I always let mine warm up for 3 hours, but you might be OK. I never tried it for less than that.

 

Cool, thanks for the input. I was just trying to figure out if I should grab a ride from a buddy.

 

:ANAL:

 

They don't even sell vehicles with block heaters where I'm from. We got in a used engine the other day. You could tell from the corrosion and the block heater that it wasn't from a local yard. Oreillys also sells a universal oil heater, I believe. It goes in the dipstick tube, IIRC. It's a long, flexible rod that plugs in and heats up.

 

If you havent treated the fuel with any type of winter treatment it may still not start after being plugged up, I would say that in -5 deg. weather you would need atleast an hour minimum before I'd try it. Good luck

 

Yeah I've got antigel in the fuel

 

Works best at about three hours but one is better than none!

 

So, how did it go?

 

April should be long enough .

 

I purposely clicked this link to see if anyone said this!

 

I had it plugged in for about 45 mins and she fired right up

 

That's great.

Rick

 

Leave it running!!

 

Wonder how much electric those block heaters use, I had mine plugged in for 2 days now

 

Most of them draw about 7amps, so you probably spent about $5 if it is one without a thermoplug.

 

My Duramax will start at 0° without being plugged up. Now it dropped to 0° over night from a week of 20° days. She was slow cranking but she did start up and run on her own.
I also run Optilube XTD fuel treatment.

 

I never plugged my Dmax in once......It fired up in seconds in -20 weather..........I never ran additives either

 

My Duramax won't start...how long should I leave it plugged in, leave off the FOR.

Don't end your sentences in a preposition.
The FOR is an un-needed word at the end of your sentence.

I was watching Tru-TV and Vegas Jail was on and this cute lady cop named Nicole kept ending just about every statement and question with for. Such things as; "Why did you do that..... FOR?"
It shows a low level of education at home and bad teachers that didn't correct it.

 

My Duramax won't start...how long should I leave it plugged in, leave off the FOR.

Don't end your sentences in a preposition.
The FOR is an un-needed word at the end of your sentence.

I was watching Tru-TV and Vegas Jail was on and this cute lady cop named Nicole kept ending just about every statement and question with for. Such things as; "Why did you do that..... FOR?"
It shows a low level of education at home and bad teachers that didn't correct it.

I think you meant to say 'unneeded'...

...Class dismissed.

 

My 7.3 needs minimum of 2 hours if not, it won't start.

 

The tag on our 08 reads

CORD SET
2727
153760
10Amp
120V
1200W
13070-1

 

For what it's worth, that is the cord set rating, not the actual draw of the block heater.

 

My 7.3 has been plugged in for two weeks now. No snow or ice on the nose of the truck.

 

I've found when it's really cold out to plug it in as soon as I park it. The coolant will maintain a higher temp if it's warm from running verses trying to raise the coolant temp from ambient air temp when everything is stone cold just with a block heater. Also the less extension cords the better, park as close to a receptacle as you can.

 

^^^This FTW.

 

3 degrees here with windchills in the teens and higher. 24v cummins fired right up then the common rail fired right up this morning. 20 minutes later my dad called and said his powerstroke won't start. I said better take moms car today cuz I'm not coming to help you. No block heater on it

 

That was awful nice of you to not go help your Dad.

 

My power stroke will fire up after a hour

 

It's not good for those diesels to get started and shut down without getting to operating temps.During my research on Duramax's I found that out.

 

I'm sure thats true but thats not always possible. I live 7 miles from work and even with it being plugged in and letting it idle for 10 minutes or so it doesnt reach the middle of the temp gauge. Its a cummins btw

 

Only -5 ? Hahahahaha. Better sell it if it wont start. -36 here this morning with windchill.

 

lol diesels

 

I have never plugged my dodge or Duramax in. Never had them below -15 wind chill though

 

My D-max will start at -18 so far. I forgot to plug it in.

Here is a tip to save money. I run my heat off of a Christmas light timer. I have it turn on two hours before I am going to leave. work like a charm every time

 

6.4 will start in real cold it's common rail.

6.0 is HEUI, you're trying to use tar to drive a fuel injector at -5 if you're running 15w40 LOL

I plugged mine in 2 hours ago, went from -4F on the oil to 30F. The ECT wouldn't even read, it now says 36F. It's a 6.4 but I'd rather have oil to the top end quicker than if the oil was -4F, even being 5w40.