Expected lows tonight= 5 degrees.


So for the first time in 2 1/2 years and 78000 miles I plugged in the 2001.


ANd while I was at it I plugged in the 2003 with 14000 miles.


My questions;


1. Will this help the truck start easier?


2. DO I still need to use the "wait to start" feature?


3. Does this heat the oil or coolant?


Can't wait till tomorrow am to go out and start em up!

Gradyghost


My questions;


1. Will this help the truck start easier? YES


2. DO I still need to use the "wait to start" feature? PROBABLY NOT


3. Does this heat the oil or coolant? COOLANT ONLY


Can't wait till tomorrow am to go out and start em up!


Engr. Bill

1. Yes! My Wait to Start lamp goes out in 2 seconds.


2. Yes. but you better be fasthttp://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/HiHi.gif.


3. It heats the coolant.





The real nice thing is that the truck runs so much better right from the start... It's already warm. You see the te water temp guage is ever so slightly above 160 deg. (At least mine is after 4 hours of the block heater on.)

I've noticed that my truck starts much quicker at 25 degrees with the block heater than when it's 35 degrees w/out the block heater. With the block heater, it cranks w/o turning over much at all. On a cool morning (>35F) w/o the heater, it turns over what seems like 3 or 5 times before cranking. The bottome line is that the heater does make mine crank much easier.

Just started plugging in my '02 this week (bit of a cold snap going on in Michigan). It turns so much easier, takes about 3 miles on the road to start blowing warm air (as opposed to 7-8). And runs way smother from the get go, which is nice since I usually rag on it pretty hard right after start up. (I know I should not, but gotta respond to the fire runs ASAP!)

It is probably better on the truck for the few of those that start up and only drive 5 miles to work then shut down.

grady.... most have theirs on a timer to start a few hours before startup. It uses a lot of electric. After a month it adds up.

Gradyghost


From the subject I thought a brown truck just dropped off a small box.http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Wink.gif


I've been plugging my block heater in when below 30. 3-4 hrs is plenty IMO. Started up great at about 10 degrees this morning. I let it run for a couple minutes have heat before I hit the highway <2mi. I don't have a place to plug in at work and it was a slow start coming home.


I was concerned about the cost of running the 1000w heater. Figured it out to about $.10 per Hr. For $.30-.40 per day I'll def. leave it plugged in. Heck I'd spend more than that getting up to temp. You'll be pleseantly surprised in the AM


Mike

Expected lows tonight= 5 degrees.








thats it???


chit it never got over 0 today, calling for minus 10-15 tonight, and I'm going snowmobiling EARLY in the morning!! low where I'm heading is supposed to be -30-40 tonight....... Think what it will be in norhtern Canada tonight!!!!! I decided to plug it in tonight though! started it yesterday at 5deg with no plug and it made some ugly rattles for the first 2secs, after about 30sec it pretty much smoothed right out like usual. I've go a attitude controller in mine, found so far that if its plugged in for about 3-4 hours that its about 117deg coolant temp if its parked out of the wind (even though that idiot guage shows it coming off the 160 peg, yeah right) it certainly turns the wait to start light off a ton faster when plugged in and sounds perfectly smooth when it fires up.


REMEMBER TO UNPLUG IT BEFORE DRIVING AWAY!!!!! I ended up tieing my extension cord to my workbench after the outlet so that it would "auto unplug" when i forget to unplug it and just back out of the driveway, before it was bending the prongs at the outlet when it ran out of cord! Now it just unplugs and drops on the ground hanging out from under the garage door

Looks like another Michigander...





Welcome...Rookiew/Dmax

Some pretty good information on block heaters, timers, power saver cords, energy usage and costs:


http://www.epcor.ca/Residential/Efficiency+Tools+and+Tips/Efficiency+Tips/Energy+Efficiency+Tips/Block+Heater+Savings.htm





http://www.aklung.org/airquality11.htm

I just have to say this; It's kinda cool reading about all these block heaters, winter covers, and all the other ways to keep your baby warm, since I'm in South Florida.


