I'll be receiving my 2001 PSD in about a month or so. Its going to be my first diesel. I live in MN where the winters get nasty.

How long should i warm it up before driving in summer? And how long in winter?

How painfull is starting on it at say -10 or -20?

thanks

dawgee

 

You should allow the motor to warm up till you see the temp guage rising. Most people don't. We live in the desert, and because of the type of emergency services we almost never allow them to warm up. Over long periods this will cause the motor to wear out sooner. So far, it has not been a problem, but the trucks only have under 100,000.

As for starting in minus weather, should not be a problem, you should however have a block heater and keep it plugged in over night. This will aid in starting and prevent motor damage over time.

Dave

http://a2ztowing.homestead.com/a2ztowing.html

 

I live in Wisconsin, and the longer my '97 F-350 sits in the winter, the harder it is to start, but I've always eventually gotten it started with the glowplugs. I now use the block heater more often and don't have any problems. I don't have a garage, so if you have one, that'll be a definite plus.

I work for an ambulance service, and we never allow the PSD to warm up before taking off. This was true with the older diesels also, and each one had over 100,000 miles when retired and were running fine. They are kept in a heated garage, though.

I'm sure you will enjoy your new truck! Have fun.

 

My window sticker says that I have a block heater but I cant find a plug in on the front. Its a 97 model with 250000 miles and I may be moving to MI from TX so I will need it. Any clue on which oil and which is the best ?

 

Correction 25,000 miles on it

 

I'm new to this forum but thought I would pass on some my experience with PSD's and cold weather. I live up in Canada where we often get temps of -30 to -40, sometimes for several weeks from November to March! My garage is the great out doors and this will be the 5th winter for my 97 E-350 with the PSD.
Firstly, make sure you have a good winter oil. I am presently using a full synthetic 0-40 CH-4/SJ HD diesel oil in my van for the winter and it is great. You have great starting RPM's, and good oil flow on initial start-up. I have found that even a 10W-30 oil in winter, may be too heavy for the hyd-injector system until the engine is fully warm. These engines have a large oil capacity and it takes a while to get all the oil in the sump warm. I had a 10-30 oil actually cause the engine to miss and stall on a REAL cold morning, as soon as I started driving and had 30MPH -40 air hit the motor. The injectors would not fire.

Second, get a good winter front for your vehicle. This makes a huge difference in drivability and fuel milage.

Third, use the best grade, clean winter diesel fuel and watch for snow. A little water at freezing temps creates a real mess in your fuel filter.

Fourth, plug in your diesel for a few hours before starting. On real cold nights (-20 to -45), I leave mine plugged in all night. These units have excellent block and oil preheaters. I have started my unit as low as -35 WITHOUT being plugged in (I forgot!) and it stated on the first turn. I cycled the glow plugs 3 times, but it did start right up.

Fifth, try and get an aux. idle control if your new one doesn't have one. This will allow you to set your fast idle which really helps in warm up.

I have found that the PSD is a great winter motor as compared to the GM's (I have a 6.5 turbo as well). They hold their heat better and perform real well. I now have 200K on my PSD and it is by far the best motor I have owned. Good luck, and if you have any other questions I'll do my best to answer them.

 

 

I know this is going to be a little late for you, but here goes. The first things you'll need to get are heater pad for the battery (the p.side one) and heater pads for the oil and tranny pans. Then a 4-way junction. Then a 15 foot extension cord (or longer...depends). Attach the oil and tranny pads to the respective pans with permatex and route the plugs to the 4-way (use zip ties to secure wires and 4-way). Then place the battery pad under the battery (a blanket is ok too), again securing the wire with zip ties. Plug in all 4 wires into the 4-way (factory block heater+3 heater pads) and plug the truck in at night. At temps below 20deg, this is needed. It'll really save the truck.
I've spent alot of time in the arctic w/ my 97 f350 and never had a problem starting....just getting it warm. Idle the truck at 1300 RPM's or higher until the temp gauge begins to move, turn on the floor or vent heater NOT THE DEFROSTER! And you will really appreciate having a cold front in the grille. Your truck will get warm...just be patient.