we3
Birnamwood Wi.
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I also have a 05 F-350 and I believe that when you turn the key on the glo-plugs stay on for either 60-90 secs. The light will go off after about 10 secs. When cold I leave my key on for about 45 secs before starting and plug my truck in below freezing. I have started the truck this way well below zero. Just try leaving your switch on for 45 secs before cranking the engine and I think that you will notice a difference.
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DWeikert
York, PA
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Joined: 02/07/2006
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JoeChiOhki wrote:Plug it in at night, don't be this moron:
Cummins Abuse
DWeikert wrote:mpfireman wrote:As far as I know GRID HEATERS are only on Cummins Engines, and cycling the key when it gets below O helps. Use your block heater if equipped, all Gas or Diesel engines. Switching to #1 diesel fuel is recommended in COLD weather, but any diesel additive will help.
Let me know when it gets below O down there, as starting your truck might be the easiest thing to do around town.
Doesn't help the OP with a Ford, but the Duramax also has a grid heater. Not sure I understand the logic of turning the key on/off/on. If the temperature calls for heat, just turn on the key and wait for the glow plug light to go off, then start the truck. Am I missing something?
He's cycling it through two full glow plug cycles instead of one to increase the hot spot temp.
That was painful to watch. Reminded me of an old radial engine Twin Beech we had at the airport. First start of the weekend was always a several minute process of cranking away as cylinders would slowly start firing one at a time. Almost as much smoke too. 
Perhaps it's the difference between new and old diesels, but I was under the impression the pigtail light on the dash going out means the glow plugs are up to temperature and they stay at temperature until the engine is running warm enough to self ignite from compression. After my earlier post I started thinking about the grid heater though. Does that stay on like the glow plugs or is that just a burst of heat, in which case I can see how more air overall would be heated with a second surge. On the other hand, if the grid heater also stays on until the engine is up to temp...?
Sorry for the thread hijack but I'm still relatively new to the diesel world and just want to make sure I understand everything I think I know.
Thanks,
Dan
2008 Chevy D/A 2500HD ECSB
2010 Northstar 8.5 Adventurer
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JumboJet
Tontitown Arkansas
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DWeikert wrote:
Perhaps it's the difference between new and old diesels, but I was under the impression the pigtail light on the dash going out means the glow plugs are up to temperature and they stay at temperature until the engine is running warm enough to self ignite from compression. After my earlier post I started thinking about the grid heater though. Does that stay on like the glow plugs or is that just a burst of heat, in which case I can see how more air overall would be heated with a second surge. On the other hand, if the grid heater also stays on until the engine is up to temp...?
Sorry for the thread hijack but I'm still relatively new to the diesel world and just want to make sure I understand everything I think I know.
Thanks,
Dan
When you see the grid heater indicator lit, that is your instruction to not crank the engine until the indicator goes out.
The grid heater on a Dodge Cummins cycles based on how cold the intake air is. You can tell when the grid heater is on - the lights dim and the volt meter goes to about 12 volts. It never stays on for more than a few seconds and mine typically stops cycling after about 4 or 5 on/off cycles.
...and I use CRC Industries Diesel advanced fuel treatment.
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Wheelholder
jacksonville, fl
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When I drove over the road, the company I was driving for told me to use FPPF as the anti-gel additive. Never had a problem when I used it, so I guess it works.
2008 Silverado crew cab Duramax/Allison
2008 Lance 830
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Farmerjon
Niangua, missouri
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Plug your heater in.
Cold oil is hard on engines. We plug ours in the night before, but even just a couple hours would help.
We have no trouble starting even when we don’t get a chance to plug it in.
In southwest Missouri we don’t get many opportunities (?) to start in sub-zero temps.
You can have trouble in cold weather if the batteries are not up to par.
Our truck got to where it was hard to start in freezing weather unless it was plugged in several hours ahead of time. We replaced the 8 year old OEM batteries and it starts easy again.
I believe all ford diesels come with the heater installed but you may have to add the plug.
* This post was
edited 12/01/11 10:07pm by Farmerjon *
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traxtermax
UPSTATE NEW YORK
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Keep your batteries charged. The glow plug pulls a lot of juice, the high compression ratio and thick oil quickly add to the load on the battery. I've started an F350 at 10-15*F without using a heater but if it hadn't fired up almost immediately, I would have had two flat batteries that were in reasonable shape prior to that.
My block heater was coiled up and stuffed behind the bumper and some sheet metal. If you pole around and use a flashlight, you ought to be able to find it.
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KKELLER14K
BEAVERTON OREGON
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A block heater has to be there somewhere.....
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2BLAZERS
KEIZER, OREGON
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Because I hate scrapping windows and driving with fogged up frozen over windows I just plug my truck into a timer that comes on about 2am for leaving for work at 5:30AM. I also hit the remote start key from in the house before grabbing my lunch cooler, putting my coat on and kissing my wife and baby girl goodbye for the work day. Works well for me. I only do this when the temps seem to be getting close to or below freezing (usually late October to early march)
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billtex
RI
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akblack10 wrote:As temps drop into the mid-20s here in central Kentucky, I am looking for recommendations to help my F350 (2005) start better in the Winter months.....?
1) Can anyone recommend a specific diesel fuel additive.....?
2) Can anyone recommend a specific plug-in device to keep engine warm?
Any ideas / solutions appreciated.... there must be some "Nanuks of the North" out there that have some great solutions?
-Thanks!
Synthetic oil...your engine's best Friend in cold temps...
2006 Chevy D/A CC
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gkainz
Arvada, CO, USA
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I plugged my '97 Dodge Cummins in last night. We were about 4ºF this morning. It's so nice to have it pop to life after just a couple of blades ... uh, sorry, revolutions of the starter (yeah, I'm a pilot, too - smiled at the Beech starting reference above).
In contrast, hunting trip a couple weeks ago was in the same temp range ... takes a while to get it fired up without the block heater. I do the 2 cycles of grid heater then, and add a little throttle (per Owner's Manual and Visor sticker) during the startup.
Besides less wear and tear during startup, it sure is nice to have cab heat sooner. I use the block heater whenever I can when the temps dip into or below 20s. It's also nice to know that it will start without it, if needed.
'97 Dodge 2500 CTD 4x4
'10 Keystone Laredo 245 5er
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