pigtail with a normal power plug on one end and the other end is a Temro flat pack connector that plugs into the block heater cable at the grille.

The cord should have been supplied with the vehicle. Try looking in the trunk, and try asking the dealership where they usually put them. If it cannot be located, then ask the sales department of the dealership to supply it because it should have come with the car.

The earlier XJ had a TSB instructing dealers to supply missing cords because some of them were shipped without cords.

 

No such requirement on my old 2010 XFR. As stated above, should have been delivered as plug and play.

 

My dealer supplied one for free after I pointed out that I had paid for a block heater and Jaguar delivered only half a block heater. Complain, this is a ridiculous situation Jaguar got itself into. As Plums has pointed out the required cord should have been shipped with the vehicle. Mine wasn't.

Older models had a standard North American male plug neatly installed into the grille.

After the facelift Jaguar switched to a "universal" style (which I pointed out to my dealer "universally" fit no electrical system currently operating anywhere in the World). Presumably, the extension cords are sold by country with the appropriate male plug at the business end and the universal female plug at the car end.

Perhaps the new design is intended to pull more easily out of the grille if you back away forgetting to unplug?

I do know it is a royal pita to plug in as it is hard to see the exact orientation required. Also, trying to plug it in with a gloved or mitted hand looks likely to be tricky. Not a well thought out solution to a simple device.

The special extension cords have the female plug matching the "universal" male plug and have a North American male plug at the business end. They are made in Finland and I do not think you can get one anywhere but the Jaguar dealerships.

 

The older Temro was North American fare. The only way I know is from searching the internet for the only numbers on the remains of the flat pack after some previous owner clipped the pigtail clean at the flat pack. Not even enough left to splice. The number was the patent owned by Temro. Made of unobtanium these days.

In any case, the pigtail is probably meant to stay connected once mated. Some very particular people might remove them in the spring to store away in some place they will forget.

It is likely in both cases of missing pigtails that they went missing during PDI.