Warm up

[jtedm]

How long should I let the truck warm up when the tem starts to fall? I have just had my truck less then a month and it's starting to cool down here in Wisconsin. And how long depending on the Temp outside? $0, 30,20,10,0,-10 and etc.



Thanks Tedm

 

[TGaines]

Here in Alaska it gets really cold. What I do and have been advised by others is to let it idle above 1000 rpms to warm it up. If you have an auto, slip it into neutral so the fluid gets pumped through the system. I let mine idle for 15 mins. at 1000 rpms and it warms it right up. I would get a cold front as well, and possibly consider taking the fan off. Food for thought.



Travis

 

[JLEONARD]

I'm in Ct and we get temps to around 0 and I really don't let it idle to warm up.

I start in the morning, usually with the block heater plugged in, let it idle as long as it takes to put on my seatbelt, then I idle out of my (130 ft) driveway in 2nd gear.

Then I have an approx 2 mile residential street drive at 35 mph to the expressway. I accelerate a little on the easy side till I'm at 70. I take it easy until the temp is up a little.

From work it's start and go with no block heater... I usually don't even wait for the grids.

If it's freezing rain, or snow I may let it idle a little so I have some heat to keep the windshield clean. But normally it's start and go easy until she's warm.

Jay

 

[Bellon]

It will take quite a while if you are idling with no load.



Get yourself a Diesel fired cab heater. Take a look at the threads.

 

[AndrewGray]

Im a first time CTD owner too but have had it for about a year. Its a '97 4x4 5spd. I have driven a lot of diesell pickups at work and i do mechanic work although im not a pro. I drive semi truck a lot and am in the farmin business. If at all possible never run the engine cold even in summer. let it warm up at least 5 minutes in warm weather and 10 to fifteen as the temp falls below 40. The reason being is that everything warms up at different speeds... copared to their mass . Like the block as opposed to the piston and so forth. If you are roaring down the road hard or pulling a load... let it cool down for five minutes at idle. I have seen many many scored cylinders because someone jumps in starts up and roars down the road cold and shuts them off hot or not lettin them warm up completely like run down town for something quick. Let 'er warm up.

 

[ndurbin]

I usually give it about 10 min. of idling in Neutral to warm up and then I'm off when it's plugged in overnight. During the day if I am around the truck I'll go out and start it every couple to four hours and let it idle for 15 min or so to keep it warmed up. But if it has sat all day in the cold I usually let the WTS light cycle twice and then fire it up and idle for 15 min at around 1000-1500 rpms. I always idle in Neutral to help the transmission warm up alil too.



I've found from when you shut it off you have about 4 hours (give or take some on the temp) until it gets cold again. And it needs about 2 hours of the block heater running to not make the WTS light stay on longer than normal.



Nathan