How cold is to cold?

[Cumminpwr11]

How cold is to cold for a diesel before you should plug in the block warmer. I can't get a straight answer from the local dealership I work up in the local mountains where it gets around 45 degrees during the day and in the teens at night.





Can my truck sit for 8-12 hours and be okay? or should it be plugged in?





Chris

 

[Ted Constantine]

Chris,



your local dealership will not give you a straight answer because there is no such thing. It is all what you are comfortable with. I remember Evan Beck saying that he always plugs in his truck regardless of temp. It is suposed to be 5 below tonight and my truck is not pluged in right now. Plugging in is nice on the truck. The oil flows more freely and lubes the engine more quickly on startup. I have never had a problem getting my truck to start when unplugged but I plug it in on a timer most of the time. It will turn on three to four hours before I want to leave in the morning. The part of my truck that is most ****** off on cold mornings is the power steering pump and the heater does nothing for that. It screams like a scalded cat.



If you can plug it in do so but you can get away without if you have to.



Ted

 

[Bigsaint]

Chris, you will probably get alot of answers to this question, here's what I do.



Below 40F, plug in for 2 hours before takeoff.

Below 20F, plug in for 3 hours before takeoff.

Below 10F, plug in for 4 hours before takeoff.

Below 0F, plug in all night.



Some members plug in all nite all the time, won't hurt anything but your electric bill. I use a HD duty timer and just set the timer to when I want it to go on and for how long. Another member reccommended always unplugging while the line is still hot as it may help prolong the life of the block heater. I'm not sure if it helps, but that's what I do.



As to the second question, I don't have the luxury of plugging in while at work. My truck sits 8-10 hours a day while I'm working, some of the winter days are well below 10F when I leave ( not this winter, so far ) and I've yet to see a problem starting, always allow the grid heaters (wait to start light) to activate before turning the key. If it's really cold and you haven't plugged in, cycle the grid heaters twice before start up as that will help.



Scott W.

 

[Steve Campbell]

won't hurt anythign but your electric bill

I feel that the electric bill will actually take a smaller hit than the "loss of engine life bill" by not plugging it in for an appropriate amount of time. JMO others will:-{}

 

[illflem]

The only thing Cummins says is that the block heater must be used below 10° F with 15w-40 oil, below zero with 10w-30.



Anytime you can plug in below 40° will save on the life of the grid heater system and increase engine life, much more economic than a higher power bill. I know OTR truckers that plug in when ever the temp dips below 70°

 

[LSMITH]

I have not plugged mine in yet this year and I am in Wisconsin. It is cold here, lots of mornings around zero. I have NEVER had a problem starting the truck regardless of temperature, down to -15 without being plugged in. Plugging in will save the grid heaters and is easier on the engine as said already, but it is not necessary at all. I have never had to cycle the heaters twice either. If you can plug it in do so, if you can't don't worry about it. Drive on.

 

[Bart]

According to the owner's manual for my 98. Block heater usage chart Temps above 40 F Not required. 40 F to 0 F Suggested and below 0 F the block heater is required. It also says one hours is required for adequate warming effect.

I live in Victorville, California (elevation 3500 feet) the temps are regularly 25 to 40 at night. I keep my B A R T (Big A** Red Truck) in the garage every night. Garage temps are 40's. I plug mine in every night with a timer at comes on at 3 A. M. I start it at 5 A. M. and it starts great. The few times I've left it off there's a long delay for the "wait to start light" goes out. Same thing (long delay time) at the end of the day (4:30 P. M. ) and the temps are in the 50's outside.

 

[Shooter]

HOW COLD IS TOO COLD ????

When the #1 w/ anti-jel jells

 

[Evan A. Beck]

Plug it in all the time. Much easier on the engine.

 

[Cumminpwr11]

Bart.



I work up in lake arrowhead. Todays high was 18 degrees. LOL





Shooter, we dont get #1 in so cal. Or I just havent found any.



Thanks. When I park my truck, I think that I am gonna plug it in





Chris

 

[Plowboy]

Last week I had to park my truck (due to too many barley sodas) and a plug in wasn't avalible. The temp was -30 C, I'm running 0-40 oil, and the engine fired right up, but I couldn't see the house across the side walk . I ran but didn't like it. Typically It's plugged in all the time.



Carl

 

[Neal Cassady]

Everynight

I plug my truck in every night, set the timer for three hours of operation before my expected departure time. If it is going to below 20F I might add an hour or two.



Dave

 

[redneckdr]

question..

does using the block heater shorten the useful life of the coolant? i've always wondered if the electric heater would cause a more rapid degradation of the additives in the antifreeze... ... .

 

[Steve Campbell]

Great question

I do not have a clue either.

 

[Plowboy]

It likely won't hurt any thing. The coolant gets much more heat when the engine is running at temp.

 

[merryman]

Three years ago on a Montana elk hunt, my truck (then a 93), sat at the trail head(miles from any electricity) for 9 days. The outfitter had a thermometer hanging outside the cook tent and it was regularly in single digits in the morning. When we got back to the trucks, it fired up just about as it allways did-------but it smoked like an old fashioned steam engine for about 10 minutes.



Vaughn

 

[EricBu12]

We had a cold snap last week here in SLC and in some places in the mountains it got down to -62F:--) Now that brothers is COLD!!!!

Right now we are getting down to close to 0 to 10 deg overnight. no problems starting.

I do this trick, I start the truck and leave the plug in for a few minutes, it heats the water as it is circulating by it, in 3 minutes, I had semi warm air out the vents from a stone cold 10 deg truck! Try that next time.



Pic is our house in SLC last month on a heavy snow week. 20" in one day!