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Does anyone know what temperature the engine block heater should heat to? It was around 7f last night and I plugged in my 12 ford 250 6.7l, the gauges red 37 degrees this morning when I unplugged and started it up. Is this normal or is it not working? Is there such a thing as just a glow plug heater? Is there a website I can put my vin number in and see what it came with from the factory.
Not sure what the heater should be heating itself to. The 6.7 is a big chunk of iron and at 7 degrees plus any winds that temps sounds like normal to me. I only plugged mine in last year a couple of times ( temps were single digits or below zero and my temp gauge was reading about the same.
I plugged mine up the other night when it was 25*F. Not cold, but I hate waiting on it to build heat to leave. Coolant temp was 89*F and oil was about 62*F when I unplugged it and started the truck.
The engine oil temperature sensor isn't located in the engine block. It's located right next to the oil pan that doesn't see much heat from the block heater.
I was in northern Maine last winter for a snowmobile trip where the overnight lows were -21f, and I wasn't able to plug in. I was happy that she fired right up in the morning!
I was in northern Maine last winter for a snowmobile trip where the overnight lows were -21f, and I wasn't able to plug in. I was happy that she fired right up in the morning!
Yeah, when we're at altitude adn that cold, the 6.7 fires right up. My 6.0l Excursion gets bitchy when it goes below 40f....
Does anyone know what temperature the engine block heater should heat to? It was around 7f last night and I plugged in my 12 ford 250 6.7l, the gauges red 37 degrees this morning when I unplugged and started it up. Is this normal or is it not working? Is there such a thing as just a glow plug heater? Is there a website I can put my vin number in and see what it came with from the factory.
I did some testing of the supplemental cab heater when my truck was new and ran a test with the truck plugged in. Looking at the results the oil temps during the first few minutes were around 40 degrees F warmer when the truck had been plugged in for 6 hours so I would say your block heater is working.
All the data and graphs are available via the link in my sig. Below is a screenshot of the data and graph for a comparison between two of the four test.
Book says -10 and three hours for max benefit.
I plug mine in before bed when it gets close to single digits and it's usually 5 1/2 hours before I get up and start it for work. Unless I'm shoveling snow I only run it for 15 minutes before I leave. Does take 5-10 miles to warm up. Auxiliary heater does have chill broken though.
I plug my truck in every time I am going to use it in the morning.
That way if its -12 or -45 I have no worries.
I use a timer that cuts in 3.5 hours before I leave.
I have mine on a timer. It has only gotten to 15-20 so far this winter. It comes on 2 hours before I leave and I checked it before I started it. ECT was 83 and EOT was 63.
It'll be below zero tonight and I'll be plugging it in for the first time this year. It's interesting - the book says it's recommended to plug in the truck at 20F or lower, and *required* at -10F. Based upon what others have said, and what videos are available on youtube, it appears these trucks have little trouble starting at temperatures well less than -10F without being plugged in. Perhaps engine damage or excessive wear is caused when the vehicle starts at those temps without being plugged in.
Question - does the block heater element protrude into the oil pan or does it sit in a freeze plug location and heat the coolant?
The winter of 2012 I was up in North Dakota and saw -25° temps. Being that I bought my truck in Utah, It had no plug, So it sat outside and never got plugged in. Neighbor with a 7.3L was out every morning fighting to get his truck started. Usually under the hood with starter fluid etc. As I sat at my breakfast table, I would hit the remote start and watch his eyes fills with jealousy as he stood in the cold fighting a cold blooded truck and I ate breakfast as mine warmed up. Several times I had to jump his truck because he had run his batteries dead trying to get started.
I do believe in using a synthetic oil at those temps. Makes a big difference in getting the engine to crank over when you are -25°
Even this past weekend here in Utah, It was below 0 and the truck starts right up.
