Boy does it take a LONG time to warm up!

[SmokinJoe]

This afternoon it was 25 degrees F here in Michigan.

I plugged the truck in for 60 minutes and then started it up. I ran the defroster for 12-15 minutes. I could tell the coolant was getting warm because the heater was working. The temp gage did not show it was climbing at all. The fan on the engine is running like mad, doing its job...

I take the truck into town, 1. 5 miles of 30 mph and the engine is up to 150 degrees F. Next 2 miles of 55 mph and the engine is up to 180 degrees F. Next I drive 3 miles of 45 mph to get into town.

I decide to get on the freeway after dropping off a package at a friends. I travel 4 miles at 70 mpg and then take a 10 mile jog the back way to home at 55 mph.

I have about 1 mile at 30 mph to get to the house. I pull into the drive and park, let the engine idle for 1-2 minutes(with the engine fan running like mad) and then turn the beast off.

When I check how hot the engine was I am amazed. The snow on the hood did not melt at all. The engine compartment is almost stone cold. The radiator for engine coolant is very cold, the bottom side of the top coolant hose feels a little warmth to the touch. The valve cover is stone cold.

Is this normal? It seems odd to me...


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2001. 5 QC 2500 White Sport 4x4 LWB ETC 5-Speed Anti-Spin 3. 54 Trailer Tow 241HD SLT+ Tan Leather(Mad Cow Disease) LT265/75R16E

 

[work2muchplay2little]

Hmmmm... . I wonder if your thermostat is sticking open. I've been able to warm up my truck even in single digit temperatures.

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Kurt Voss
+++++++++++++++++++++++++1999 2500 24VCTD AUTO 4x4 QC LB Laramie SLT, Luverne stainless steel nerf bars, 3 piece bug deflector, mopar mud flaps, Line-X bedliner, unBOMBed... . yet

 

[SmokinJoe]

Originally posted by work2muchplay2little:
Hmmmm... . I wonder if your thermostat is sticking open. I've been able to warm up my truck even in single digit temperatures.

I see the temp gauge move when the t stat opens. I am reading in the archives, looks like the CTD runs very cool, a good thing on a hot day going up hill pulling a heavy load, but not so good for us in Michigan...

 

[Tom C]

smokin joe, I have tried just plugging the truck in 60 minutes before use in the morning. and it does not seem to help with the worm up. but when I plug it in the night before say at 8PM. by 6 AM the next morning when I start it, it will be blowing warm air from the ducks and will be reading normal temp on the guage in about 4 miles at 25° temps.

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2001. 5 2500 4X4, QC, Auto, 3. 54 LSD, SLT, SWB, Trailer, Camper & Snow plow Packages, White, 35k# Cody Hitch, 20' Gooseneck Lowboy flat-bed Trailer.

 

[RobbyRam]

Try putting you warm-up cord on a timer to go on about 3 hours before you will start it. That's about all you'll need. Any more and it's costing you big KW hours of electricity!

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Y2K Black 3500 ISB 4x4, 4:10 LSD,Auto,QC,SLT Laramie,"EZ",DTT VB,DD2's,LB, Polished Stull Billet Grill & Fog inserts, Chrome Smitty-Built Step Rails, Mopar Chrome-Tipped Mud Flaps, A-Pillar mounted West-Tach Turbo/Pyro/Trans Temp gauges,Rancho 9000's set at '1',Diamond Plated Tool Box, OEM U. R. Bedliner + other stuff.
Fact:The First Fords' had 'DODGE' Engines! The new PSD's need them!

 

[SmokinJoe]

Originally posted by RobbyRam:
Try putting you warm-up cord on a timer to go on about 3 hours before you will start it.

How many amps does the thing pull. One of the guys at work says it will eat the cheapie timers like candy...


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2001. 5 QC 2500 White Sport 4x4 LWB ETC 5-Speed Anti-Spin 3. 54 Trailer Tow 241HD SLT+ Tan Leather(Mad Cow Disease) LT265/75R16E

 

[Alan Reagan]

Are you running a cold front to block the radiator? That will help alot.

 

[ReggieRam]

I agree whole-heartedly with Robby. When winter hit here, temps in the teens at night, I was leaving my beast plugged in all night. When the wife started complaining of triple digit electricity bills, I went to Home Depot and bought a timer. Timer comes on @ 2 AM, I leave @ 5 AM, the truck is toasty in the driveway, the electric bill dropped significantly, everybody's happy.

