Diesel block heaters ?

[mmcmdl]

The F-250 didn't want to start today so I read up on the FTE site about the heaters . 3-4 hours max to heat the coolant ? It got down to 10 F last night but I have never needed the heater plugged in . I know many here have the diesels , what's your experiences ?

 

[Just for fun]

What year F250?

My 97' 7.3L would start when near zero without plugging it in but would take a looong time to warm up. It wouldn't start as good as it would in the summer but it wasn't struggling either. I usually plugged it in. My new truck 2012 6.7L I have never plugged it in, and it starts just fine, not much different then in the summer.

 

[mmcmdl]

03 6.0 . I'm hoping I don't need a pair of new batteries . I don't drive this much which doesn't help matters . My little Honda didn't start either this morning . Both are parked in the shade where the sun never shines . I'll have to move them today as they have always started no matter how cold .

 

[Just for fun]

I hope it's just a low charge, I had to replace the batteries in my 2012 last year. After eleven years on the factory batteries. Batteries are expensive!

 

[matthewsx]

7.3l here since new. When I lived in Northern Michigan I would plug in the block heater if it was down around 0° f but for normal freezing temps I didn't bother.

But, I've always needed to replace batteries in pairs, any time they get weak it's nearly impossible to start my truck. You do have a battery tester right?

https://www.harborfreight.com/100-amp-612v-battery-load-tester-61747.html

John

 

[mmcmdl]

It's up to 25 degrees now , I'll head out and try again . I do have a battery tester also .

 

[projectnut]

Do you have "winter blend" diesel fuel in your area? It's just a blend of #1 and #2. Number 2 diesel usually jells between 10* and 15*F. You can usually get anti jell additive from almost any auto parts store.

 

[mmcmdl]

Never seen #1 fuel in the area . Had to charge the batteries and now just plugged the heater in . I'll see if it works or not . I hate winter !

 

[WobblyHand]

My gas engine started right up this morning at about 18F, here in MD. My Subaru doesn't complain unless well below zero, like maybe -15F. At those temperatures, the battery is a bit weak. If it's going to be real cold like that, I'll put on a battery tender overnight. As mentioned above, diesel can jell at low temperatures, at real low temperatures (artic) they have to keep the vehicles running, or they won't start again. If Maryland sees those temperatures, we can say that h3ll indeed has frozen over! JK.

Old batteries usually run out of cranking power at low temperature. It's a sign to replace them... I know this from experience.

 

[projectnut]

It used to occasionally get to -40 around here in January. The first 2weeks of January wer generally -10 to -20. At the end of the month it would warm to the single digits. We called it “the January thaw”.

More recently it rarely goes below 0, there isn’t nearly as much snow, and snowmobiling has largely been replaced by ATVing..

I have a 14hp track drive snowblower that only gets used a couple times a year at the most. It was purchased new in 2014 and looks like it never left the showroom floor