The addiction as you call it to ether is really an old diesel engine suffering from need of a rebuild. Low compression makes it not want to start not the use of ether. There again I am not advocating its use. i am just stating fact. The engine is not a junky that won't live without ether.

 

Plugging in is not necessary as far as I am concerned , if it was a glow plug engine it might be . I drove my 91 for over 13 years and never plugged it in , it had original starter , driven mostly short trips because I lived 6 minutes from the Ford plant were I worked at . Two battery's in 13 years and it never let me down . The engine is strong to this day , it will not hurt them . To wear out a Cummins' is a rare thing , never seen one in a pickup truck that was . Instant heat would be my only reason to plug in and even then I would use a timer . Heating a block part way promotes condensation in the engine and in some cases is worse . I live in Ohio and my opinion would change farther north were plugging in is a necessary even for gas engines but down to 0 it is not needed and even below that . My 91 would start with a click at 20 below and still does , wish my 4.5 was the same . I never ran the grid heater through when it was real cold , I just started it and then let it run through . If you ran the grid heater your battery was really dragged down before any crank at all . My 4.5 is a different story I think , but it may even be better to just crank , not sure .

 

Wow this thread should get interesting. I thought the engine heater helped keep the oil warm?

 

Mine will start without the plug OK below zero (once in Green River, StrokeThis 07). But why stress the system if it's not necessary?

Faulty reasoning, Lifer. If you want it to start in all conditions, plug it in whenever you can. This way you minimize the stress seen by the batteries and starting system, and you maximize the overall condition of the systems. Thus it is most likely to start in the worst weather. Of course, do the required maintenance.

This is the reason the cord should be considered required equipment by all owners. We know DC is stupid, so obviously they had some stupid reason to leave it off. Probably cost cutting.

 

No , it heats the water only and does little to heat oil if any . Oil heaters are rare , but there are a few out there . I have a oil heater on my airplane because it is air cooled and it is a pad bonded to the oil pan , works ok I guess .

 

cincydiesel; The engine heater heats the coolant and in turn warms the iron block. So the oil in the pan is still cold and thick. When the engine starts and the pump pulls the oil up into the warmer block it warms the oil to some extent. But that does not help for the initial start up as far as the oil being thick.

 

In theory, the oil is slightly heated.. With the warm block water, the oil gets some heating through the oil cooler on the way by. But truth is the oil is hanging out in the cold in the pan and doesn't get any heat.

Synthetic oil is the only choice if that is your choice to not use the heater. Another problem is when the unit is very cold, the fuel washdown from unburned fuel does damage to the cylinder and dillutes the oil with unburned fuel. Oil analysis can tell if this is happening to you with a simple sample. Too many times I see slobbering older Diesels idling away with oily tail pipes.

I tend to use it at around 0°F and below just to save battery drain and for a little more heat in the mornings. Heating the block and 12 Litres of oil takes a while..

 

Rare1; The heated block masks simple start up problems that will show themselves in an evil way one day when you find yourself in a situation where you can't plug in. All the while you thinking everything is fine right up to the point where it won't start and you are a the mercy of the weather. I choose to pick my battlefield and that is in my driveway where I have a meraid of options and can without major inconvenience choose what to do. No there is not a garantee that it will not start in an inconvenient place but More than likly it will be when it at home. That is why I have AAA too.

 

I plug in cause I like HEAT! Thing takes 10miles of highway to even try to make heat otherwise...

Water heater was there from factory so why not use it? Not worried about the condition of my motor, batts, etc... If plugging in will make starting and initial cold running a fraction easier for the motor I'll continue to plug in... AND I live in TEXAS!! (thank you Lord!)

 

Not true. Look at all the "hard to start" posts on this forum. Plugging in will not cure them. If you have a starting problem the plug will not help. Glad you have AAA, you will need it when your systems are worn out. I don't have AAA and don't expect to need it.

 

Yes lets look at the posts about starting problems. Most state Im having a problem starting today when it is X deg. But it starts fine when I plug it in. Now did the problem show itself when they were pluging in. No.....

 

I also have AAA - wouldn't run without it.

Plugging it in isn't required - that's obvious. I actually don't plug mine in that often as it would require 150' of extension cord where I presently live. And at -5F it dosen't like it, but it starts.

That said, I take precaution to keep the stress of operation down to a minimum given the mileage of my rig. It's why I don't shift at redline, and it also why you personally shouldn't go run a marathon without traning and warm-up. And yes, this engine can and will fail givnen a harsh enough thermocycle condition.

 

9612v; Exactly! If God wanted us to be tied to an elec. plug we would have a cord.

 

What does your response have to do with 9612v post?? Don't get it??

 

Results with an infrared temp gun:
0°F outside temp, truck not run in several days plugged in for 12 hours.
Bottom of oil pan 42°
Center of steering wheel 21°
Top of valve cover 75°
Upper radiator hose 97°