Late Model KW and Cummins Cold Weather Plugging in

Actually the block heaters heat the oil, not the coolant.

 

The engineers have designed these systems to allow DEF to freeze and thaw. The DEF tank is thawed by engine coolant so whenever the engine is running, coolant is thawing the DEF.

 

Well, I offer you this.

One Company DM Bowman in Frederick had engine block heaters. We plugged them in every night all winter. Go home. 2 am comes around -30 ice on the ground encasing the whole truck monday AM after sitting in a ice storm all weekend it's time to crank and go.

10 seconds on the air starter she lights and begins the usual 20 minutes of reaching 180 degrees on the water. Unplugged the heater and did the walkaround then come in to start the company paperwork and log. Rolling by 3 am. Not a problem.

Not every time though. Once in a while we poach air off the truck next to us via glad hands emergency to fill the air starter and give er another go. Or we find that the truck is indeed completely dead as happened to me once. The shop came around bobtail, chained to my trailer pulled me out of the nosed in spot and dragged the whole deadweight with parking spring brakes locked and full 80000 pounds by brute force around to the shop to put a cannon on it driven by propane.

Noon comes around still no start. Went home for the day with overtime in the pocket. It happens.

Eventually that old COE got sold for a nice Mack and that one had a block heater as well. But no air start, everything was modern and depended on the batteries. I finished out the winter running into fishertown with it int he worst of ice and zero temps every morning up near Altoona. Just reliable as can be.

That's my only experience with block heaters plug in. Everything else is high idle at 1500 if necessary to keep that fuel warm in the tank returns and the cab comfortable. No emissions anywhere because this was prior to 2001. And a few gallons spent in the coldest of winter is nothing compared to a dead truck and the expense of a tow etc.

 

My heater is up where my coolant is... Had to have coolant drained for it to be installed....

 

Mine is in the oil cooler, so possibly you would need to have the coolant drained, but still it warms the oil. Warm oil is what you need to be able to cold start. Engine won't crank with thick oil.

 

S60 Detroit - in the coolant behind pump.

By thermal scientific stuff thingy, warms block.

Ideally a sump oil warmer would be ideal I guess, heat rises.

Can’t help on the DEF deal though.

-5 . Sheesh. I’d be inclined to idle the night.

 

Block heater heats coolant. Oil pan heater is a seperate heating element in the bottom of the oil pan. Most trucks up here come standard with both.

 

-5F I’d feel comfortable just plugging in my block heater. Of course fuel would be bought from good supplier and treated by me ...

Colder then that the truck runs.....