About 6 times a week i drive the truck 3 miles to the carpool parking lot. As winter gets closer how can i help the cummins get through these cold runs without hurting parts. I run 15w-40 rotella, follow the B-schedule in the manual, and have grill covers on. I place the covers on when morning temps drop below 50's, run power service white bottle when temps go below 30's in the morning and run the block heater on an outlet timer. Is there anything else i can do to help it out?

Thanks everyone

 

Get a little 4 cylinder car and drive that to the car pool location. Best way to help the truck live long and prosper.

In cold temps it just doesn't make a difference unless you get the whole engine upto operating temp for a period of time, and that is going to take considerably more time than the 3 mile drive.

That 3-5 mile commute then sit for long hours is about the worst scenario there is. Everything gets just warm enough to make sure water is liquid or evaporating then it sits a cools fast which just condenses the vapor back faster as it doesn't have time to dissipate.

 

i thought a bunch of times going that route. But with still making payments on the dodge id like to see if there was something else i can do to help it. My work schedule is weird mon,wed, fri is when i do the 3mile commute. Tues. and thurs. i work OT and drive it 66 miles.

 

Thats is a differnet sceanrio. Interspersing the short runs with the longer ones helps a great deal in the cold temps. That should not be an issue if you can keep a good schedule with it.

Even better, if you have a trailer to tow hook it up on the longer runs to work the engine more. Kinda hard I know but its an idea.

Yes, the short runs are hard on it but a block heater and a closed winter front will help dramatically in warmup and cool down times. The only other thing is drive it in 2nd gear to the commuter lot to get things good and warm. Maybe drive would be all right depending on your speeds.

 

Do a search for Espar engine heaters they are a diesel fired programmable heater.

 

Also, go to the dodge dealer and ask for p/n 82208646. Its the under hood winter front. Works WAY better than the grill inserts ever could. Adjustable flaps and its stealthy. No one can steal it because its locked under the hood.

 

how are egt's with that engine cover? Does it cover the intercooler? i've never seen one in person

 

Those are for use where there is no electric available, or, to warm the cab without idling the engine. Thats not what he is looking for.

 

yeah this is a bizarre topic. im not talking about starting the truck is 10 degree weather. im talking about a nice 60 degree morning but only a 3 mile drive that takes place about 6 times a week. i guess what my question is what aftermarket products will help the cummins through this. like oils, covers, a turbo sock??

 

I run the rotella 5-40 synthetic oil, the 5 weight is better for cold starting, genos garage has a front winter cover also. or be like me and just head for Arizona for the winter, works for me.

 

Maybe not in the AM but after it sets all day it might need one.

 

Will this help? electric cooling fans. i never tow and really never plan on it.

 

How about just leaving a few minutes early and driving about 10 miles? If it is plugged in and use a winter front, this should warm it up plenty. And if a few times you drive the 66 miles you should be just fine.

 

Now I am confused, exactly what are you trying to do here?

You started asking about short drives, cold mornings, and what could be done to offset the potential damage.

Then you said its 60 degree mornings and 6 times a week short commutes.

In another post its every other day short commutes with long rungs in between.

Now your talking about cooling fans when winter is on its way??????


If your concern is the short commutes and potential harm it can cause then what I said holds true. In fact, disconnect the fan completely in the winter and and block the radiator. That will help far more than anything else. Add a winter front for more heat rentention in the cold.

Run the block heater 1.5 hours before you leave to pre-warm the engine. Drive in lower gears on the 3 mile commute to warm the engine as much as possible.

The difference in 5w-40 and 15w-40 is simply not going to matter in temps zero or above. The onl;y time you need to go with the lower viscocity is in consistent sub zero temps. Even then it will not make a differenc eif the engine never warms, it will still condense water into the oil and wash the cylinders due to lack of combustion temps.

The 60 degree temps ar enot an issue, when the morning temps are consistenyl 30 degrees or less then you need to start with the pre-warming, fan unplug, and winter front.

 

I think he means remove the stock fan and use electric fans so he can leave them off in the winter and use them in the summer. At least that is how I read it. Also the 6 times a week is 3 days of 3 mile round trips for 6 trips. Again that's how I read it. Lord knows I've been wrong more than once in here!