Winter has it's death grip on us in the midwest and it's been a week of below zero temps with wind chills up to 30 degrees below.

I haven't driven my '06 since this hit us but I've left the heater plugged in with a timer that turns it on for a few hours every morning. The question is, am I doing anything wrong by heating it and not using it? (aside from my electric bill) Should I just leave it unplugged if it's going for extended periods of non use?

Oh by the way, it sits outside.

 

No your motor won't mind a bit. . .I don't drive my truck every daya either and I like you use a timer that cycles on and off through out a day. A little warm water in the head is nothing but nice. Unless your worried about burning out the heater element I would just let'er go.

 

I leave mine plugged in from the time I get home until I leave again, even if its several days. The wear and tear it saves on the engine is worth the very small increase in my electric bill, about $15-20 bucks a month.

 

I was sick last weekend. I left my truck plugged in all weekend. I've done that 2 times in the last month and seen nothing go wrong.

 

I keep mine plugged pretty much 24/7 even if it's going sit for a day or 2. But, as was said, using a timer won't hurt anything since all the big trucks I drove over the years were on timers and they went between 750 and a million K before they were in-framed.

 

725Gus,

No you will not hurt anything except your pocket book. Why not leave it unplugged until you need it as all you do is give the power company more $$. I've left mine set for 4 days when the temps were in the -4 to -12 below zero range and then plugged it in for 2-3 hrs before I used it and had not problems starting it or having it jumping in to high idle at start up.

Also being you have a 2006 are you using 5w40 synthetic winter weight oil like your owners manual suggest you use any time the temp get down to zero? Thou it is best to use the lighter oil any time the outside temps get at or below 10 above in between oil changes.