When to plug in an engine block heater

1st of all, I believe all diesel fuel is blended from the refinery, so with additives, fuel is not the concern. I'm sure BP blends their fuel. Years ago, if Detroit powered, you'd plug it in anything below 60 degrees. Today, I think modern motors will fire down to like zero, but a rule of thumb always used to be, anything below freezing, should be plugged in.

 

Today's diesel engines are easier to start.

In the 50's they didn't shut them all off.

I remember hearing how the terminal left two B' models iding inside the shop on Friday night and cleared all the toolboxes from in between the bays. Five guys came in Sunday night, 2 to each mack with chains and one standing in the shop with the center bay doors open and a box of either cans. The guys aired and chained the tractors and towed 'en through the shop to start on compression while the 5th guy ran alongside spraying the air intake with either.

Today, anyone with good maintenance habits and good battteries should be able to start in single digits.

OP the fuel is probably a contract and BP may be the source but the bulk purchase by the contractor may not have the BP additive package hence the "not BP' warning. That said, the basic 'rack' fuel is still taylored to the season. An early cold snap may cause gel issues but most of the season should be adjusted to prevent gel issues at that location.

The only time I saw a huge issue with gel was a guy who fueled after loading in Jacksonville before driving to Thunder Bay, Ontario in the winter; shut down and gelled soild. Towed to a heated shop and started after 24 hours [they charge by the hour] and topped off with their local fuel blend.

A fleet of school busses with reasonable maintenance shoudn't have any gelling issues.

 

My uncle was a maintenance manager for a major and I got summer jobs that paid for most of college and have been in operations, management and then safety since 1977; I got a Million stories; truckers really DO make the world go around; too bad the public doesn't realize

 

Fuel is a finicky business. The best deal gets the sale, even if it's not the brand on the sign. From the refinery, it's all blended. I knew a guy that drove for Kwik-Trip in the midwest, he said, he filled up at any tank farm and gas was gas. And no, not a typo. Not familiar with 2 cycle Detroits, eh?

 

No one mentioned it only needs to be plugged in a couple hrs before starting. No sense in running it for any longer. 1500w constantly can get expensive.

 

I've see trucks & tractors plugged in start right and run anywhere from 5 to 25 mins then die because of fuel related issues.. usually its because of lack of fuel system maintenance or crapy fuel
I try to buy my fuel at BPs because I feel their fuel is better plus in the winter in the midwest they blend and add additives.. plus I use Howe's fuel treatment faithfully from Oct to April
JMO Casey's has some of the worse fuel..
I'am not gonna say there isn't such a thing but I had not seen a truck with a engine oil heater.. All the trucks I seen have a engine block heater which only heats the coolant in the engine.. not both the crankcase oil & coolant..if there is such a heater I would like to see how it works

 

It doesn't do both, but in the Colorado oilfields we ran dipstick heaters in the equipment. Just goes in place of the dipstick, and keeps the oil warm. Not sure what kind. It was about fifteen years ago.