i know its still early, but was thinking about the upcoming winter. i just got a job working for the gas company and my building location is "right on the ocean". now its normal to get stuck working 16 hour or longer shifts in the winter due to gas main leaks.
my question is, how am i going to start my psd after its been sitting for half a day or longer in the freezing temps next to the ocean. i looked the other day and there are no exterior outlets, so this got me thinking i can't be the only guy with this situation.
is there some sort of portable power plant or other device that can assist in starting a cold diesel so far from home?????

 

These are small, and extremely quiet for a generator.

http://www.hondapowerequipment.com/p...GG&category=sq

They also have a 1000 watt version, but I think our heater is in the 1200 watt range. Could be wrong.

 

thanks mike, appreciate it, but at $900 its a bit more than i can see spending. there's got to be another way???

 

Well its either that, or make sure your glow plug system works well. I actually never plug my truck in. Never. I had 200k on my origional glow plugs when I finally replaced them, and I only replaced them because I was doing injectors anyways. I have been running a stancor GPR for quite some time now. 3 years maybe? That seems to work well.

 

Get a cheaper, noisier generator. The gas company won't give two hoots.

 

As others have said, make sure your glow plugs are working, then also make sure you have good batteries and run synthetic oil and you shouldn't have any trouble starting without a generator. I plug my truck in on a timer in the winter when it gets lower than the teens, but I haven't run synthetic oil and sometimes get the "romps" when it starts. Also, if I plug it in it warms up real quick for the 6 mile drive to work.

 

There are cheap $300-400 generators out there. Remember though, you'll have to start it at sometime prior to starting the truck. Are you close enough to do that? Can you leave it there running while you're off working? You'll have to carry it with you when you leave, right?

 

You need more than 1000W. You don't want the genny running right at its max rating all the time. And it is 1000W. I measured mine:

 

When I was in college at Iowa State, I bought a really long extension cord and ran it through my appartment window on the secound story and if I had one of the first three parking spots it would reach. I knotted the one end of the cord around a chair leg so nobody could rip it out of the wall from the outside. Didn't need to do this real often (below -10) and no one ever messed with it anyhow.

 

Personally, I wouldnt drive, or own a truck that would not start in any condition. So what I am saying, is that time spent making sure your glow plug system, and batteries are good, and running 5w 40 synthetic oil are worth it. Like I said, I never plug my truck in, and it always HAS to start, and sometimes in an emergency (for work, I maintain a few counties 911 systems) My truck will start every time, after sitting over night, in sub zero temperatures. The truck HAS to start, so I maintain it, with that in mind.

 

I like to play in the frozen north. Snowmobile, ice fishing, hunting. Cold starts were a concern of mine too. Like said earlier here, make sure you are prepared and you should be ok. Do a search on cold weather starts and you will find that our rigs can start in very cold weather.

 

X2 on making sure the glow plug system works.
I never plug my truck in either and it always starts.

 

A good glow plug system and some 5w-40 oil and it'll start up. I spent new years partying at a friends last year and didnt plug in. It was around 3 degrees all night and only 12 the next morning. She fired up after a few seconds and smoked like crazy for a minute but cleared up and ran fine. Make sure you let everything warm up for a few minutes before taking off

 

up here it gets cold ( i think 0F is a nice day) and it stays cold, in the states it can get cold but it doesn't stay cold for weeks.like some people on here i need my trucks to start, gas or diesel. some people mess around with auto timers, but if it fails or screws up is it really worth it? I keep my trucks plugged in whenever not running. cold starting is not good for any motor (gas or diesel) when i see motors apart and they only have a block heater on one side that one is fine, the other is not as good shape.
I don't know what type of block heater is in the 7.3 (oil pan on circulating) but it is working alright for me, if i were you get dual block heaters. then you can plug it into your generator for 15-20 mins and it will be much better. Make sure your generator is big enough (don't cheap out) buy one with a good quality motor, and that is proven. Don't go for the cheapo chinese from wally world, get a reliable one. I run small motors on my grain augers all winter long, i really like Kohler, briggs, and honda. Good starting and last forever. I don't know if they make a 2 stroke generator but i would buy a 4 stroke.