Espar heater performance?

[osmith]

I have a question for those of you who have them.



I will run mine for an hour or more in -10c to -15c and the air coming into my truck is just warm. After an hour or hour 1/2 I thought it would be quite a bit warmer. It takes the chill out of the truck and starts to defrost the window. It's working you can hear it blasting away, but I expected a little more. What are your experiences with how warm your espar gets??





thanks. .

 

[JohnE]

That's what I get from mine, too. I wasn't looking to have a heated interior. The main thing is the engine starts easy and doesn't blow much white smoke.



If you want to warm the cab faster, start the engine and leave the Espar running. I run a cold front and remove the fan, too.



Make sure to keep the batteries fully charged. The Espar will really suck them down, especially if you run the blower fan. I froze my batteries last year by running them down with the Espar.

 

[HEMI®Dart]

That is about normal. You probably could get the coolant a little warmer by not leaving the blower on, and just turn it on when when you start the truck. There also is alot of COLD coolant the Espar has to warm. I personally never leave the blower on. I am more concerned with getting the block warm so the heater grids won't light. In 30º- 40º weather, Espar running for 1 hour, 15min, blower off, I can get the coolant temp to 1 needle width upscale past 140º.

 

[osmith]

espar

Thanks for the replies,



I'm not real concerned about the cab temp either... but I thought that the air temp would be a good indication of how warm the block is as well. I primarily bought the heater to save my truck a little from the cold start and thick oil. I usually leave my blower on the lowest setting so that it clears the windshield a little.



I'll have to try it with the blower shut off and see how hot it gets.



Thanks again... .

 

[JohnE]

I thought of something while outside vacuuming the pickup this afternoon.

<b>WIND</b>

My driveway is sheltered from the wind and by parking the truck close to the garage door helps it warm better in the morning even with only 45 minutes of Espar run time.



When I use the Espar at work where the parking lot is not protected and a frigid wind tunnel it takes over an hour of run time to get the same warming.

 

[bmoeller]

I don't have an Espar heater, but am considering one. Which one is the correct one to get? Ballpark, how much do they cost? Mostly would like one to keep the engine/oil warm so pressure comes up quicker when cold out and starts easier. Can't always plug in at work or near an outlet. I normally park so the wind won't blow directly in from front of the truck (don't have a winterfront). TIA.

 

[JohnE]

Unless you travel into colder climates, I wouldn't get a heater.

Cold front, removing the radiator fan, and synthetic 5W-?? engine oil will do wonders for your mild winter driving.



Espar has a Dodge Ram installation package. It includes the heater, mounting brackets, timer, wire harness, and plumbing. They are over $1,000 USD these days.



Go to the Espar website and use dealer locator.



Webasto makes a compact unit, too. Guys at an area injection service shop told me they know people that have installed ProHeat (only come in truck sized) units in the bed of their pickup.



btw

I hope your signature &quot;STAY LOADED&quot; refers to firearms and not chemical influenced driving.

 

[bmoeller]

Originally posted by JohnE





btw

I hope your signature &quot;STAY LOADED&quot; refers to firearms and not chemical influenced driving.

Stay Loaded- I work on a grain and livestock farm. I do a lot of truck driving in the summer and winter hauling both (we run a pair of Mack trucks). That's all it refers to. I don't drink or do drugs or anything else like that.



Thanks for the info. I do have two dealers within 45 mins. away. Just haven't had a chance to call during the day when they are open. Doesn't get cold enough to justify the cost of it though. If needed, I could probably find a good used gas powered generator for less and do just as good. It has only refused to start once. Fortunately I had it parked by the shop then and was able to plug it in for a hour. Had a unexpected cold snap and didn't have blended or treated fuel. Other than that it always starts. Sometimes have to cycle the heaters up to three times to start.

 

[HoleshotHolset]

bmoeller:



I have never had to let my heater grids cycle more than once... . and there has been times when my truck has sit for a few weeks in below freezing temps and it still starts fine.



If your idle is too low... . it'll crank and crank and crank unless you put your foot into it a little bit.



Also, if your fuel feed/return lines are leaking you will be cranking an excessive amount... . this theory also applies to your lift pump... if it is substandard... it could be draining back due to failing check valves.



HTH,



Matt

 

[JR2]

My ESPAR experience is about like the rest of the guys... . the cab gets almost comfortable and the engine gets warm. A few days ago it was 0 F and the EGT gauge read 67 degrees after the ESPAR ran for one cycle. This was with the blower on low. I bought the ESPAR to make my truck easier to start (easier on the truck) on those cold AM's when I can't plug in my truck. The whole kit cost me $1150 which was $50 over what my dealer paid for it. I installed it with the help of a friend who installed one last year on his truck. Took about 15 hours of work, but nothing really hard.



Just an FYI, if you want an ESPAR and the Dodge specific install kit you had better hurry. ESPAR is going to keep making heaters but is droping the Dodge install kit. My local dealer ordered 10 and only got 3 of them... I got one and the rest sold in a couple of days.

 

[bmoeller]

Originally posted by HoleshotHolset

bmoeller:



I have never had to let my heater grids cycle more than once... . and there has been times when my truck has sit for a few weeks in below freezing temps and it still starts fine.



If your idle is too low... . it'll crank and crank and crank unless you put your foot into it a little bit.



Also, if your fuel feed/return lines are leaking you will be cranking an excessive amount... . this theory also applies to your lift pump... if it is substandard... it could be draining back due to failing check valves.



HTH,



Matt

Running grid heaters once is normally all I need to do. Sometimes if it around 0* out and has been sitting most of the day is when I sometimes need to do it more than once. Also, I bought this truck 12-1- 01 and wasn't quite used to it yet. Haven't had to cycle them more than once at all since it has gotten cold again so far. The idle is O. K. I did install a hand throttle several weeks ago. If it wasn't plugged in, the idle is close to 5-600 rpm. till it warms up a little then it goes back to normal. Don't have FP gauge yet so I don't know what shape my LP is in. With 157k I may need a new one. Do those special banjo bolts work on the 12v's?

 

[Crazy Horse]

Re: Espar Heaters,



I got mine right before Christmas and love it. At 0°F, running through one cycle with the Espar, you can pop the hood, and put your hand on a hot valve cover. Upon starting the wait light goes out like its 60° or 70° out. I haven't seen my grid heaters cycle since I've been using the Espar on a "cold" start. I got mine for same reason JR did, for engine longevity, but the added benifit of having instant heat in the cab won't be complained about.

 

[Johnny5]

What do the Dodge specific install kits run? without the heater...

 

[HoleshotHolset]

FWIW, my lift pump had pretty much had it at about 180k miles... . the pressure wasn't what it should be either.



Matt