Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) Block heater, when do you use it?

[RJPotts]

Alright.

I got the 96' in my siga few weeks ago, and cold weather is coming. As far as I know my grid heater is not working, no wait to start light and it doesn't "surge" when its cold like the grid heater is cycling. This is something that I will be fixing, but it isn't the first on my list of things to do.

How cold should it be outside when I start to use the block heater?

Since I've owned it the coldest its been when I started it was about 48*F and it was fine with a few seconds of high idle.



Should I bump the "Wait to Start" light and grid heater up on my list of things to do? Or just use the block heater?



Thanks in advance.

-R. J.

 

[Gene Arnold]

R. J.



If I lived where you lived I'd never plug it in. I didn't plug in once last winter. Lowest temperature upon starting was probably twenty degrees. If we were consistently in the low twenties I'd plug in.



Of course it can be argued that consistently plugging in will cut down a bit on wear caused by cold temperature starts. Also it is very important to drive very carefully until the engine is well lubed (that is true with gassers as well as diesels).



OOPS, I just now read your post more carefully and note your grid heater is inoperative. Until you fix it It will probably be less wear and tear on your starter to plug it in.



Gene

 

[crabman]

RJP,

Does the volt meter go down and the back to normal when you first start the truck? If not, check the relays first. They are located on d/s under battery on fender. The price for replacement is about $60 and they come in pairs.

The relays can be removed without taking out battery, battery tray, etc. but it is way easier if you remove the above items. And you can clean up the battery area while you are at it.



CTD will start without the grid heater at colder temps but will smoke and run rough for awhile. Try it with and without the block heater and see if makes a difference. If you do plug it in don't forget to unplug it!!! You can loop the ext. cord over the d/s mirror for a reminder.



crabman

 

[DJb]

I'm in the Houston area and will plug mine in for an hour or so when the temps drop into the 40's. Also like the 'instant' heater too... .

 

[vssman]

40's - instant heat... :-laf I couple degrees lower and I'd be happy



Anyway back to the question, you need to fix the grid heater and it'll start just fine even if it's below zero. Of course, you won't get much heat for a while. Some of us up north even take off the fan for the winter. I never plug mine in, neither does one of my wife's relatives who runs a fairly large construction business. Plugging in the heater will only make your meter spin faster.

 

[DJb]

If you lived in the Houston area, 45 would feel pretty cool especially after the 98% humidity and 100 degree weather lol and I ran most of last winter without a fan on mine or had the radiator blocked too. I very seldom plug in my truck since it's garaged but I work at a refinery and they have plenty of energy for the meter

 

[WDixon27]

i saw my grid heater cycle on for the first time this morning at around 45* on my 96 till then i wasn't sure it worked, it may just not be cold enough yet for yours

 

[Bart]

I plug mine in when the weatherman calls for 40 and below. I have mine set on a timer that starts warming CTD up about 1 1/2 to 2 hours before I need it. It starts at the first touch of the key. This is better on the starter motor. It gets down into the twentys and thirties here and my BART is tucked comfortably in the garage 99% of the time

 

[PSchwering]

My brother has an Oliver tractor with a 92 vintage B engine, that does not have grid heaters. It will start down to about the freezing point, comfortably. Any colder than that, & you need to plug it in Or crank excessively. P.

 

[EBansberg]

obviously, they work, the motor just didn't sense the "need" for it. They should come on at roughly 55*. Your IAT sensor may be dirty. Try cleaning it if the temp difference bothers you. Otherwise you know it'll work when really needed.

 

[Signal73]

How do you know if your grids are working? I get a WTS light and it has been staying on for about 10 secs. in the AM first start, only stays on for about 3 sec on warm start. Also is there some kind of 3 cylynder warm up thing some old guy was tellin me about at the store the other day

 

[WDixon27]

you will see the volt meter twitch as they cycle on and off

 

[Jeff H]

I start pluggin when I we hit single digits. I have an outdoor timer that comes on an hour before I leave. Plus a thermo cube that shuts off if the temps go above 40. It really doesn't take long at all.

For sub zero I have a magnetic oil pan heater. I hate to wait 20 secounds for oil pressure to build.

 

[EBansberg]

When the light stays on for 10 seconds the grids are on. The light comes on briefly like all the other lights on the dash so that you can make sure it works. Once it goes off and you start the engine, watch the voltmeter. It'll probably climb up to the middle and then swing back down as they cycle on and off a few times, the number depending on how cold it is. Another point to remember is it draws a lot off the batteries and if it cycles a lot of times, it will take a while of driving before the batteries completely recharge.

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

Judging by the way the block heater cord on my '96 is still wrapped up with the factory zip tie I don't think it's ever been plugged in! Maybe I oughta plug it in this winter to see if it works, but my engine warranty ran out 282,000 miles ago

 

[RJPotts]

Sorry for the slow response times, my computer decided it didn't like me and wanted to take a break for a few days.

Alright, now to correct myself. My grid heater IS working. The WTS light is not. So I guess all is good. I started it Monday in the morning and listened for the grid heater to kick off, then I cranked it and the voltmeter was fluctuating like it should.

Thanks for the info anyways. One more question though. How long does it normally take for the block heater to get everything warm? I'm sure it depends on ambient temp, so lets say somewhere around 20*F.



Thanks,

-R. J.

 

[JGheen]

I usually plug mine in when it gets below 50*F or so. Like Gene stated above, I just do it to reduce the potential wear and tear from clod starting.



A question I have about this heater since we are on the subject is, would it be to any benefit to leave it plugged in to accelerate the engine temp warm-up time? Sometimes I forget to plug it in at night before bed, then try to wake up a little earlier to plug it in and give it time to heat. But if I plugged it in about 1/2 hour before start-up, would it help the engine warm-up faster if I left it plugged in after start-up??



Joe