Something Nasty This Way Comes..?

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THANKS GUYS!!!!!!!

I was beginning to think it was the new 2500 watt amp I installed for my sub-woofers... .

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Y2K 3500, 4WD, Auto, 3. 54, Custom Brush Guard, Mopar nerf bars & rock guard, Camper package, Towing package, all options except leather, Mopar Rock Guards, Vent Shades, Solar Shade, RoseWood Dash, Air-Lift Air Bags, Hadley 'BULLY' air horns, Rancho RS9000s, Lance 1130 Camper

 

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Hey, this is kind of kidding, but I really want to know:

Do any of you Alaska boys NOT own an Espar (or other) heater?

I'm feeling silly for wanting one this far South, but even in 40 degree weather my truck takes forever to heat up, and I've had to sit idling in the winter before and ended up watching the temperature gauge drop and drop...

 

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Stock heater good enough for me... I do plug my truck in though (block heater) below 30 degrees. I just hate the sound a COLD SOAKED engine makes.

 

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kinda getting off on a rabbit trail here, but when you use the block heater on these rigs... does it stay on all the time or just when it gets below a certain temp?

 

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Actually, Nline6, I've wondered about that also. Didn't know if I could just plug it in at night and forget it. Where I am in N. Georgia, the day can be warm, and at night temps can fall below freezing. It'd be nice to plug out of habit, and if it gets cold enough, know the heater is doing its job.

 

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The Block heater is always on as long as it is plugged in. I have a thermostat controlled switch that I found at Eagle Hardware (Lowes now) that is pre-set to turn on when the temperature drops below 30 degrees.

 

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That's the ticket, Alaska Bee! I'll track one of those down and replace the outlet nearest my truck with it. Makes sense that you 49th state fellows would have this sort of thing figured out! #ad


Thanks.

[This message has been edited by Kodiak (edited 10-18-2000). ]

 

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Well, this is what I do when using the block heater. I leave at 6:00 in the morning. So I bought a timer and plug the truck up at night. I set the timer to come on a 3:00 or 3:30 (depends how cold it is). Bingo. No using a lot of electricty and all You have to do is remember to unplug. It only takes once or twice of not unpluging to remember to uplug. #ad
Nice and toasty in the cold mornings. Timers can be bought for 9. 00 to 50. 00 depends on the quality you want.

 

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The t-stat I use is called a Themo-Cube,it looks like a one plug to make three adaptor. It's set to go on at 35,used for heaters or lamps to keep pipes from freezeing. Got mine from Ace Hardware, $17

 

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You want to hear a really sick sound... ... you should hear a powerjoke fire up at -30 when it has not been plugged in.

 

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My brother has two Cummins B5. 9 engines, one in a Case/IH/??? tractor, the other in a Versatile loader, The Loader gets plugged in every day of late fall through spring, as the Cattle HAVE to be fed. He has over 20,000 hours on it with no serious troubles, i. e. high oil levels, etc. As a result, I've done much the same with my Pickup. I like the timer, got an outdoor type and the bright yellow cord runs right past the driver door so as to remind me to unhook the tether. #ad
I don't worry about starting it if it hasn't been plugged in, but that happens so infrequently, that the dimming lights have confused me on occasion. (Grid heaters coming on at 55 deg, but not cycling when it is 40 deg? I give up, I just watch the volt meter after starting the engine, if it's cycling, I let the engine warm up for several extra minutes. )
I'm tempted to put a thermal switch in the engine compartment, and then plug it in and don't worry about one morning being 25, the next 51 (like the last two mornings).
Last comment, I read the manual before I took delivery (ordered repair and owner manual online) and yet still find things in the manual I had no idea about every time I look at it, like the Air Conditioner coming on in almost ALL positions of the heater switch.

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1999 Driftwood Regular Cab, 2WD, Auto.
1967 Barracuda

 

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JyRO - don't sweat it. I read my manual, too and never batted an eye at the power draw.

 

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Okay all you Tech guys, I know there are devices that you can have lights/appliances turn on by the computer. Now the task is to find a thermometer that would hook up to the computer too, then when the temp falls below the temp you think the block heater should be on. Of course you would have to check from the time you want it to be on through out the morning or when you would be starting it.

Just search on the web for Home Automation.

Let us know if you do or not. .

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Sept 2001 - Hope to own a Dodge 2500 diesel 4X4. .

 

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I travel some (sales) and always try to plug in at the motel in the winter. I learned the hard way to carry a tester with me to be sure the outlet is "hot". I made this discovery one morning when it was minus 18 (yes, 18 below). My '96' started, after I got out the manual. Remember to cycle the heaters several times and add about a 1/4" throttle. She smoked and rattled, and got me home.

Just my $. 02, get a simple test light if you travel over night in the winter.

 

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JYRO and Joel! Ok, call me a knucklehead! I HAD read my manual, several times in fact. I thought I'd read it thouroughly. Well, this morning I broke the manual out, and lo and behold, THERE IT WAS! The complete story on cycling heaters, and power draw! I guess my Southern brain just blocked out any reference to cold weather information, since we don't have any here. Sorry guys! #ad
#ad


But hey, I started a GREAT thread with my ignorance. A lot of good info was passed. So what the heck, huh??

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'96 Regular Cab, 112K, SLT 2WD auto 3. 54, Vista topper, Pillar-mounted Autometer Boost/Pyro, transmission temp and oil pressure guages under dash, starwheel spun

 

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WHell, lets c; have timer for the block htr, turn on e-brake till temp is 300+ before driving, have in cab heater to defrost windows (plugged into timer), cycle heater 2-3x's (depends on temp) - what did I forget??? OH, yea the A/C dont work in the single dash or floor position. Still the owners manual would be nice to MEMORIZE. But its more memorable to ask and get "told" that thats the way it is... ... #ad
#ad
:O & etc. to ME (not to u).

Just had to add my 0. 015$ (went to bank agn)

SOTSU!!
\\BF//
(if wishes were $$ I would have made the Tulare event!!)

 

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Don't ya just love it when your ISP gives you the boot as you type the last words of your post?? #ad
#ad

Geeez that frosts my nads!!!!!
Anyway, anyone out there know what the current draw of the block heater is?? Not the toasters but the water jacket heater.
I looked in the service manual & the owners manual -- no luck. I just like to know that the timer or thermostat will be sized corectly,I don't want to start any fires where they don't belong.


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99,QC,3500,Sport Black,4x4,Auto,3. 54,Anti-spin,Camper pkg,Carpet delete,all options except leather.
Silencer ring?? We don't need no stinking silencer ring!!!
Self installed goodies,
OEM Running boards,Mud flaps&Bed liner, Tinted windows,Jacobs E-Brake,BD Torque Loc. Whimpy stock class 4?? hitch fell off-replaced it with a Super Hitch(1200# tongue,15000# trailer) on the house from DC thanks for the recall!!

 

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Espar heater. #ad

https://www.turbodieselregister.com/ubb//Forum3/HTML/000280.html

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'96 4x4, 2500 extended, 5-Stick, TST, big stereo, MP3 player, GPS, Kodiak Sidewinder steps.

 

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Mike,block heater draws 6. 6 amps,715 watts @110 volts,most any household timer will work.

 

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Thank you very much illflem,this has been troubling me since last winter, leaving the darn thing pluged in all night sure makes the cats happy but in my oppinion it's just cookin' the anti-freeze for 8 or 9 hours with the power company getting most of the benefit.