I didn't have any problems frying the timer, but I did make sure I got a slightly heavier duty version. JMHO

Chris

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2000 3500 QC 4x4, 6 Speed, 4:10, LSD, Raider cap, Carpet kit, Spray-in liner, K&N Filter. "OBNOXIOUS BEAST"

 

[Ramafid]

You will need a heavy duty timer. I forget what the amp or watt rating is for the block heater. I think the owner's manual tells you. Just be sure to buy a timer rated higher than that. I bought a HD outdoors timer and it works great.

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Y2K 2500 4x4 SLT AUTO 3. 54 LSD HD241 FOREST GREEN/DRIFTWOOD

 

[illflem]

The block heater draws about 6 amps/700 watts, well within the range of most household timers. Problem is that the cooling system is an overkill for the cold time of the year. Me and a few others have solved the problem by removing the fan for the winter. Problem with going fanless is that you will never want to put it back on, the truck runs so much better and quieter. With a winter front and no fan my truck warms fine, remove the front when the temps hit 50° outside, not sure yet when to put the fan back on, I've been driving mine in 75° weather with no coolant temps over 190° so far.

 

[Cooker]

The heater draws ~720 watts. This is about 6 amps.

Ryan

 

[TowPro]

I think we all have the same problem.

My ISB will not warm up at idle. It would take about 10 minutes to even fell heat from it driving it

I even noticed it would only hit 180 at all driving in the winter, and get stuck in traffic and I have seen the temp drop below the band torwards the cold mark.

Then I added the Lund Cold Front. It don't help warm up much, but it does stay a constent 180 after heated up.

Then I installed the BD exhaust brake. Now I start the truck, walk inside for about 3-5 minutes, come back out and its got heat. Plus it heats up quicker while driving it(if its on). (I live on top of a mountain, its down hill for about 4-5 miles every time I leave the house so the engine would not produce heat until I got off the hill (before the exhaust brake)).

 

[Deezul1]

I have been using a cheapie light timer I had laying around and after a winters use it still works fine. I have completly blocked my radiator with cardboard all winter and it has never gone over 190 but warms up faster, and it doesnt even get cold in Central Texas, a bad day here is 30 deg.
John

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96 SLT Laramie CC 5spd, 3. 54, no muff, no cat, 5"turn down tip. (its for sale)
. Member NRA/USPSA

 

[Big-D]

EricBu12,

The purpose of plugging in your heater prior to starting is to assist in ease of turning over the engine and to help circulate the oil faster. To start the engine cold and use the heater to assist in warming the engine quicker isn't the intended purpose of the heater. At least in my opinion.

Unlike gasoline engines, diesel's have extremely high combustion ratios. When you start them in cold temperatures without benefit of preheat, wear occurs tremendously fast.

Whether you leave the heater plugged in or not after starting is up to you. Personally, I don't. If I really wanted the engine to warm up faster I would remove the fan, but would still plug in my heater prior to initial starting.

Just my two cents. . Dave

 

[EricBu12]

I tried this a couple of times... ...

When you go out to start up the truck, go out like 10 min earlyer than you would... then plug in your heater WHILE THE ENGINE IS RUNNING.
The running engine circulates the water past the heater so cold water get heated faster. I do this for 10 min and it is like 1 or 2 hours equivalent heating with engine off. I get warm air in 10 min and 3 miles of driving


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2001 QC 2500 4x4 bronze W/two tone Driftwood, 24valve HO 6sp. Westin side bars, fender flares, Spray on bedliner, shell Painted to match and soon to get Bf Goodrich AT Tires. Bed rug inside shell W/aux marine deep cycle batt for lights, etc. M Brolins' CB mount.
Name of rig is "big bronze Brute"

 

[Cooker]

Some believe it is a bad idea to leave the heater pluged in while the truck is running. There is a remote possibility that the element could come in contact with some air in the system. This will cause the element to fail.

For this reason, I don't start, or run, the truck with the heater pluged in. JMHO, Ryan

 

[PAYCHECK]

Mine warms up fine here in wy. I use a timer for 3 hours before start, then turn e-brake when started. It works great! I have heat in a couple of min. and up to normal within 5-7 miles @35-45 mph. The e-brake has many other advantages also!

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01 2500HD QC,SB,3. 54,5 spd,4X4,241HD,SLT+,Sport all black,fully loaded,all leather htd,jacobs e-brake,tow pack,camper pack,,full rhino lining bed and rocker panels,265/75r16 BFG ATs ko,nerf bars,everthing black,4'' Jardine,ultra lite pyro & boost on a-pillar,EZ,NO stickers except cummins on door,License plate-1 CUMN,

 

[SmokinJoe]

Originally posted by Alan Reagan:
Are you running a cold front to block the radiator? That will help alot.

I blocked the radiator, had to take it out when we started pulling an empty 2000 lbs trailer... Empty around town/work the temp never goes above 180 with a big sheet of cardboard(95% cover).