Diesel TV Experience in the Arctic Vortex!

[TucsonJim]

Ten days ago, we got a bad phone call here in sunny Arizona that my DW's sister was in the Ohio State University Medical Center ICU with a list of very serious health issues. So, after discussing the situation, we decided the best course of action was to drive from Arizona to Ohio in order to support the family. Her sister is still very sick and in the hospital, but is stable and no longer critical. We made the drive home, and safely arrived today.

We drove the 2013 F350 diesel TV for the trip because it has 4WD that we could use in ice and snow. Thank God we had the traction. I'm a native of Southern California and Arizona and have very little experience driving in winter weather.

When we hit Indiana, the wind was howling, and the snow started blowing across the fields and drifting onto the highway. The temperatures were in the teens, and the roads quickly became very slick. We saw many vehicles that slid off the roadway, but the Ford kept a nice solid track. By the time we got to the Ohio border, we were in white out conditions, but fortunately, we were able to find a place for the night.

Now mind you, the temperatures here in Tucson have been running around 70-80 degrees for the last six weeks. Last week in Ohio, it kept getting colder and colder. By Tuesday, it was -14F! The wind chill varied from -25 to -30. My truck does NOT have a block heater, and I was worried that the fuel would gel up and it wouldn't run. On Tuesday morning, I left the relative warmth of the hotel room and took the painful 50 yard walk to the truck. I put the key in the ignition, turned it on, and waited about 8-10 seconds for the glow plug light to extinguish. The truck fired right up and ran great. I'd treated the fuel the night before with some cetane booster and anti gel formula.

I wish it had a block heater, and there would have been a place to plug it in. It took quite a while for the temperature to rise enough to get some heat from the heater. It's okay though, I'm sure the skin grafts will heal from where my hind end was frozen to the leather seat...

[Jarlaxle]

JamesBr wrote:
AT -14 I would like to have a block heater as well. But with the newer diesels and as long as your fuel is the proper blend or properly treated I would expect them to start in most cases. I use my block heater at home if it will get under freezing not for ease of start but convenience for me.

My old mechanical 5.9 Cummins would start without a heater (and without the heater grid Rams used) down to -15 with no trouble. When I drove shuttle buses, we had more buses than heater plugs...they deliberately DIDN'T plug in the ones with Cummins engines, because everyone knew they'd start! (Some of the 7.3's, many with 150,000+ miles and 8-15,000 hours...not so much.)

[Jarlaxle]

TucsonJim wrote:

Lessmore wrote:

You're a lucky guy living in Arizona.

That's the voice (mine) of envy speaking.

Les :B

Come visit me in July or August and we'll discuss the envy part...
:W

It's no worse there than here. I'll take 110 and dry over 85 and humid every time. (And hey: my Caddy has great air conditioning.)

[Jarlaxle]

downtheroad wrote:
Good story and I'm glad it worked out for you...
Maybe next truck...heated seats. Great for those cold mornings before the heater kicks in.

Or just get seats with a new miracle material that ISN'T freezing in the winter and scorching in the summer! It's called "cloth". 😄

[APT]

Great story! Today's diesels are a lot more like their gasoline counterparts. I love mine!

[JamesBr]

AT -14 I would like to have a block heater as well. But with the newer diesels and as long as your fuel is the proper blend or properly treated I would expect them to start in most cases. I use my block heater at home if it will get under freezing not for ease of start but convenience for me.

[PA12DRVR]

My 09 Chevy OM recommends using the Block Heater anytime below 20, IIRC.

The '13 F550 recommends something similar.

Aside from the benefits to the engine by avoiding an absolutely cold startup, it's really nice when the heater is warm shortly after starting.

Heated leather seats are a really nice addition to a cold weather vehicle.

[PAThwacker]

magnetic portable block heaters work too if you are in a pinch. we used one on a 1988 detroit diesel 8.2 liter during extreme neg 15 conditions.

[MFL]

Just a FYI, on the Ford block heater. It is standard equipment on the new SD, when shipped to the 15 cold states.

Jerry

[Turbo_Diesel_Du]

When we moved to Ocala,Fl last September, I bought her (DW)a new Hyundai Hybrid Sonata with the heated seats. She took a trip to St. Augustine,(90 miles each way and upon her return home she exclaimed that she was burning up! I checked and she'd hit the On-Hi seat heater and had the AC switch turned up to about 80*. Had a little school for her and now she's OK with the controls. LOL

[edatlanta]

I have to agree with travelnutz. I don't like leather seats with or without a heater option. Cloth for me all the way.

[Led_67]

Bull Rider wrote:

travelnutz wrote:
Helps to turn on the headlights for a couple minutes before cranking the engine also in extreme cold on both gas and diesel engines. Gets the battery fluid moving and even warms the battery/batteries a little.

Well, that's a new one for me. I've never heard this advice. I thought at first you were just joshing, but maybe not. Thanks for sharing.

Hope your Sister in Law is doing well as well as yourselves. As for the seats the best thing I had in my semi was a genuine sheepswool seatcover that was comfy year round, You can see pilots using them, and made long drives tolerable.
Travelnutzz is correct about turning your marker and or headlights on when it is extremely cold. I learned that trick from my Father who learned it back when he was young and it does help.

[TucsonJim]

Lessmore wrote:

You're a lucky guy living in Arizona.

That's the voice (mine) of envy speaking.

Les :B

Come visit me in July or August and we'll discuss the envy part...
:W

[Lessmore]

Very nice to hear your SIL is doing better.

I think you would have difficulty up here on the Canadian Prairies during our long, cold winters. We've been getting temps of 30 below and colder for so long (since early December) that I'm starting to wonder if we will ever have summer again....let alone spring.

And the snow....it's about 3 - 4 feet high everywhere on my property. So much snow that I've been reduced to cutting out snow trenches with my snow blower, to make more capacity for..what seems to be never ending snow this winter. Our snow never really melts from November till late March, early April.

My wife retires later this year and I think....next winter we will go somewhere warm for at least part of the winter. It just piles up higher and higher.

You're a lucky guy living in Arizona.

That's the voice (mine) of envy speaking.

Les :B

[wkswenson]

As long as you filled up the fuel tank in the area and picked up Winter Blend and the cetane/anti-gel you should be fine even without the block heater.... F350 7.3L here and I can turn it in the coldest of weather... Let the glow plugs warm then shut the key off and let them cycle a second time. I do have a block heater and don't use the truck as a daily driver so I don't leave it plugged in nor do I always remember to plug it in before I need it. Also helps in this part of the country to check your batteries before winter and replace both before they start to get old.

Diesel will gel in these parts if you are not careful and don't fill with winter blend. Last year I didn't use the truck for a long stretch from about early Sept until late Dec and the temps were well below single digits. Truck would not start even after leaving the block heater on. With the block heater on it would start for two or three minutes, then rough idle and die. Had to hit it with some Rescue 911 and then ran it low on fuel and filled with Winter blend which solved the problems.

Most block heaters are installed into the lower radiator hose.

Hope all turns out ok.