Warm up time
Posting Guru
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 1,411
Likes: 1
From: Opelika, AL
my truck doesnt get the romps like some do but i will plug it in when the weather drops in to the 30's. I only do it becuase it will put out some white smoke if i do not. My truck will white smoke when temps drop in to the 50's but not bad enough to make me plug it in....until the 30's. My commute is also pretty short (about 8 miles) so plugging it in makes it warm up faster and more completly on my short trip
as for warm up i usually watch the volt gauge to see when the glow plugs shut off then drive it easy until she warms up.
as for warm up i usually watch the volt gauge to see when the glow plugs shut off then drive it easy until she warms up.
Mountain Pass
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 124
Likes: 2
I'm totally new to diesels. I've just replaced my 460 gasser with a 2003 F350 7.3L.
Along this warmup topic. Most say fire it up and drive easy, and I totally agree. My question is if it's not fully warmed up and I need to gun it what happens? While leaving the parking lot at work in heavy rush hour traffic sometimes I need to be to use a bit of power to make the left turn across 4 lanes of rush hour traffic. you can't wait too long as traffic is baking up behind you. My old 460 just left some tire smoke and I'm gone. This truck will be treated much nicer, but if the engine is still cold And I need 1/2 or 3/4 throttle for a burst what is the result? Will it stall, blow a seal, or will the planet earth explode causing extinction of all life. Currently I have no Idea what the result is.
Thanks!
Along this warmup topic. Most say fire it up and drive easy, and I totally agree. My question is if it's not fully warmed up and I need to gun it what happens? While leaving the parking lot at work in heavy rush hour traffic sometimes I need to be to use a bit of power to make the left turn across 4 lanes of rush hour traffic. you can't wait too long as traffic is baking up behind you. My old 460 just left some tire smoke and I'm gone. This truck will be treated much nicer, but if the engine is still cold And I need 1/2 or 3/4 throttle for a burst what is the result? Will it stall, blow a seal, or will the planet earth explode causing extinction of all life. Currently I have no Idea what the result is.
Thanks!
Cargo Master
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 2,655
Likes: 964
From: Walpole, MA
I will then drive like I normally do once I hit the highway, which is usually in a minute or two since I live right of I-95. So I have to given it some throttle to get on the highway when it is cold and no earth shattering kaboom yet. I polly give it 1/4 to 1/3 throttle to help get it up to speed.
I will be picking up a winter front to help with warm up time and keep the engine warm enough to be efficient. I never had one on my dodge and it took FOREVER to warm up.
Frmr Ford Trans Engr
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 24,703
Likes: 2,623
From: SE Florida
I never warmed a diesel up for that long when I started them at -35°F. Maybe a few seconds longer than normal because it takes longer to get my seatbelt on when it's that cold! 15-20 minutes just wastes fuel. It doesn't do anything good for the truck.
Senior User
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 223
Likes: 0
From: West ID
Yea I can't imagine idling the engine when cold for 15+ minutes would be good for it, unless you have a 1200rpm high idle, in that case idle away IMO. I just let it settle for 30 seconds and away I go, even down below zero.
Molon Labe
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 5,272
Likes: 1
From: Alaska
Back in 2006 I got a brand new Kenworth with a C13 Cat, when I took it to Cat to get neutered I asked the mechanic about recommended warm up times. "He said just long enough to build air pressure, and you shouldn't have any leaks, so you should have pressure as soon as it starts"
since then I turn the key and drive away. It warms up much faster going down the road anyway.
since then I turn the key and drive away. It warms up much faster going down the road anyway.
Post Fiend
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 5,470
Likes: 3
From: Pea Ridge, AR
Well I'm glad you all warm up and drive away, I start it and let the windows defrost and melt the ice before I drive personally, and that can take quite a while sometimes, I don't feel safe not being able to see.
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Molon Labe
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 5,272
Likes: 1
From: Alaska
Karma will bit me when I go to NC this winter to work.....
Cargo Master
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 2,502
Likes: 2
From: Bend Oregon
My line of thought being....when you first energize the glow plugs they should be drawing higher current while they are heating..once they are up to temp the amperage draw will ease some.
If you engage the starting system while they are initially heating you will drop the batt voltage even more causing a higher amperage draw across the glow plugs
For the life of my truck I have waited until at least the glow plug light goes out, then started. ...... I am at 340K and all (original) glow plugs test good.
I have kicked around the idea of a glow plug disable switch so I could just fire it off if the weather is warm enough but I am kind of lazy so that hasn't happened yet .
Senior User
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 223
Likes: 0
From: West ID
I always wait until the WTS light goes off, unless my engine is hot. Even down in the desert SW during summer when it's over 110f, just to be safe. I've never had to go into double-cycles here in Seattle during the winter, even when I was up in the mountains where my truck sat for a week in zero to -10f temps, but I had just installed new GPs and a new GPR.
Post Fiend
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 5,470
Likes: 3
From: Pea Ridge, AR
Whether or not it helps or not, I always wait til my GPR Led goes off, this summer 100+ temps, GP's would be on first thing in the morning after sitting all night for 30 seconds to a minute still, I just don't like the idea of a "Lit" hot plug sticking in the cylinder with the engine running personally, seems like if they were hot enough with the compression in the cylinder they could distort, not likely but thats my logic as well as the added amp draw.