Installation guide

How to install TITAN heaters

Step-by-step instructions for heater pads, fuel filter heaters and battery warmers.

Heater pads Fuel filter heaters Battery warmers

Engine & fluid heater pads

Oil pan and fluid heater installation

For oil pans and hydraulic tanks.

About 10 minutes once the surface is clean

In the box

Heater pad, scraper, silicone sealant, cable ties and instructions.

12 V and 24 V pads: see 12 V and 24 V wiring

  1. Spraying degreaser over the oil pan to clean off oil and road grime

    Choose the spot

    Pick a flat metal area where the whole pad can sit in full contact. Avoid rough or uneven areas: air pockets under the pad cause early failure.

    Hydraulic tanks: mount the pad below the lowest fluid level.

  2. Sanding a patch of the oil pan to bare metal with an angle grinder

    Prepare the surface

    • Clean off dirt, grease and oil
    • Hold the pad in place and trace its outline
    • Sand the paint off inside the outline, leaving the metal scuffed for better grip
    • Wipe with acetone or brake cleaner. Don't use gasoline, diesel, detergent or degreaser, as they leave a film
    • Let the surface dry completely
  3. Peeling the 3M VHB liner off the back of the heater pad

    Activate the adhesive

    Peel off the backing without touching the adhesive, then plug the pad in for 3–5 seconds.

  4. Pressing the heater pad onto the oil pan with a scraper, cord to one side

    Apply the pad

    • Press the pad onto the prepared area, starting from one edge
    • Use the scraper to flatten it and push out any air
    • Fit a cable tie close to the pad so the cord's weight doesn't pull on it
  5. Pressing the warmed heater pad down again with a scraper to set the adhesive

    Warm and press again

    Plug the pad in for 5–10 seconds, unplug it, then scrape across the whole pad again.

  6. Running a bead of sealant around the edges of the heater pad

    Seal the edges

    Run a small bead of the supplied silicone sealant around the outside edge of the pad.

  7. Heater pad bonded to the oil pan, cord tied off and routed away from the pan

    Route the cord and let it cure

    Secure the cord with cable ties, away from moving parts and hot surfaces. Wait 24 hours before using the heater.

Fuel filter heaters

Fuel filter heater installation

For metal diesel fuel filters, including biodiesel blends. Not for gasoline.

5 minutes to fit, plus wiring

  1. Heater wrapped around a spin-on fuel filter, leads toward the harness

    Wrap the heater around the spin-on fuel filter (fits 3.75–5 in filters) with the leads toward the harness.

  2. Velcro strap pulled snug around the fuel filter heater

    Pull the Velcro strap snug.

  3. Fuel filter heater wired through an inline fuse and switch, ground lead to the chassis

    Wire it

    Ground lead to a clean chassis ground; positive lead through an inline fuse to a switched 12 V or 24 V circuit, ideally a cab-mounted lighted toggle switch through a relay, as in the wiring diagram.

  4. At a filter change, the heater comes off the old fuel filter and wraps onto the new one

    At every filter change, move the heater to the new filter.

12 V and 24 V wiring: fused, switched, grounded to the chassis

12 V and 24 V wiring

Fuel filter heaters and 12 V/24 V pads wire the same way: fused, switched, grounded to the chassis.

Battery warmers

Battery warmer installation

About 10 minutes

  1. Battery warmer laid flat in an empty battery tray, cord at the outer edge

    Lift the battery out. Lay the warmer flat in the bottom of the tray, cord toward the outer edge nearest your outlet. Notch the tray lip for the cord if needed; ordinary tools do it.

  2. Battery set back down on the warmer in the tray

    Set the battery back down on the warmer and tighten the hold-down.

  3. Battery on the warmer with the cord routed through the grille to the plug

    Route the cord through the grille or to a convenient spot and plug in.

Not for insulated battery boxes. Unplug when it's above freezing.

Support

Need installation help or a custom requirement?

Contact TITAN support