Winter Prep - Already?

[TurboSandman]

OK, it's 80 degrees in St. Louis too, but here I am preparing to add a weather resistant outlet box to the garage (heavy duty timer and all) for the block heater. Yeah, I'm still new; I got my truck in March and haven't lived through cold weather with it and it lives outdoors. Our usual cold weather is 20's - 30's with rare dips to subzero.



So, what else should I be considering?



What is your favorite winter front and why?



Thanks for your help.



Steve

 

[SlyBones]

hmmm...

Well this is a good question. So when do people start plugging in the heater block?

 

[David Muench]

I got my truck in January so I had to go through the coldest part of winter when it was new. Our temps are probably a little colder than yours, but not much. I never plugged it in, never had to. When it was _real_ cold (5 and below) I'd cycle the grid heater twice just to be sure, and I let it warm up a bit as much as I could. I'm hoping to get an exhaust brake on before this winter so I can use that to load the engine for warmup. . Or maybe I'll get that new ECM flashed.



I am undecided on the winter fronts - My truck always got up to 180 or so within 5 miles of leaving my driveway last winter, even when it was below zero. I guess I don't see the point.

 

[Happy Camper]

I am going on memory so watch it! I think there is some info in the owners manual at what temps you should use the plug in heater. I fortunately have an insulated garage and rarely have to plug in. WINTER? I'm not done with Summer yet!

 

[jjdiesel]

TurboSandman..... I rarely find the need to plug mine in. Just does'nt get cold enough around here. One consideration for you, the direction the front of your truck will face overnight. If you can keep it away from the North, northwest, it will help with the wind-chill on cold nights. I'm trying to find out about a radiator cover some TDR members were getting from a lady,..... Gettimeier? Many guys were happy with it. I'll do a search and see what I come up with.

 

[Bigsaint]

If you go by the manual, it states when the temps. drop below 40F, if memory serves me. I used a HD outdoor timer, set it to run for an hour or so before start up in the milder weather (above 30F) and for several hours when the temps. dip below 30F. If the lows were in the single digits, maybe for 4 hours, give or take. Not written in stone, but that worked well for me last winter. IMHO a large waste of money (it draws some good amps. ) to leave it plugged in all night, unless you are with the rescue services and need to respond at all hours.



Scott W.

 

[TurboSandman]

Thanks for the advice! It sounds as though there are no major issues, but with this being my first diesel I was a little concerned as absolute reliability is an issue for me. In my anesthesiology practice, I have a week of heart call every 6 or so weeks when I need to arrive within 20 minutes (I live 15 minutes away in good weather), so warmup time is not an option.



Scott, I may just follow your lead on regular days and reserve the full time plug in for call nights. I started using Stanadyne performance with an eye towards preventing wax crystal formation among other things, but that may be overkill in my climate. I do think I will get some grill inserts; I think an individual advertized them in the latest issue and my search beforehand turned up a general feeling that our trucks have a high degree of reserve cooling capacity. Many, in fact, are driving with fans removed and admit no overheating problems while claiming a much quieter truck. Sounds a bit extreme to me, but whatever works.



jjdiesel, it sounds as though we are neighbors; I appreciate your input regarding the radiator cover.



Thanks again, this board is always ready to help at all levels of experience.



Steve

 

[JohnE]

The friction on a cold engine really climbs at about 40° F. I use a seat of the pants feel starting with about an hour plug-in at 40° ramping up to 5 hours at -30°



You'll soon get a feel for how long it should be plugged in for leaving on a fixed schedule. For the rotation on surgery call, I suggest getting a <strike>ice</strike><a href=http://www.thermocube.com/ targt=_blank>Thermocube</a>. It is a plugin with a built in thermostat to turn on &amp; off at preset temperatures.



There is a nice looking set of cold fronts in the <a href=https://www.turbodieselregister.com/cgi-bin/classifieds/classifieds. cgi?search_and_display_db_button=on&db_id=1342&exact_match=on&photo_size=full&query=retrieval target=_blank>TDR classified</a>.



I use a cold front and a cardboard barrier between the charge air cooler and radiator and change to lighter weight oil.



I've got an <a href=http://www.espar.com/ target=_blank>ESPAR&reg;</a> brochure on my desk at work. I'm going to install one in the truck.



Cheers;



-John



<font size=1>fixed product name and added link. </font>

 

[chuck3]

Plug it in.

I've seen two winters with my truck, I plug mine in as soon as it gets to freezing or below. I have a timer that is set to come on two hours before I leave, works great for me, the thing I like about pluging in is the truck starts as well in the winter as it does the summer.

 

[EricBu12]

Winter coming?

Get a set of these for your truck, Non-sport only,

Look in the TDR #33 toward the back for the address but here is the pic of it. I sell these for $20 + $5 shipping anywhere.

 

[BigDaddy]

Cold Weather Cover

I have the Mopar cover and found it helps to maintain 190 degrees. Without the cover I never saw anything higher than 180. With the cover I get an additional 1 MPG. Not much, but I'll take it.

 

[illflem]

I live in a very cold area and have found that the best way to keep the engine warm when running is to remove the fan. I've found that winter fronts don't help much. Problem is once you remove the fan you will never want to put it back on, the engine runs much quieter, has more low end power and warms up really fast. No problem with the coolant temp even when the outside temp is in the 80°s.



As far as plugging in, sure your truck will start even when the temp is down to zero but it is very hard on the engine. Unless you are running synthetic or lighter weight winter oil the 15-40 will be like pumping tar when it's cold- not good for start up when most wear takes place. I since I live where I work and don't drive at a set time I plug into a line voltage thermostat set at 45°, truck is always ready to go, the wait to start light never comes on. It's also a good idea that your block heater and extension cord are well attached for the time when you forget to unplug before driving off.

 

[Steve Campbell]

illflem, is that last sentence from experience or foreward thinking?

 

[illflem]

Steve, it stems more from down right laziness. My cords are bomb proof attached, I never unplug by hand, I just back up. The cord to the outlet is connected to overhead beam in the carport, it ends up hanging with the receptacle about 2 feet off the ground when unplugged. It also makes a good target when pulling in. I took my laziness a step further and relocated the heater plug to the driver's side so I don't have to walk over to the pass side to plug it in.

 

[Bill Lins]

Originally posted by illflem

I took my laziness a step further and relocated the heater plug to the driver's side so I don't have to walk over to the pass side to plug it in.

Boy, now that IS lazy!



Seroiusly, it's looking like we're going to have an early and long winter- we're already getting geese in SE Texas!

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

illflem, you're pathetic!



Dave Muenich, plug your baby in this winter!



I did as illflem did and ran fanless last winter, definitely helps on the warmup times. Warmup times are also reduced by plugging in, I use a timer set to kick in 2-3 hours before I depart, even though I park in a garage and temps do not dip below +10F very often. But for now that fan is staying put with summer still in full swing here.



Vaughn