Weather that cold is ******* lead acid batteries. Not sure about AGM batteries. Maybe someone else will pipe in that uses the AGM in cold areas.
7.3 IDI engine heating options
- Thread starter Caleb M Hughes
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- 7.3 idi frozen 7.3
If the WTS light is only staying on for 5 seconds at -25 you might have one or two bad plugs. Really seems like they should stay on longer at that temp.
Caleb M Hughes
Registered User
Definitely thinking about replacing the glow plugs with new Ford ones in the near future since they are cheap and easy.
matthew mcelhaney
Registered User
if you can find a few good reliable batteries for that type of weather I’d try setting a solar panel in your windshield with a trickle charger on it the days you don’t use it (assuming you have a place to park that’s in the sun for a large part of the day). Seems to me like the least expensive and least involved thing to do if it works.
Booyah45828
Full Access Member
If you're not using a block heater, you need to change to a lighter oil. Hell, you might as well change to a 0w40 with it being that cold at night. 15w40 is just simply too thick. Try it and you'll see it's a night and day difference.
With everything else being suggested here cost wise, an oil change is likely the cheapest overall, and you could probably use one anyways.
The coldest we'll get is 0 or a little below in ohio, and even at those "warm" temps, the difference between cranking a cold engine with 5w40 and 15w40 is night and day. This difference will only become more noticeable the colder you go. And FWIW, those oils are all about the same thickness at operating temp, so you can run them year round and not worry about it being too thin.
FYI, I think TSC has 5w40 on sale for 43.99 in the 2.5 gallon jugs until the 1st of the year.
Black dawg
Registered User
I would check those glow plugs, at anything below zero they stay on a lot longer than 12 seconds.....usually start to wonder if they are going to shut off!
The lighter oil will help too, but If you need to count on it starting in those temps, it is going to need the block heater
The lighter oil will help too, but If you need to count on it starting in those temps, it is going to need the block heater
nelstomlinson
Full Access Member
There in the Deep South, in Montana, he's better off than I am, but if we had sun, it wouldn't be -25F.
matthew mcelhaney
Registered User
Here in Georgia we don’t see those kind of temperatures thank God! I believe our coldest day so far this year was low 20’s. Which in my opinion is to cold!! Ha
nelstomlinson
Full Access Member
Man, if you go that route you're living high on the hog!
One of my dream projects is to put a Webasto or Espar hydronic heater into my slide in camper, with a quick disconnect set up to let me hook it to the engine cooling system and heat the engine while I'm basking in the warmth of the camper.
IDIBRONCO
IDIBRONCO
That's why I'm going to use one of the Chinese ones. All of the reviews that I've seen are all positive. They cost a lot less too. I'm not going to use one for water although heating the engine is an excellent idea. Maybe one that I'll consider in the future.
SlippyRider
Registered User
A method that really helps, but is a pretty big pain in the ass: drain your engine oil and place it into a giant stock pot (probably take a couple of them for the whole volume). Wake up about 30/45 mins early for work, warm the oil on your kitchen stovetop. A thermometer would be useful to bring it into the 200° f range.
Very carefully, pour it into the engine and let her rip.
Heard that's an Alaska bush pilot trick, it worked well for me in the winter months when driving a tired diesel Volvo station wagon with terrible compression. When you gotta get to work, you gotta get to work. Hopefully, you've a place to plug in while you're working.
Very carefully, pour it into the engine and let her rip.
Heard that's an Alaska bush pilot trick, it worked well for me in the winter months when driving a tired diesel Volvo station wagon with terrible compression. When you gotta get to work, you gotta get to work. Hopefully, you've a place to plug in while you're working.
does any company make a 0w40 diesel oil?
Booyah45828
Full Access Member
I know rotella does. I doubt they're the only ones. I imagine they're only available in the northern states/Canada. You could likely get it offline somewhere.
Va_Mike
Full Access Member
Rotella has a T6 0w40 and Amsoil has one too. Not sure of others but I have used those with good success in a few engine's.
