Binderbound

I have had my truck for 3 days now. Average outside temp has been mid to high 30s. In the morning I'll start it and let it idle for about 5 min while I'm getting my boots on and getting my lunch together. Then I drive it easy for a mile or two. After that I drive like normal. It takes a solid 20 min of steady driving befor the gauge shows 190/200. Is it just that cold blooded or could something be wrong?

Tom282

That's very normal. There's a whole lot of iron to heat up under that hood! I use my block heater when the temp starts to get below 35 or so, it shortens the time it takes to heat up.

Binderbound

Ok. My 02 warmed up 10x faster. My rig didn't come with the heater plug. The book says it doesn't need to be plugged in above -20. I'm not sure if I believe that though.

stock03

I plug in so my heater works. If not, then it takes about 20 min as well.

derek.mckay

also, when was the last time you had a vehicle that held 12 quarts of oil and SEVEN GALLONS of coolant...these motors are monsters....I LOVE EM!

Derek

Fisherguy

This is my first diesel.
I had it idling behind the garage to warm up while doing an oil change on the Taurus wagon (please don't laugh!). Plan was to warm the truck up to do an oil change, it idled for 15 minutes, the gauge never moved!
Now it's below freezing here, takes a l-o-n-g time to get to temp, but I love it!

hovisimo

You can add a winter front and/or drive with your defroster turned on to speed warm up. The defroster turns on the A/C compressor which puts the engine under slightly more load.

Bonshawman

If you ever get in the position of adding an exhaust brake, the Pac Brake PRXB when set on @ idle will cut warm-up time "in half" (per their info).

Fisherguy

I might just block off half the rad with a piece of cardboard or something in front of the AC condenser, it doesn't get that cold here too often...

topless

I use the block heater and have a cold front. Without the cold front, you can watch the temp guage go down at a long light when it's 30 degrees.
I figure the sooner the engine gets warm the better the fuel mileage is.

Binderbound

I think I'm gonna take it in and have the dealer activate the high idle feature. The old lady drives the truck too. I need to make sure that its been properly warmed up. She's a little impatient.

Toto

I use my block heater up untill the summer.
Even if it is going to be 40 or 50 F overnight outside.
I plug her in for about three hrs on a timer.
Costs very little for electricity and gets way better fuel economy when warm.
Easier on engine too.
Pays for itself.
Probably spend less than 50 cents on electricity per night and probably save over a buck on fuel with a warmer more efficient engine and shorter warm up time.
I also use a piece of peg board with a hole cut in it for the fan clutch and stick this between the tranny cooler and the rad.
Works for me.