Just got this 2001 7.3 f250, 158xxx on the dash. It’s September in East NC so as of now we’re good. Bone stock since new. Glow plugs were changed about a year ago. Running rotella t6 15w-40 through it. batteries are about a year old, motorcraft batteries with 950 ish CCA, don’t remember exact numbers. Not sure when the starter was last replaced. And the cables/terminals are in good shape. Currently 70-90 degrees everyday but in the winter months it can dip around 30 degrees. I want to make sure I’m safe for the winter. Need it to be able to start up every damn morning every time. What can I do to make sure this happens ? Can y’all give me some pointers to what’s worked and is working for YOU? Open to literally anything!!

also what are some good additives to prevent diesel gel-ing? Around what temperatures should I begin worrying about geling? Googles says around 32 degrees, winter days here don’t get that cold but nights can.

also should I keep running regular coolant through it in the winter? What do y’all do as far as coolant goes in the cold months


I consider nothing done on this truck since I’ve just gotten it and haven’t done it myself. Please help!

 

First I’d pull a glow plug and ensure that they’re OEM. They should have ‘Beru’ etcher in the side. Check the glow plug relay for function and you’re good to go. Fuel will be treated for expected weather in your area. You could change the fluids in your rears, transfer case and transmission so you know where you stand with all of those.

 

Also make sure your engine block heater works. It'll pull 900-1k watts, that's 10 100watt light bulbs, so put it on a timer set about an hour or two before you plan on leaving in morning and that will have your block warm enough to drastically help cold starts. The temp gauge will be just above bottom line on dash when you start up, vs dead zero for the first 5 minutes on the road

Another thing to do is get a good solar charger for the power point lighter plug to leave on your dash. Get one the size of a large laptop and leave it plugged in laying on dash all winter. You'll want at least 500 milliamps just to maintain and partly charge from the normal parasitic losses while you are parked at your destination during the day

Also a Nioco smart charger/maintainer that you plug in at least once a week, or every time you have the heater plugged in, will do wonders for your batteries during winter. Go with at least a 4 amp or the 10amp and leave it connected to battery all winter


Keep a full bottle of the diesel 911 in the cab all winter. And an antigel of some kind with you till March

 

All the above are good suggestions, but if your glowplug system and High Pressure Oil systems are working properly and you have good batteries you really don't need to do anything for the temperatures your describing.
I would change the coolant for other reasons.

Start watching your voltmeter, it will tell you when your glowplugs are energized. Turn the key to the run position and see what the voltage is.... when the glow plugs are energized voltage should be about 10, wait a minute or two and see if it rises to 12. Thats when the glow plugs deenergize. They might not come on for long at all with the temps you have right now, but when it gets colder they will stay on longer, up to 2 minutes, even after starting the truck.
If you ever have cold start issues use that info to bake them a while, even cycle the key to run them a couple cycles.

The 'Wait to Start' indicator is just a suggestion, it really has nothing to do with the actual glowplug operation.

 

30F you say?
That's when i stop using shorts.

No one mentioned oil yet.
Swithing to 5w-40 for "winter" months,will shorten the cranking time and gives our HEUI injection system an easier life.

I have tried Petro-Canada 5w-30 previously and this winter i'm going to run Mobil 1 Delvac 0w-40.

Also,If starter condition is unknown,i would address it.
Worn out starter spins slower and pulls more amps.

 

These trucks are designed to start down to -10F without starting aids (block heater).

You’ll need good batteries, cables and starter. The best starter you can buy is a real Denso (5hp gear reduction starter you can rebuild yourself forever - this is the only starter you’ll ever need to buy).

Definitely verify GP’s are NOT aftermarket (or fake Motorcraft). These inferior parts will swell up and prevent them from coming out of the heads. Many of us are running a Trombetta GP relay after OEM failed. These are about $25.

If you still have green coolant, it’s a good plan to upgrade to an extended life OAT coolant after a thorough cooling system flush (must remove block drains, etc). The factory coolant requires you monitor and add additives (SCA) and requires a 100k mile flush. The ELC’s like Final Charge, CAT EL1, Rotella ELC, etc do not require additives and effectively are a lifetime fill for our engines (no more flushing!).

Oil debates are endless on the internets... Conventional 15w40 diesel oil like Rotella T4 is what Ford recommends for your climate. This oil is good for standard 5k mile oil change interval (OCI). You can run a synthetic 5w40 and stretch OCI out to 7500mi with no consequence except added maintenance cost. The lighter weight oil will help engine run smoother after starting on those cooooold mornings.

If changing coolant and oil, it’s a good time to replace the o-rings on the oil cooler as preventative maintenance.
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...nd-tricks.html

There are a few other things we commonly see on these trucks that need attention. The turbo up-pipes are at the top of the list. If yours are still original, they are probably leaking. Consider upgrading to bellowed up-pipes.
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...lete-pics.html

Another recommendation we commonly make is to invest in a good OBD2 scan tool. Many of us are using the FORScan Lite app on an Android phone, tablet or head unit (ATOTO A6 Pro). This can cost as little as $30 and with help from us can do almost anything the stealership does for diagnosing problems with your new truck.

Oh yeah, congratulations and glad you found us!! Post pictures of your truck and be warned we can spend as much of your $$$ as you want on upgrades and modifications!!!!

 

Wait wait, North Carolina has a winter? Hmmm.... didn't know that. JK....

Like other have said good batteries, cables and good GPs you should have no trouble in the hard winter of the south. Good idea to OHM your glowplugs and take a multi-meter to your GPR to make sure they are performing as they should prior to the mercury dropping. A stancor or western relay to replace the factory relay is not a bad option but not necessary. 5w40 or a CK4 10w30 oil will help with starting but at those temps it is not necessary at your climate as well. As far as gelling, your fuel at the pump should be treated for your climate. As long as it isn't sitting in your tank for months I wouldn't worry about gelling. I have never had an issue and on my old dodge and I had a pair of fuel filters hanging off my frame rail and never had an issue in below zero (real zero, Fahrenheit) weather without any additional anti-gel or jungle juice added to it.

 

Like the others said your truck should be fine in NC winters. Good batteries and glow plugs are a good thing to have in any climate. Where I live about the only thing we have to do to prepare for Winter is switch off the AC!