Oh and my parents are still just outside of Buffalo, so I do know cold but I sure do not miss it. I do miss looking outside the window in the morning and seeing the fresh snow that fell overnight. http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Big Smile.gif

I leave mine plugged in while I let it idle for a few minutes to warm it up. It actually makes quite a bit of difference in how fast it will blow some warm air. I also have an oil pan heater wired in as well. These things are cold running bastards. They start awesome for diesel engines, but they don't build/maintain heat very well at idle. They warm up good if you can load the engine, but just running around town empty they take forever.


FWIW, other current generation diesels are pretty much the same in this respect but they all seem to have some way of compensating for it. --SS

I just have to say this; It's kinda cool reading about all these block heaters, winter covers, and all the other ways to keep your baby warm, since I'm in South Florida. http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Big Smile.gif


OK Everyone,
I vote to have the
"2004 Northeast Members DieselPlace Convention"
at Voodoo's house the second week in February ! All in favor say Eye!


http://dieselplace.com/forum/uploads/92A_cheers.gif


Thanks Voodoo http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Clap.gif


http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Clown.gif


Voodoo: BTW,It's 1 degree Fahrenheit here in NJ right now. http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/uploads/B47_fluffy.gif

I just plugged my truck in for the first time last night. I didnt feel much like waking up at 4 am running out and plugging it in for a few hours before I left. I left her plugged in all night. I think its bout 3 bucks a night to keep a truck plugged in 8hrs. We have three extension cords running out from our house/barn/garage. Just bout every diesel gets plugged in. Our electric bill was 250 last month. Not too bad.


Anyways when I woke up this AM it was -6 degrees. I went out fired up the truck. Glow plug indicator just "flashed" seriously didnt even stay on for 3 seconds. She fired up like a dream, Yesterday night started her up unassisted about 0 out....she barked for 3 seconds and idled away fine. GM definitely made these good for cold starting, Im not even gonna try firing up the CATs, or the 6.5s till its warmer out.


Bill

I just plugged my truck in for the first time last night. I didnt feel much like waking up at 4 am running out and plugging it in for a few hours before I left. I left her plugged in all night. I think its bout 3 bucks a night to keep a truck plugged in 8hrs. We have three extension cords running out from our house/barn/garage. Just bout every diesel gets plugged in. Our electric bill was 250 last month. Not too bad.


Hi ChevyHDMan:


You might want to try a timer. I bought a timer for $8 and have it set to go on 4 hours before I leave for work. With the temps around 10 degrees I get the same quick startups you experience.

Yea, I probably should buy a timer, but WTF I dont pay the electric bill at my GF's house, or my ownhttp://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Evil Smile.gif......Actually I think one truck plugged into the barn is free electricity all together....We rent the house next door out and I think the barns tied into the house for electricity.....but lets keep that a secrethttp://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Cool.gif


Where ya snag the timer, any hware store of HomeDepot?


Bill

Any hardware store or Home Depot has them. I got mine at Lowes.


It's made by Intermatic.


A few suggestions:


Get the 15 amp model.


Make sure the output is the 3-prong type, not the 2-prong.


I bought the indoor model, since it's pluged inside the garage and the extension cord is snaked under the door to the outside.


If you mount it outside you need an outside model. They run about $10 more.Edited by: JohnnyO

Sure no problem then you guys can help me install my suspension lift, I would hope my truck would be here by then, otherwise you will have to park next to my 88 Toyota 4x4. http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Clown.gif

I generally don't plug in my gas rigs until the temp is 20 to 30 below. So last week when I got the diesel I didn't even think about it. Went out the next morning and it was around 15 below. That Dmax started right up, no problems at all. I agree with Salmon Slayer though, the damn things take forever to get warm. I'm going to follow his lead and put a pan heater on mine this weekend.

Can you guys list some sources for a pan heater and how much?





Thanks

Can you guys list some sources for a pan heater and how much?


http://www.kennedydiesel.com


$50