Need help from the COLD weather gurus !!!! When to plug her in??

[Too Tall]

Checked this morning. 33 degrees outside, drove my usual 8.5 miles, thermostat opened, oil temp 164 degrees.

I guess it really doesn't matter, that's how far I drive every morning, then 2 miles home every night. If we didn't have the camper that we use 5-6 times a year, I could buy something more practical.

I did the same thing before I retired. 2.8 miles one way to work. 9500 miles and it's doing fine.

 

[Newsa]

Correct me if I'm wrong. There was more EGR in preDEF trucks. Recirculating low oxygen vapors back into the cylinders reduced combustion temps reducing NOx.

However, many have deleted their EGR in those older trucks

Also, the manual says idling with the exhaust brake on speeds up warmup. Don't ask me how because it doesn't seem to be engaged at idle.

 

[DonFitzwater]

"Also, the manual says idling with the exhaust brake on speeds up warmup. Don't ask me how because it doesn't seem to be engaged at idle."

Your engine will warm up faster with the exhaust brake engages ESPECIALLY if you have the engine fast idled.

 

[Stab]

mwilson: Imagine that!

 

[BigPapa]

Just make sure it's not plugged in when you start it..or run it...I've learned the hard way!

Yes, that is completely true. It will happen if you run the truck while plugged in at some point.

Thank you for educating us, gentlemen. That's what I love about TDR. I never quit learning.

 

[jus2shy]

Big thanks to the posters that showed the vendor information on the block heater. I've never seen that before and that will now have me think twice about leaving my block heater plugged in. I may now "Short" my timer so it shuts down just before I typically start my truck up.

 

[Ozymandias]

"Also, the manual says idling with the exhaust brake on speeds up warmup. Don't ask me how because it doesn't seem to be engaged at idle."

Your engine will warm up faster with the exhaust brake engages ESPECIALLY if you have the engine fast idled.

Standard Ideling is 2-3% Load, with EB on it is 8% Load, a nice scanner shows this values.
Rams without EB have also a Cold Idle Feature, they go to High Idle and Cut-out some cylinders to work as a compressor to generate Load to the engine, sounds funny and truck vibrate hard with it. People that doesn't know about it think the engine dies.

 

[AH64ID]

The 3cyl fast idle is a VP44 thing, it went away with the HPCR. VP44 trucks are EB enabled for manual transmissions, and both EB and 3cyl will work at the same time.

I would use caution engaging the EB on any 5.9 when the motor is cold, it will really soot load the oil. Wait until the coolant reaches 60°f, and preferably higher. I have seen the soot loading shift with UOA and various EB use at idle, now I rarely use it.

6.7a are a different story, the ECM doesn't apply full backpressure at cold idle. It uses just enough to restrict and increase load, but not enough to create excess soot and backpressure in the cylinder.

 

[BigPapa]

Cold start SOP for me is:
*-start engine
*-insert high idle device and adjust to @ 1100rpm (a stick between the power seat and the throttle pedal
*-turn heat to defrost which turns the A/C compressor on. (Not a lot of load on the engine, but it does load it up some)

Works good for me.

 

[AH64ID]

The a/c compressor is a great load!!

I prefer to turn the defroster on before starting the truck, if I remember, as the initial clutch engagement is HARSH with a cold compressor.

 

[jessekai]

wow up here in the frozen north of canada we pamper our trucks when it dips down under 0c or 32 mine gets a plug in. it will start till around -20c/-4f (maybe colder but i have not tried) not plugged in but it sure does not like it much. i figure i would rather plug it in the worry about the wear and tear. as well if you want to cut down your warm up time a lot in cold weather turn your heater to re circulate so your not pulling cold air through your heater core. i don't know about the new trucks but the second gens are always moving anti-freeze through the heater even if the thermostat is not open so running your heater with cold outside air will keep your temps down for a lot longer

below 0c our kenworth's with cummins get plugged in and below about-15c-20c they just don't get shut off but

 

[JR]

Does your 97 allow you to choose between fresh air and recirc? My 98 does not.

 

[DonFitzwater]

Does your 97 allow you to choose between fresh air and recirc? My 98 does not.

Sure it does. Select max a/c and turn your temp knob to full hot. It'll roast you out of the cab.