Every MB has a block heater? Really?

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Current cars:
2000 ML55 AMG, 174k miles
2003 C240 T-Modell, 202k miles
1995 S320, 207k Miles

obviously not every MB has one... but the overwhelming majority of MB Diesels do!

and he said so...
a block/radiator hose heater is a very good idea in cold climates. put one on a timer, and have it start about 2 hours before you need to drive, viola! nearly instant heat. no damage to motor from idling needlessly!

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John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 560SL convertible
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
2005 Dodge Sprinter 2500 158"WB
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!

I didn't know that the car would be idling for 15 minutes or more! If your car does not have a block heater, install one on the lower radiator hose. This will save you a lot of money on maintenance costs due to excessive idling. Your car will have a power cord under the left side of the front bumper typically with a 3 prong grounded plug. This is the block heater, which is in the block right behind the starter with a black ribbed wire consisting of 3 wires in it.

I was kinda liking the idea of a remote starter to start my car with a block heater plugged in and the remote would start the engine and turn on the heat about 2 minutes before I drive off.

For the last year and a half I've own this car (my first diesel) I've religiously warmed the engine no matter the temperature of the day. I thought it was a good thing with diesels to let them get to the 80C mark before putting them to work. If I've been wrong this whole time, I've got some girlfriend apologizing to do ...

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1981 300SD, odometer stopped at 188,000

Your not really wrong, it's just a waste of energy and isn't necessarily beneficial to the engine to do this. 80C is normal operating temperature and means the engine should be in this range for normal driving since it was designed to be most efficient at this temp. Once your sender hits 40C and begins to move, your engine is getting warm and should be good enough for driving at this point. Just try to keep the rpm below 2000 by driving away gently and let it warm up graciously for the first few minutes and you should be fine.

Diesel engines don't like or tolerate hard driving or high RPM's when they are cold because they run on compression alone.

I start my car and let it warm up because I dont like sitting on cold leather seats. I would rather go out to a nice warm car.

The other day I started it up, locked the door, went back in the house, got side tracked and forgot the car was waiting for me. Took at least an hour and a half for me to remember I started the car already.

I think I have lost a glow plug or two and my car is a little hard to start on cold days unless plugged in. A couple of days this winter the temp outside was zero.... Every time I went somewhere my car was stone cold and hard to start. So I just left it running. I think it ran about 8 hours one day.

I was on the highway 2 weeks ago at 5am and was getting way too tired to keep driving. I pulled in a truck stop and fell asleep for over an hour... I left it running then too.

I was always told it was ok to let a diesel run. Doesn't concern me one bit. In the military we let diesels run forever. My junk yard, my brothers friend owns, leaves their loaders run for days at a time.

just my .02

diesel locomotives are left to run 24/7.

I have a block heater and use it occasionally, but it is inconvenient at times and not possible at times. Remote start has its pros and cons. I wouldn't use it daily. Probably use it more for the function of being able to remove keys from ignition to run in the house to grab something while the engine is still running.

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81 300SD daily driver/project
86 420SEL (sold)
85 380SE(in the graveyard)

LOl. my neigh gaybors would hate me. therefore i should do this.

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Paul
Benz-less
I need an SDL !

Sounds cool in theory but you don't want to idle a diesel too long. The lower speed = lower combustion temperatures which = unburned fuel washing your cylinder walls of oil and creating the right environment to score your pistons and also diluting your oil.

Wow i been a mechanic for 15 years and I never heard of a diesel engine failure due to this Its not a 2 Stroke!

Again 5 min of idling will not hurt the car!!! My duramax has an elevated idle feature for warming up. maybe I need to do this so it idles at about 1000-1200 RPM.

This makes me laugh I have let all of my diesels idle in the morning to warm up (including my TDI's) and they have all are living longer than 300k. You people worry too much!

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1987 300D 180k
1985 300SD 330k Helga
1992 300D Lola 269k- Sold
1986 325 coupe Bessie >300k Original engine(ODO Broke) sold
2006 2500HD Druamax Linda- Tows boat and looks pretty in garage thats about it