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I have heard of people having some kind of device that heats the oil pan. I will have an indoor parking area for overnight, but what about during work hours? What is it that I need, and is it easy to install?
You really don't need anything. Where would you plug it in when away from home?
If your vehicles are 2000 or newer, the fuel injection and computer control will allow it to start just fine, even when home. It is the older cars that really need it. Now days it is more for creature comforts, than anything.
In my opinion the best would be a "Engine tank heater". it's is a small heater that Hooke's ups in your water house and heats the water. This causes it to circulate through the water jacket of the engine keeping the engine warm. When you start it up, the engine is fairly warm so you can almost immediately get warm air out of the heater.
Next is a water soft plug heater. It replaces the soft plug in your block and basically try's to heat the block from one single point. It helps but does a couple of things. 1) warms, but is not very efficient at all. 2) It introduces a fail point in your engine. I have never seen one that didn't leak after a few years.
Lastly, they sell a cheap little dip stick replacement that you fan plug in and it attempts to heat the engine by warming the oil. This is the least efficient of any on the market, and as far as I am concerned, worthless.
Like I say, none are needed these days. Years ago, engine parts were sloppy and had loose tolerances. As the engine warmed up, the parts expanded and the parts started to fit better. Today, with the alloys being used, your engine fits properly when it is cold or hot, the metal no longer expands. You used to start up an engine and allow it to warm up for several minutes. Today, you can pretty much start it, wait about 30 seconds and go.
I would caution you that when you start a car in extreme cold, you rotate the key until your dash lights lite and hesitate for a second before starting the car. It gives the computer time to read all sensors and properly set dwell, spark and such for conditions so it starts properly.
Make sure you have the car properly serviced for.winter conditions specified by your owners manual and make sure you have good tires for winter driving conditions.
You should be fine in the lower 48. Alaska is probably the only place in the US where you would need modifications to your car for the winter time. Batteries, oil, and cars in general don't function well in -20 degree weather. North Dakota is much colder than Alabama weather, but not cold enough to need any changes.
Of course, all of this applies to gasoline vehicles. Diesel trucks and cars will need and engine block heater and possibly an oil pan heater.
You should be fine in the lower 48. Alaska is probably the only place in the US where you would need modifications to your car for the winter time. Batteries, oil, and cars in general don't function well in -20 degree weather. North Dakota is much colder than Alabama weather, but not cold enough to need any changes.
Of course, all of this applies to gasoline vehicles. Diesel trucks and cars will need and engine block heater and possibly an oil pan heater.
I regularly start my diesel truck at -30 and worse. Yes, it's got a engine block heater, but I don't plug it in. The last time I plugged it in it was -38 and then I only plugged it in for about 20 minutes. As long as you run blended fuel, you'll do alright. By the way, my truck is a 1985, so it's not new, computerized, etc...
I regularly start my diesel truck at -30 and worse. Yes, it's got a engine block heater, but I don't plug it in. The last time I plugged it in it was -38 and then I only plugged it in for about 20 minutes. As long as you run blended fuel, you'll do alright. By the way, my truck is a 1985, so it's not new, computerized, etc...
I had an older diesel Mercedes. It would always start in cold weather, but it ran rough for the first few minutes. A buddy has a newer diesel truck. It will start in cold weather using only glow plugs, but it also runs rough. Block heater probably just makes it easier to start.
In the winter, I would always pour in some Diesel Kleene in the tank with every fill up. It would help with lubrication and prevent the fuel from gelling in cold weather.
I had an older diesel Mercedes. It would always start in cold weather, but it ran rough for the first few minutes. A buddy has a newer diesel truck. It will start in cold weather using only glow plugs, but it also runs rough. Block heater probably just makes it easier to start.
In the winter, I would always pour in some Diesel Kleene in the tank with every fill up. It would help with lubrication and prevent the fuel from gelling in cold weather.
The thing is, the block heater does not heat the injector pump and that is normally where you gel. I use Power Service in my fuel and it won't gel to about 10 below zero. Beyond that, you are taking chances if you don't use blended fuel. I start mine on glow plugs, some times I cycle them 5 or 6 times, crank it for about 3 seconds to move fuel into the injectors, then cycle the glow plugs again. A couple time of that and my diesel fires right up. The block heater is going to keep the block warm, so the water jacket and the oil are warm. Makes it so it will turn over easier, but doesn't do much for the injector pump.
Have you ever heard of putting automatic transmission fluid in diesel fuel? My friend received the recommendation from his mechanic who works on the ambulances at the local hospital. He adds about a half quart on each fill up with his F-350 with luck.
I ran standard #2 diesel in my 300D with a small amount of Diesel Kleene. I owned this vehicle when I lived down south, so it rarely got below 20F. #1 was also available, but I never used it.
Block heater probably just makes it easier to start.
My primary driver is a '97 Powerstroke and this is what I've noticed, too. I plug it in when it's supposed to be below 15 at night. Otherwise it has a really rough idle for about 5mins. Just makes me feel better...
I plugged my vehicle in when we lived in ND, but it was a '90s era Blazer, it came with a block heater and my electricity was a job bonus. Take out any of those variables and I probably wouldn't have bothered.
Not sure what they are doing up in Williston, but around here, where I live, about November they start running a blend of 20% #1 Diesel with 80% #2, right at the pump. Then toward the end of December, it's up to a 50/50 blend. #1 is very hot, so a 50/50 blend will keep you perking at -40 to -50, they say. I know it does at -44 in my truck.
Yes, I have heard of putting auto transmission fluid in, however, I understood it was to clean the injectors more than anything.
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