Cold weather question

[allispuller1952]

well my dad kicked me outta the garage cause my truck leaked too much oil all over the floor blah blah blah....anywho so now my poor truck has to sit outisde. i go to school so i drive my truck everyday. my question is will it be hard on my truck to be started cold every morning without plugging it in,

[amtrack]

yes it will

[allispuller1952]

okay...care to elaborate on this a little besides just ''yes it will''

[mark1974]

sure its better to be plugged in but it won't do any serious damage. I don't know how cold it gets where you are but if you have the right weight oil for the temps you are starting in its not going to hurt anything. The thinker the oil the longer it takes circulate. People start up cold all the time. Let it warm up easily but don't let it idle for long periods unless you have an exhaust brake and or high idle to keep the cylinder temps up to prevent fuel wash-down. Its probably best to let it idle a few minutes and then drive it genitally for the first 5-10 miles.

[ynots57]

I'd be P-O'd too.... clean the garage up, especially the floor, say your sorry and buy a drip pan

you could also plug it in

[allispuller1952]

right i know all about warming it up and stuff i never get on it until it gets up to temp, i usually let her warm up for 5-10 mins, im in indiana so its nothing too cold, im running rotella 15 40. i appreciate the help

[collin_bucko]

You dont have to actually plug it in until you get down below 20 degrees. Thats what ive always been told though.. I use 5w-40 synthetic during winter time though, for the times when I cant plug my truck in, it makes it a little easier on the vehicle

[allispuller1952]

yeah true...well i really dont wanna plug my truck in and jack the damn electric bill up but i guess if it comes down to it ill just buy a timer and set it for a couple hours

[WEREWOLF01]

If ya really don't want ta plug er in you could cycle the intake heater by turning the key ,waiting till the wait ta start light goes out and doin the same thing twice more ,this will put more heat u the fuel as it passes the intake heater, just a thought I do it sometime sand it gets alot colder here then where you are and it works fer me in a pinch John Ontario Canada where it gets below zero in the winter!!!!!

[Cowboy_Customs]

Originally Posted by WEREWOLF01

If ya really don't want ta plug er in you could cycle the intake heater by turning the key ,waiting till the wait ta start light goes out and doin the same thing twice more ,this will put more heat u the fuel as it passes the intake heater, just a thought I do it sometime sand it gets alot colder here then where you are and it works fer me in a pinch John Ontario Canada where it gets below zero in the winter!!!!!

I was not aware fuel went by or even remotely near the intake hearter?

I wouldnt worry about cold starting your truck. It isnt going to damage anything. Thats why we have "multi viscosity" oils. ie: 15W-40 15 being the cold flow rating. Good oil will stick where its needed. Yea it gets thick when its cold, but I dont want to hear about cold untill you have to treat your fuel. It will be fine. Plug it in when it gets COLD, 20 and under is my general rule, but thats my comfort level too. And I like having heat in a matter of minutes....

[ykdave]

fuel does not go anywhere near the grid heater...

Though their is a fuel heater in the fuel prefilter. But, it has no effect whatsoever during starts. cycling the grid heaters more than twice CAN cause the element/wiring/solenoids to 'overheat', not to mention it puts a tremenous strain on the batteries (each element draws 95amps@12v)

[tony597fitter]

I live in Illinois. I run a good synthetic in winter and makes a huge difference in startup.

Cycle the grid heaters 2 times and it will fire. Might smoke alittle.