How cold till you use the block heater ?
 

This is my first diesel, and I am not sure when to use my block heater. Fall starts this week with winter close behind. :confused: :confused:

My general rule of thumb is that I start using it when the car starts to struggle on start up. This may or may not ever happen for you based on where you live and where you store your car (garage or outside, etc). For me this is usually around the freezing mark (32 F).

I have a timer that goes off around 3 a.m. and heats my cars for about 3 hours til we leave around 6 a.m. Toasty warm with instant heat!

But my two girls are at college now and one of the cars is a bear to start in the winter. I believe that we will be idling it most of nov, dec and jan.

Don

I don't think I used my block heater until it got below 0 deg F.

If you use your block heater every day of the year it will last longer.... other things like rate of changing the oil, type of oil used being equal of course....
this is because most wear on an engine is caused by the difference in expansion rates of the pistons and rings compared to the bore.... so the closer those two are to operating temperature when you start up each time the less wear on the engine.

On the '87 I use it every day. That's because the glow plugs are shot. starts right up in any weather. Tried to take out plug#1 but it would not come out. Don't want to remove the intake and crossover if i don't have to. Any ideas on how to get the plug out???.
Thanks,
Joe

I would put it on a timer and have it start up the block heater about 3 hours or so before the car's needed. I have been able to start my 83 as low as -10F without the heater but it really beats up the starter. Use the block heater as soon as you feel you need to wear a coat in the morning and give your starter a lot less work in the morning. If it's very very cold where you live, buy one of those jump start things and carry it in the trunk. I've had it save my butt when I had to work too late. Alternately and uncomfortably I go out and take the beast for a drive at lunch time.
Use that block heater, starter's a b***h to change.

I have often wondered if block heaters are a major contributing factor in diesel longevity?

Since most diesels, and unlike gassers, and in the north predominate, diesel engines are plugged in during the coldest of cold nights and as you mentioned, less stress from a warmed engine, the engine will ware longer.

I too have not experienced a diesel before spring of this year, so it will be my first winter as well.

QUESTION: does anyone know what the wattage is on these block heaters?? I ran my block heater all last night to test to see if it works. This morning, I first turned the key to see if there was a reading on the temp guage and it read 50c. When I opened the hood, and placed my hand on the valve cover, it was so hot, I couldn't believe it! Just as though it had been running a few minutes ago!

So I wonder now what my electric bill will reflect to plug it in?? I could put a timer on it if I knew how long it takes to warm sufficiently, anybody know?

Also, and I will post this question on another thread too, Question: Why after having the block heater on all night, (the only thing I can think of) did my engine suddenly run as smooth and quiet, no subtle nailing at all!

Steve............... :)

previously i used the block heater at temps below 12 deg F. that number seems to be rising each winter...
will see what it becomes this year ;)

3 hours of block heating does seem to be all it needs here.

To remove the glowplugs on a 603 you have to remove the intake, it is not to bad you could probably do the whole job in a short day. Removing the intake also gives you the opertunity to clean all of the egr crap out and disable it.

This will be my first winter as well, it was 45 this morning when I fired up my car, it fired right off like it was 90 out. I will replace the block heater cord soon and see if it even works.

block heater
 

I owned two Volvo diesels and would use the block heaters anytime it got below 40 degrees. That equals much less wear on the engine (oil's warm), MUCH less strain on the battery, and you get almost instant heat (coolant's warm). It's one of those things that you should use often if you have safe access to an outlet for electricity. I also noticed that my windshield NEVER frosted over in the winter when the block heater was plugged in, and snow would slide right off the hood/windshield too. I wouldn't be too concerned about when to use it (i.e. temperature) - just use it. No one will fault you for using it when it's cold. I can't say enough good things about block heaters. When my 760 got totalled in an accident it had 370,000 miles on it. I swear part of that was due to plugging in the car over the winters.

I basically don't drive the MB in the winter but the work truck gets plugged in whenever the temp gets down to the high 20's at night. A cheap timer turns it on at 4:30am so its ready to go at 7:30. Sure it'll start on its own right down below zero but plugging it in lets it start easier and the heat comes on a whole lot sooner too. RT

Thanx
 

I appreciate all of the GREAT info. Has anyone ever "ohmed out" the heater. I would like to know for sure that it is good and not burned open. If you touch the block near the heater will it be warm to the touch?? :) :confused:

No, I haven't put a meter on it for resistance, don't know what wattage they are either?

Your entire engine should be hot! And based on my first trial yesterday, my temp guage read 50c before starting!

Steve............. :)

Though I recently read a couple of threads on block heater wattage, etc. I do not remember what the numbers were. If you do a search on "block heaters" you'll find them. I do remember it wasn't enough to worry about on the electric bill. Additionally, from what I have read, the savings on wear-and-tear of the engine/starter plus less frustration with cold weather starting should more than offset the electrial cost.

Fully agree! And I understand now that it only takes 3 hours or so to get the temp up, so a timer is neccessary here! :)