Hi, New Diesel owner. I've got to make a week long trip to Minneapolis, MN from St. Louis, MO area, the first week of January. I don't expect to be able to plug in the block heater at the hotels. Forecast at this time is freezing rain and snow with below freezing temps at nite.

Just how bad will starting be in below freezing temperature?
Is there anything I should do to ensure being able to start?
How many minutes might it take?
Do I need to block the Grill to make heat in the cold?
Should I consider taking a Honda 2000 generator to run for a hour or two (or all nite) before needing to start? Generator will burn less than 1 gallon of gas overnite.

My daily driver with Hydroedge tires has no traction on snow or ice.

Thanks
Curt

Mine starts at -25C with no real trouble, but if you have a jenny I'd bring it just in case you need it, if the truck wont start you can always fire up the jenny and let it run for an hour or two. most block heater only need 2 hours to warm up the coolant/block, after a certain period of time it will not get any hotter.
as for no traction on ice/snow try dropping your tire pressure. you would not believe how much difference it can make, I believe inside my door of my truck it says to run 80PSI, don't forget manifactures post the psi as if the truck was fully loaded..I run mine at 45psi, but my truck is empty 99.99 %of the time

As long as your glow plug system is working well you should have no problems. A good new to you diesel project is to test all your glow plugs & take them out & never seez them. Un less you've been ussured that they have already had antiseez lubricant applied. Then just test them.
The only time I've ever had starting problems was at -10 & hadn't started for a day. I've never had a no-start on a vehicle I ran the day prior. Plugged or unplugged. Plugged is always better. I haven't had much trouble finding a place to plug in when traveling. I scope out the hotel a little for recepticle. At hotel 6 I was able to park in front of my room & run the cord out the wall combo unit.

Thanks Nick. Sorry, I wasn't clear about which vehicle has the no traction on ice and snow. The truck should do fine on Michelin X LT tires. My daily driver is a PT Cruiser with the hydroedge tires. I'm reluctant to take it into the snow and ice being forecast. Don't want to try it in the PT but I do know how to drive in the snow and ice. I'd like to take the truck with the better traction.

Oh, the truck is a 98 K2500 4X4, ext cab, short bed with fiberglass cap.

Thanks
Curt

Put in a new set of Delphi glowplugs and use some Performance Jr. additive, should help quite a bit in cranking. Real good batteries would be a must. Find a motel that will let you plug it in.

Put in Rotella Synthetic 5w40 oil, available at Walmart. Will make cold cranking much easier.

I'd start running the standadyne blue additive and ensure my glows worked before I left. I also carry a LONgggggggg outdoor HD extension cord just in case. I bet as you get closer to the cold country that you will find more and more plugs to use at night. Most hotels in Alaska had them for over night parking.

Put in Rotella Synthetic 5w40 oil, available at Walmart. Will make cold cranking much easier.

I'll 2nd that. A synthetic oil does make cold cranking much easier. I use Amsoil 5w30 HD

I do intend to switch to Amsoil or Rotella synthetic on the next oil change. It will be close to being due when I get back from the 2000 mile round trip (with running around in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area).

I'll look for the Blue Additive or Performance Jr. additive. I threw in some PFFP or is it FPPF in the current tank full. I'm amazed at how little is recommended to be added. Must be really potent concentrate.

I'll have to fill up down here before going North. I can refuel at the Wis. State line and should get good cold weather diesel there. I just read about the Minneasota Bio-diesel and some problems they are having. I think I'll top off in Wis. before crossing the Mississippi river.

Thanks for the advice, I'm feeling more comfortable about taking the truck

Curtis

The stations that sell bio-diesel in Illinois also have not been putting in enough fuel additive. I filled my tank with warm weather 11% soy premium diesel and added 3x the regular amount of power service. As reecommended to me by Power Service Tech support. I've had no problems. There have been a lot of trucks gell up out of station pumps though.

Mine Has Been Starting Fine At -10f.. Just Make Sure You Have A Winter Fuel Blend And I Would Think You Would Be Fine With Out The Plug In..

Arm