Block Heater usage
Posting Guru
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 1,569
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I had a spare key cut for my truck. I use it to warm it up in the morning and I lock the truck up and go inside while it warms up. When I go out to leave for work I have to use my regular set of keys to unlock the door since my remote is aftermarket & wont click the doors open w/ truck running. When I stop at store for my soda I lock it up running again and grap all the keys when i get to work.
Senior User
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 311
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From: Santa Barbara and Ottawa
If the truck is sitting for while, like over night, then 3 hours should be plenty. I only ever needed to plug in if it was -10 C (14 F) or lower first thing in the morning. At -9 C it would always start.
The timer is nice for bills, but also, you may have other things on that circuit. If say the garage door opener is on it, and you plug in as soon as you land, someone might come home after you, open the garage and click...
The timer is nice for bills, but also, you may have other things on that circuit. If say the garage door opener is on it, and you plug in as soon as you land, someone might come home after you, open the garage and click...
Senior User
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 432
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From: Willow Grove, PA
kind of: Triskadek reminded me of an incident a few yrs ago... My friend bought his parents house when they retired to a Sr community. His dad used to tinker in the garage and put in some add'l outlets, etc. There was one outlet that was wired seperatly from all the rest, or so we thought, with an area right below it (for a bench grinder), and a shelf above it (for a radio). After trying several times to charge a Marine battery overnight on this outlet which was the most convient to use with nothing else on that line, we found out that it was wired with the lights through the switch, so every time we turned off the lights we turned off the outlet too. Asked his Pop why he did this and he said so when he left the garage & turned off the lights he KNOWS the radio & grinder are both off.
Cargo Master
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 2,526
Likes: 6
From: College Station, TX
I had a spare key cut for my truck. I use it to warm it up in the morning and I lock the truck up and go inside while it warms up. When I go out to leave for work I have to use my regular set of keys to unlock the door since my remote is aftermarket & wont click the doors open w/ truck running. When I stop at store for my soda I lock it up running again and grap all the keys when i get to work.
Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 17,799
Likes: 103
From: Ashland City, TN
Last year I just plugged mine in on the bad nights before I went to bed & paid for it w/ my electric bill. This year I'm getting an industrial/heavy duty timer to put on a dedicated 20 amp outlet. I'm also thinking of getting a coolant heater from "Northern" and hooking that up as well so I'll actually have heat on the way to work (very short commute) so I don't have a long idle/warm up time in the morning. I think there are recomendations in the owners manual (if you still have it) but not positive. I think the block heater from FoMoCo is 1000 watts but not sure.
Heats the coolant as well, not the oil.
I have heat when mine is plugged in overnight.
I asked a locksmith about it, and he said they just have to wear out before that.
But, I spose there is a way. I didn't see one when I took the ignition out of my old truck.
I had to break my column to get my old one out, and it ended up trashing everything else associated with it though. No idea why it wouldn't come out.
Cargo Master
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 2,526
Likes: 6
From: College Station, TX
What mod is that? The "I've used the ignition so much that the key comes out easy" mod?
I asked a locksmith about it, and he said they just have to wear out before that.
But, I spose there is a way. I didn't see one when I took the ignition out of my old truck.
I had to break my column to get my old one out, and it ended up trashing everything else associated with it though. No idea why it wouldn't come out.
I asked a locksmith about it, and he said they just have to wear out before that.
But, I spose there is a way. I didn't see one when I took the ignition out of my old truck.
I had to break my column to get my old one out, and it ended up trashing everything else associated with it though. No idea why it wouldn't come out.
Elder User
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 777
Likes: 6
From: Florida
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Postmaster
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 4,195
Likes: 6
From: Medford Oregon
At 32* unplugged (heater) I let my glow plugs go for about 5 -10 seconds after WTS light goes off. Fire it up and wait (watch) the alt gauge to come up .. probably about 30 seconds or so. Go for it and dive off.
Elder User
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 777
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From: Florida
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Elder User
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 522
Likes: 0
From: Lawson, Missouri
well it hit about 34*F last night, Not plugged in at all, and she turned over after two tries and when she finally did fire, came with a lot of Blue smoke, but cleared very quickly...I just installed the "Monster" GPR and I think I'll Ohm check the GP's, see if I have any weak ones.
So I'll be plugging her in...
So I'll be plugging her in...
Postmaster
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 4,195
Likes: 6
From: Medford Oregon
Ture .. I've never understood why people idle diesels to warm them it in cold area's of the country. 10 -15 -20 minutes, except maybe defrosting the window, which I've done. That's what you do with a gas engine to get the heater working, not a diesel. IMO idling a diesel engine cold is not a good thing.
Post Fiend
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 26,966
Likes: 50
From: Texas
I think that's probably the one bud. When I first got it as long as when you cut the truck off you didn't turn the key back to the lock the you could pull it and still use the little wingnut thing to start the truck, no keys needed. One of the first times I let the woman drive my truck when we were first dating she was trying to use my buddies spare Ford key, which was on my key ring too. I don't know what the hell she did but the wingnut thing broke loose and will spin freely from the internal ignition unless there's a key in it. I don't like that but I don't wanna fix it because I like being able to pull the key and lock the truck. If I can ever make my remote work with the truck running then maybe I'll fix it.
We had a 96 at work like that we finally changed the ignition switch on. Not everyone could do it, but I could get in there and start it up every time after wiggling it around for 15 seconds. I'd hate to see someone else who knows that trick make off with your truck.
Cargo Master
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 2,526
Likes: 6
From: College Station, TX
Just be careful with that. If you spin the wingnut and apply pressure just right, you can actaully get the wingnut to "catch" on the ignition cylinder and start the truck without the key in it.
We had a 96 at work like that we finally changed the ignition switch on. Not everyone could do it, but I could get in there and start it up every time after wiggling it around for 15 seconds. I'd hate to see someone else who knows that trick make off with your truck.
We had a 96 at work like that we finally changed the ignition switch on. Not everyone could do it, but I could get in there and start it up every time after wiggling it around for 15 seconds. I'd hate to see someone else who knows that trick make off with your truck.