Cold weather block heating away from home

[gadkins1]

What do you do when you are away from home (i.e., at work) and the Ex PSD has to be parked outside in cold weather (under 32F). There is no plug location at work for my engine block heater. How long will the PSD tolerate the cold without damaging the glow plug, starter, or oiling systems?

------------------
'00 Exc Ltd PSD 4x4, Toreador Red, 3.73 LS, heated seats, 6 CD changer, VCP, 2 o'head T.V.s, bug-rear air & window air/rain deflectors, heated and tele mirrors, Lexan grille cold shield, PSD badges, Husky liners front, rear and cargo section, Dunlop Rover AT LT285/75R16s, 8" rear door subwoofers, amp in jack stowage area.

[frobozz]

If your glow plug system is in working order, you won't need to plug it in until it gets Really Darn Cold. Certainly nothing around 32F should be a problem. And "using" the glow plugs in cold weather won't do any real harm, that's what they're there for! (And they come on in warm weather too, every time you start.)

If your truck does need to be plugged in when it starts getting a little cold, that's usually a sign there's something wrong. Our '97 was doing that, and after replacing the glow plug relay, she's a happy puppy again.

Duncan

[curtjones]

I was wondering the same thing! I'll be going to northern Wisconsin next week and was wondering if I would need a engine heater?? Does the PSD come with one built in?? This diesel starts just fine down here in Louisiana, but what about at 0.

------------------
Excursion 2000, 4X4,PSD,Estate green, 3.73, Skid plates, 6 CD,IAS shocks, etc.

[frobozz]

It should still start fine at 0 - if you're concerned, just wait a while after the "Wait to start" light goes out before actually starting. The glow plugs stay on about 2 minutes no matter what, the WTS light is just a guess by the computer how long you need to wait, based on engine and temperature conditions.

Having said that, it can't hurt to plug it in, and gives you heat sooner after you start driving, gets your oil flowing quicker, etc. In other words, if it's no hassle to plug in and you don't mind paying a buck or two for the electricity, do it...but you shouldn't be stranded in 0 degree weather just because you don't have an outlet and an extra couple of hours! We're a couple of miles south of the Wisconsin border, so maybe 10-15 degrees warmer than northern WI on average...and we haven't plugged either truck in yet this year.

On the PSD Excursion, you'll find the plug bundled up behind the bumper, on the driver's side. Look in the hole near the tow hook.

Duncan

[erlong]

You will also find that cold starts are less of an issue if you drive it daily. If it sits for a week straight without being driven and not being plugged in, it will more than likely not turn over. This is of course in temperatures in the 'teens and lower.

I had a '97 F250 that wouldn't start last year in the winter. The temperature was well below zero. A buddy of mine has a '99 F350 and he never plugged his in last winter (we're in Minnesota) and the only time he couldn't turn it over was when it sat an an outdoor parking garage at an Airport for a week.

A good thing to do when it's really cold is to let the plugs cycle a few times before you actually turn it over. Go through the "Wait to start" cycle about three times and it generally fires up. Don't be alarmed when you puke out a blue smoke screen either, that's normal on a really cold day.


------------------
-Eric
2000 Excursion Limited, 1989 F150, 1997 F250, 1991 Bronco

[Legal Eagle]

Here's my experience with previous diesels. I haven't had the X-car in deep cold yet, but I expect it will do even better than the old Ford diesel I ran for some 325K miles.

These are in the order of importance... in my opinion:

First - get good fuel, and consider an additive like PowerService, or even some of the others on the market. Keep water out of the fuel. Drain the filters and keep some treatment in the tank. Water will freeze in the lines and put you out of business if everything else is fine.

Second - I'd not worry too much about cold starting if your batteries are up and hot. A good strong crank-over is a huge proportion of a good start.

Third - don't use ether on the engine. It is normally sold as "starting fluid", and if you are not careful (and sometimes if you ARE careful) you can cause damage because ether is quite simply explosive.

Fourth - I have had good starting in very cold temperatures with my old 86 Ford diesel pickup which is an engine much inferior to the current one you have. I got first-try starts with it in temps as cold as five or ten below without block heating. When it gets really cold like that, I allow the "wait to start" light (glow plugs) to cycle twice in a row. Turn on the key and let the plugs heat up. When the light turns off, turn the key off and wait a few seconds. Do it all again. Then try a start after the second cycle is finished. That almost always (99% of the time) worked for me. It wasn't quick, nor was it pretty... but it started just fine. Be prepared for some loud rattle as the engine will protest being awakened.

Fifth - If it gets REALLY cold... and I mean in the 25-below range, then you can leave it running all night and then your only worry is the fuel gelling in the lines. I had one night when I HAD to get moving early one morning. I left it running all night long, put a skirt of tarps around the truck sealing the body to the ground, put heat lamps under the truck to keep the undercarriage warm... then got up in the morning and drove it 735 miles in very cold temps. There wasn't a hiccup the whole day.

Sixth - In temperatures like these, be certain you keep your tongue off the pump handle. This is an important safety tip for any type of trip in this time of year.

Have a nice time, and post your experience for the rest of us to see.

Jay.

------------------
H. J. Ledbetter, Jr. J.D.
"Wife's car" Y2K Excursion LTD, 4X4, 3.73 LS, PSD, 3-guage pillar.ISSPRO boost, Pyro (pre-turbo) Banks tranny temp. Diablo 54. Amsoil air filter. Altimeter. Tows a 30' Sportsmen fiberglass-sided TT w/ slide-out, which likes to go to the mountains a lot.