Modern Diesel Engines

[doorfx]

Isn’t Fiat/Chrysler now called Stellantis ?

 

[1200]

What are we talking HD or those ****ty 1/2 ton diesel that cant even haul a sled deck up hill

 

[snopro]

What are we talking HD or those ****ty 1/2 ton diesel that cant even haul a sled deck up hill

I'm a Ford guy but I ride with a Dodge eco diesel owner. Pulls the 4 place trailer to Revy every 2 weeks and no issues. Lots of power to do the job and skimpy on fuel. If the air suspension was reliable it would handle a deck with 2 sleds up a hill no problem.

 

[Bury Me With My Toys]

HD truck or half tons??

-25c no problem at all without being plugged in.
IMO all three HD diesels are pretty good.

One tons, or possibly even larger, like a 450.

 

[Bury Me With My Toys]

5w40 rotella, plug it in and a winter front, that’s all you need to know to owning a diesel in winter.

But I plan to camp in the middle of nowhere, so plug ins are not an option.

 

[sirkdev]

A generator or Webasto for at least a few hours may be an option? There is always a way.. cold starts hurt my feelings...

 

[ABMax24]

But I plan to camp in the middle of nowhere, so plug ins are not an option.

Any of the new diesels will start in -25 as per your original question without being plugged in.

Besides if you intend to camp in those temps in a camper or RV of any kind you best have a generator along anyway, a propane furnace will kill the batteries very quick in those temps.

 

[Bury Me With My Toys]

We currently use our motorhome, which has the Ford 6.8 V10 gasoline engine. It fires right up at -25 even after 3 or 4 nights camping, which is why I am wondering if a diesel would. Yes, I realize that its not ideal for the engine, but sometimes it is required.

 

[Oilboy]

Just rolled over 450k on my 2011 f350 6.7. Best truck I have ever owned, good maintenance is the key. 0-40 syn oil since the first oil change, warm them up 10-15 min and cool down a min or 2 before you shut them off. The truck will start at -40 Left for a week at the airport not plugged in. Whoops but I don’t make a habit of it.

 

[JMCX]

I don't even know where the block heater cord is on my 17 F350. 5-40 Rotella and it fires just as fast at -35 as +20. I laugh at you warm it up, Wabaso guys. I've got probably 1.5 million km in diesel pickup driving (all three brands) and think nothing of starting them cold and dropping them in gear and going. Yes, even at -35. I just drive easy at first. Never a problem. The GMs will actually warm up fast idling is you enable the elevated idle feature. The Ford and Dodge you are just wasting fuel and probably doing more harm. I do have an advantage in that I'm tall and can reach the whole windshield for clearing. Some have to let the defrost do the job.

 

[Cyle]

I don't even know where the block heater cord is on my 17 F350. 5-40 Rotella and it fires just as fast at -35 as +20. I laugh at you warm it up, Wabaso guys. I've got probably 1.5 million km in diesel pickup driving (all three brands) and think nothing of starting them cold and dropping them in gear and going. Yes, even at -35. I just drive easy at first. Never a problem. The GMs will actually warm up fast idling is you enable the elevated idle feature. The Ford and Dodge you are just wasting fuel and probably doing more harm. I do have an advantage in that I'm tall and can reach the whole windshield for clearing. Some have to let the defrost do the job.

Doing more harm letting them warm up? Ask ANY diesel mechanic about cold starting and warming up, or anyone who's seen a diesel torn down that was never warmed up and cold started all the time and you'll see the damage. Too much idling at low RPM is bad for newer diesels, but driving them ice cold is much much worse. There is no diesel out there that starts just as well at -35 as +20 if not plugged in, either you don't pay attention or need your hearing checked. They all sound like absolute chit starting at -35 not plugged in at first. The Ford at -35 is very very lucky if it will even start. Changes are you sell it before it shows the damage, or you've got very very lucky.

