I've owned 4 diesels, rest of my family has another 11 all together. At some point, all have been plugged in. None of them have ever gotten plugged in while at work/college. Does that kill the motor? No it doesn't. Most every night when temps are below 15*F, we all will plug ours in. Is it the only thing saving our engines in cold weather? I highly doubt it. The way I look at it is this: We are home for 12-14 hours at night, and it's obviously colder at night(for the most part). The motors will cool quicker and cold soak alot harder than sitting for 8-9 hours during the day time.

Neither of my CTD's nor the Dmax in the driveway have been plugged in this winter. Had a short that took out power to the garage. Once we get it fixed, we will set timers up and the trucks will get plugged in.

For someone to flat out say they won't plug their truck in no matter what is foolish in my opinion. Even if it's just a couple times every two weeks or so, it takes alot of stress off the starting system. And for those who plug in their trucks when at +30, while unneeded, it's nice to see that they care enough about the motor to spend the extra coin on it.

 

Kas83; someone had to be the devils advocate just to show the rest of the story.

 

I have a old International tractor , a 560 diesel , that when you start it in the cold sounds like it is coming a part . It hammers and bangs runs on 2 for a while then 3 and gradually picks up all 6 and has been doing it that way since 1964 , I don't know if I will live long enough to experience the bad consequences from not plugging it in I hope so . I got to agree starting a cold diesel can be a scary adventure , I remember an old 400 International tractor I run that started on gas and then you would pull a lever and switch it over to diesel . When you pulled that lever for the first time you wanted to get off and run , talk about some banging and knocking . The worse damage I have seen from cold weather starting is a battery that gave out , but I am sure a little farther north a plug becomes a necessity . In Ohio we have some day's that dip well below 0 but very seldom more then a weeks worth so I do not plug much in around here and never a Cummins' . My old 91 has held up to that kind of treatment for years so I can not see a reason why this third generation will not . It has not come close to the dependability of the old one and I do not think it ever will but none of its problems had anything to do with cold starts . I abused the 91 for years , young and dumb , and that engine is all original , I always felt dependability came from leaving it stock more then keeping it warm at night . I can not say that about all things but feel it is true on these trucks . I do keep all my diesels in a barn or garage , none heated and I suppose that does help some . My 91 would sit out in the parking lot of the Ford plant on the lake Erie shores all winter and at 3:30 in the morning it never let me down . The 7.3's out in the lot were never that good and they were brand new , some started some did not , that is why I got a Dodge .

 

Down around 0*F she's none too happy w/out the plug, but count how many times that tired old ***** cranks before she's running




I do plug in when I can. I've got limited knowledge about the first 350,000 miles put on the truck, but I could see crosshatching on all cylinders w/a bore-scope at 400,000 miles.

 

John ;thats good info . I should add that to my list of why I don't pug in. I new about condensation in the oil but just forgot about it because it is seldom that I start a vehicle and not drive it 25 or 30 miles seeing I live 20 miles from a town.

 

I am around aircraft engines a lot and guys keeping a oil heater or light bulb in there engine compartment in the winter was one of the number one reasons there engine did not reach the manufactures TBO . Not a good thing to do and I feel the same is true for use . Pre heating before start is also very necessary for aircraft so my suggestion would be if you need to plug just use a timer or plug it in 15 minutes before hand never full time . 15 minutes should take it up 20 to 30 degrees and give the best of both worlds .

 

Gotta respectfully disagree with you here John, a block heater will not create a condensation problem. That is more of a by product from engines not being run to full operating temp. You are waisting you time plugging it in for 15 min, and in no way, shape, or form will it increase a cold soaked engines temp 20* or 30* above ambient, it might increase the #2 cyl coolant temp 10* but that would be best case scenario. The best way to use a block heater is to plug it in immediately after engine shutdown and let it run. If you only preheat for 15 min or 1/2 hour or even an 1 hour all you are doing is creating hot and cold spots in the engine block, a great recipe for head gasket failure.

Tim

 

Operating an engine at operating temperature will remove the moisture caused from the block heater in your oil , but getting an engine hot enough in the winter will take a while . Plugging in as soon as you get home will not keep an engine hot enough to stop condensation , so I stand with my original response to plug it in a few minutes before you leave for best results . Aircraft engine life was cut down to less then half of TBO from guys heating full time , will our engine be affected to the same extreme , I do not know . I do know that for guys that just take short trips the condensation will build because the engine will not get hot enough to remove it and I would suggest more frequent oil changes for the guys that full time heat with a block heater . Try plugging in 15 minutes before you leave , I think you will be surprised how fast it will heat up . Again the trucks in the far north will need much longer at 30 40 below but at 10 below and up it will work fine . These finding were not mine , the people at Lycoming and Continental came up with them and sent out the information . I have never plugged in a Cummins Dodge since 91 and have never lost a head gasket in any of my trucks and will continue along this same route . So a guy that plugs full time may only get 500,000 out of there engine instead of a million miles , that fact should panic very few .

 

How can you compare our block heaters to those used on planes? Total different setups, I'm sure.

 

Different , yes , aircraft for the most part are air cooled so if you install a heater it goes on the oil sump which would cause less condensation then heating the cooling system I would think . Most guys use a torpedo heater to pre heat before flying or plug in a oil heater a few minutes before starting or keep them in a heated hanger , the best . There are still many who heat full time even after all the warnings and at 20,000 and up for over hauls it ends up costing them .

 

I've got a 6.9 in an '84 Ford. It's in Kansas. It can get to zero or below, but not for weeks at a time. I've never plugged that engine in. It can set for weeks and always fires off. Uses JD plus 50 oil, nothing fancy. Odometer's been around at least twice, don't know the exact miles.

That's part of the reason of owning a Cummins, suppose to be better, I thought.

Do I have to start plugging it in to outlast the Ford?

(I do plug in my 730 Case, but it only takes 45-60 minutes, it sets in a shed open to the south, and I usually fire it up a couple of times a week, but it's a 1964 model !! )

 

What you just wrote is exactly why I started this thread. So many around here keeps saying you gota plug in. It just isn't needed. If I were a perspective cummins buyer and I was browsing this site and saw all that. I would say to my self, well so much for a cummins,I gotta have something that will start in the winter no matter what. I don't want a vehical that needs a pacifier just to get going .
On a side note, I had an 86 ford with a 6.9 in it .I liked the truck but the thing I could not put up with was that if it got lower than about -5 deg. it would not start on its own unless it was pluged in. I could not have that so as soon as I could afford to get rid of it I did all though I had it several years. I had to have another car to drive to work because I could not take a chance that it would not start without the tether.

 

Oh my Lord I cant believe this thread is still alive Maybe you need to re-read what has been said... We do NOT NEED to plug in our trucks... 99% of people that have posted here would agree... We CHOOSE to plug in our trucks for faster warm up and less ware and tear on components, period! (yes a warm engine will be easier on the starter, fuel pumps, batteries, alternator, etc.... This is not rocket science, simple intelligence)

Do the trucks start easier and faster in the cold, YES! If you dont think so do the two truck test... (ie two trucks sitting a couple days very cold, get in cycle the grids and fire... see which builds oil pressure faster, which runs smoother, and notice things like exhaust smoke)... Will they probably start without plugging in YES!!!

Die thread DIE!

 

Bnold; Thanks for helping keep the thread alive. Of coarse it would help if you read it All before posting.

 

This specific line gave me the impression that you can plug it in sometimes.

And you did state "flame away", so dont be so offended when someone does.