Normal cold weather operation?
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Elder User
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 563
Likes: 3
Normal cold weather operation?
This 6.0L truck is fairly new to me and this is the coldest day of the year so far. With the truck plugged in overnight it starts no problem at all regardless of ambient temp, and I have relatively warm heat blowing out of the vents within 1 minute at most. However, as soon as I start driving it, 90% of the heat goes away. The factory temp guage (I know its not the most accurate) never moves off of C. The truck does have an EGR delete kit and I have read that this will drop coolant temps as much as 35-40 degrees, which I did notice in warmer weather (50-60F).
Most of my other trucks will at least blow some warm air even if the temp guage is at C. I run winter fronts on several trucks, should I get one for the 6.0L? Or is my thermostat possibly stuck halfway open? Thanks for any help.
Most of my other trucks will at least blow some warm air even if the temp guage is at C. I run winter fronts on several trucks, should I get one for the 6.0L? Or is my thermostat possibly stuck halfway open? Thanks for any help.
Tuned
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 365
Likes: 0
From: Alberta, Canada
I would suspect your thermostat is stuck open. The "gauge" we have is really just a glorified idiot light, but if it you truck is always running down at the C your engine coolant temp is likely only 100*F or less.
Just for reference the truck I'm running right now is a 05 F350 DRW with no winter front. In -25*F ambient temps I will warm it up until coolant temp is about 120*F, when I start to drive the coolant temp does not decrease. After 20 miles at 70-75 mph driving the temperature levels out at around 180*F.
Hope this helps.
Just for reference the truck I'm running right now is a 05 F350 DRW with no winter front. In -25*F ambient temps I will warm it up until coolant temp is about 120*F, when I start to drive the coolant temp does not decrease. After 20 miles at 70-75 mph driving the temperature levels out at around 180*F.
Hope this helps.
Posting Guru
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,078
Likes: 0
From: Kansas City/Breckenridge
If you get on the highway does it heat up? If so its the thermostat.
Thermostat went bad on one of my plow trucks on Monday. Ford charged me 250 to change it and they flushed the coolant. I had it back in about 4 hours.
Thermostat went bad on one of my plow trucks on Monday. Ford charged me 250 to change it and they flushed the coolant. I had it back in about 4 hours.
Tuned
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 365
Likes: 0
From: Alberta, Canada
If the thermostat is stuck wide open I would be pretty surprised if the engine would make enough heat to exceed the capacity of the radiator (especially with cold air pushing though it at 60 or 70 mph).
One more question for the OP:
Is the truck really slow to warm up? If the truck doesn't warm up to normal operating range in say 10 to 12 minutes (depending on ambient temp) you likely have a stuck thermostat.
One other possibility is that the cooling fan is stuck on. This would definitely cause the truck to run cold.
One more question for the OP:
Is the truck really slow to warm up? If the truck doesn't warm up to normal operating range in say 10 to 12 minutes (depending on ambient temp) you likely have a stuck thermostat.
One other possibility is that the cooling fan is stuck on. This would definitely cause the truck to run cold.
Thread Starter
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Elder User
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 563
Likes: 3
Fan is not running. When it is 45+ degrees outside, the truck seems to take at least 15 minutes to come up to somewhere in the normal range (I have never seen the temp gauge dead center) I will get a thermostat tomorrow and change it out.
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Lead Driver
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 7,782
Likes: 221
From: Huntington Indiana
Mime was particially stuck open and when they changed it out it was just like day and night with heat. Now at 3 deg F. after 20 miles I can cook you out of the crew cab. 
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