 

[gdhillon]

Doing more harm letting them warm up? Ask ANY diesel mechanic about cold starting and warming up, or anyone who's seen a diesel torn down that was never warmed up and cold started all the time and you'll see the damage. Too much idling at low RPM is bad for newer diesels, but driving them ice cold is much much worse. There is no diesel out there that starts just as well at -35 as +20 if not plugged in, either you don't pay attention or need your hearing checked. They all sound like absolute chit starting at -35 not plugged in at first. The Ford at -35 is very very lucky if it will even start. Changes are you sell it before it shows the damage, or you've got very very lucky.

what constitutes too much idling? Are we talking a 8 hour idle at 600 Ish sort of issue?

or can cylinder wash Happen within an hour or two?

 

[JMCX]

Doing more harm letting them warm up? Ask ANY diesel mechanic about cold starting and warming up, or anyone who's seen a diesel torn down that was never warmed up and cold started all the time and you'll see the damage. Too much idling at low RPM is bad for newer diesels, but driving them ice cold is much much worse. There is no diesel out there that starts just as well at -35 as +20 if not plugged in, either you don't pay attention or need your hearing checked. They all sound like absolute chit starting at -35 not plugged in at first. The Ford at -35 is very very lucky if it will even start. Changes are you sell it before it shows the damage, or you've got very very lucky.

I knew I would get some peoples backs up with my comments. I'm just one guy, I know, but these are my experiences. There is a lot of old thinking out there that dies hard. The Ford and my last few Duramax glow for all of five seconds and fire immediately. That's what I mean by start the same. In extreme cold the engine does have a different sound initially, mostly I would say it's the power steering pump that is unhappy. I had an 04 Ram that I sold at 570k (original trans btw), an 11 Dmax with 425k (amazingly reliable truck) and currently have 235k on the Ford. Also have another 11 Dmax with 230k for hauling the sleds. I bought this one used at 130k. The others are all work trucks purchased new. All were running mint when they moved on and I got top dollar for the mileage.

GM does something with the trans and exhaust brake and they warm up faster elevated idling than driving. That motor is loaded in that condition. You can hear the turbo loaded.

I think it is better to get it up to operating temperature in ten minutes of easy driving than never getting there in one hour of idling. Cold oil accumulates water/fuel contamination which degrades it.

 

[Bury Me With My Toys]

I don't know why anyone would let pickup idle for an hour. If you started it, you likely intend to go somewhere, so get going.
I know that its not the same thing, but my F150 with 5.0 V8, in summer i let it idle maybe 15 seconds to get the oil circulating before I drive away, in the winter a few minutes, or as soon as the rpm drop down to 1000 or less, so I'm not slamming it into gear at high rpm. Then drive gently for a few minutes.

 

[snopro]

I plug my 2016 F350 in after -15 and let it warm up for 5 minutes before I go anywhere when its below -10. I came home from Arizona one winter and it was -30. My truck was outside at Park and Jet. I called my dealer and asked if it would start and he said cycle glow plugs twice and should start. It did. I wouldn't say it was the smoothest start. Thought pistons were coming through the block but it did start and run. Not a sound I'd want to hear anytime soon again. Sounds like a summer start plugged in at any temperature though.

 

[new_nytro]

Fun fact, since there appears to be some back and forth here... anyone with a newer Duramax who has had the block heater cord recall ... the ambient air temperature needs to be at 0F or -17C for the block heater to even initiate. Enjoy.

I had mine done and what you have suggested is not the case. My block heater on my 2018 Duramax will come on at any temperature. You can test by using a continuity meter on the plug.

 

[new_nytro]

Well, not based on what my diesel tech at GM (not service desk people) explained to me. If its plugged in there is going to be activity on the meter I would think?? I wonder if there is power to it and a draw but it doesn't initiate until temp drops?

You test it on the block heater cord without being plugged in. Use a continuity meter to test continuity between the 2 prongs on the cord. I did ask the question when they did mine if it only worked below a certain temperature though. That is how they told me to know for sure. They told me GM only does that for gas vehicles but who knows for sure.

 

[2kDoo]

if in doubt give it some ether

 

[Teth-Air]

I wonder if diesel owners are possibly more passionate about their truck brand then how passionate they are about their sled brand?

I think too many guys make assumptions based on comparisons against a several year old competitors model. Like new sleds, they are all "good" but not everybody is looking for the same things or has the same values.

 

[2kDoo]

I wonder if diesel owners are possibly more passionate about their truck brand then how passionate they are about their sled brand?

.

they're worse lol