How cold before you start plugging in your truck

[jason]

We are getting snow and a cold snap in KS, anything in the teens and under in the morning makes it a tougher start.  I probably need to make sure all the glow plugs are all in order.

What is the coldest you go without plugging in?

 

[the angus111]

i think it depends on the wind chill too.but  I would plug in with no wind at 25 degrees, now you get 40 mph wind gust which is expected in tropical sw ks this evening,then i am plugging in at 32.no  snow yet,had ice last night between pratt and greensburg.rusty

 

[cowz]

Zero with no wind,  Around 10 with wind.  And yes, this cold snap has lasted toooooo long!

 

[kanshow]

Doesn't sound like its going to get any better very soon either.  We plug in about like the others said...    A tip that has saved us...  wrap the extension cord around your drivers side mirror so you remember to unplug before you leave. 

 

[cowz]

Doesn't sound like its going to get any better very soon either.  We plug in about like the others said...    A tip that has saved us...  wrap the extension cord around your drivers side mirror so you remember to unplug before you leave. 

Thats not funny.......kind of like driving off the gas pumps with the handle still in your tank!    Good Advice!

 

[kanshow]

Doesn't take long to realize that 50' isn't that far!   

 

[dori36]

We are getting snow and a cold snap in KS, anything in the teens and under in the morning makes it a tougher start.  I probably need to make sure all the glow plugs are all in order.

What is the coldest you go without plugging in?

Outside or under cover?  Diesel or gas?  If it's inside/diesel, I plugged in at anything below 20.  It it's gas, I don't usually plug in at all.  Outside/diesel, pretty much anything under freezing. And I tried to park it with it's "butt" to the wind.

 

[GoWyo]

Correct me if I am wrong, but wind chill calculations do not have any effect on inanimate objects.  If it is 10 degrees out with a 30 m.p.h. wind, it is still 10 degrees as far as the vehicle is concerned.  The wind would have the effect of dissipating the heat faster from the engine after it is shut off, but does not make 10 degrees colder than 10 degrees.  I agree with kanshow on diesel/gas, inside/outside.  Never hurts to plug a diesel in for at least a couple of hours before starting.  The timers are great - set to come on at about 4 AM.  I have ruined the truck cord after forgetting to unplug. ???

 

[jason]

I got a bad habit of driving back slowly and letting the truck unplug itself.  It has gotten caught yet, but I will heed the advice on here.

 

[dori36]

Correct me if I am wrong, but wind chill calculations do not have any effect on inanimate objects.  If it is 10 degrees out with a 30 m.p.h. wind, it is still 10 degrees as far as the vehicle is concerned.  The wind would have the effect of dissipating the heat faster from the engine after it is shut off, but does not make 10 degrees colder than 10 degrees.  I agree with kanshow on diesel/gas, inside/outside.  Never hurts to plug a diesel in for at least a couple of hours before starting.  The timers are great - set to come on at about 4 AM.  I have ruined the truck cord after forgetting to unplug. ???

I parked it with its "butt" to the wind to keep the blowing snow out of the front end, not because I thought it would get "cold" with its face in the wind!  C'mon!!  I'm somewhat smarter than that.

 

[cdncowboy]

Well just plugged my diesel in for the first time two nights ago at -20 celsius, or about -2 Fahrenheit. usually plug in after it gets under about 15 Fahrenheit.

 

[Davis Shorthorns]

I usually plug mine in at under 20 or so

 

[McCauleyCattle]

H@ll would have to freeze over first... we are in Central Florida...




Hope I gave you a  ;D

 

[GoWyo]

Correct me if I am wrong, but wind chill calculations do not have any effect on inanimate objects.  If it is 10 degrees out with a 30 m.p.h. wind, it is still 10 degrees as far as the vehicle is concerned.  The wind would have the effect of dissipating the heat faster from the engine after it is shut off, but does not make 10 degrees colder than 10 degrees.  I agree with kanshow on diesel/gas, inside/outside.  Never hurts to plug a diesel in for at least a couple of hours before starting.  The timers are great - set to come on at about 4 AM.  I have ruined the truck cord after forgetting to unplug. ???

I parked it with its "butt" to the wind to keep the blowing snow out of the front end, not because I thought it would get "cold" with its face in the wind!  C'mon!!  I'm somewhat smarter than that.

I can see that - I thought maybe it was because the engine would retain some internal heat for a while longer by not being directly in the wind.  However, I have some close relatives who believe that wind chill really means the temperature is lower because the wind is blowing.  Same person also believes that if you turn the house thermostat up to 90 it will somehow warm up the house faster.

 

[BCCC]

I plug my work truck in whenever it even thinks about getting below 40ish, it is a cold blooded son of a buck. The rest of the diesels get plugged in when ever it drops below freezing just to be safe. We need to buy stock in an extension cord manufacturer. We have extension cords running all over our drive way, and always run out of space around the shop to get by with 25 footers.

 

[steel]

I have a common rail dodge truck that sits at job sites alot and hotels alot at night.  I very rairly get plugged in.  I just dope up the fuel and it has started every time for me and the old girl has 314,000 on it.  Start her up let her run for 20 min and away we go. I would say it mite be rare truck.  The company that i work for has 37 of these trucks and everyone is very different.

 

[aj]

I think the wind chill affects freeze ups somehow. I know I have driven a tractor around in a windbreak protection belt and not gelled up but yet if I get it out in the wind it will gell up. So somehow the wind makes a difference. I use Howes fuel conditioner a week ahead of cold weather. It disapates water in a fuel tank(diesel). I use conditioner in my old tractor year round. If you take drop most diseil tanks and look inide there will be a pool of water there. It just needs to be dispersed.

 

[kanshow]

Wind chill has some affect on water freezing too. 

 

[Shady Lane]

I plugged my truck for the first time this winte the last 2 days.


It was -37 here this morning.

I find it helps to keep the flies down.

<beer>