Diesel trucks

I tried searching for this on the site and did not find it but I am older and my google-fu is not the strongest.

I’m new to diesel trucks. I’ve had my first, and current one, a year and a half. I live in Iowa and plug it in at night when it gets cold. I work overnight shift and start the truck half way through shift and run it for a few minutes. I have a trip planned to Lake of the Woods at the end of January.

My question to you guys who have diesel trucks is this. What do you guys do when it sits out on the ice all day in extreme cold temps while fishing and can’t plug the engine heater in? Do you start it up and run it a couple of times during the day.

For those of you who have wheel houses, what do you do overnight? Do you have a generator and plug the engine heater in?

My worries are not starting and gelling up. Could be my ignorance too of not having any experience with diesel motors.

Thanks for the help.

How old is your truck?

I have a 2019, parked outside all winter it’s first year in north central Minnesota. Never had a problem. Still leave outside at work all day and starts without issue, never plugged in.

It’s a 2020 F150 with the 3.0 diesel.

I don’t know how those new Fords are to compare to, but with my Ram I only plug it in when it’s really cold out (-15 or colder)

I’ve never tested the limits of it, but it’s never-not-started with that practice and would likely handle temps much colder.

To be frank, you live in Iowa. You should rarely have to plug it in.

When fishing in the extreme cold, I don’t touch the truck or key until I know I want it to start.

If it’s cold out (like our trip this weekend will be), I’ll plug it in 4 hours minimum before I plan to leave. More is fine, but over 8 is a waste of generator gas.

I wouldn’t take a diesel truck on the lake without a generator if it’s going to be well below zero. You “should” be fine, but I like insurance policies. I carry a battery charger with as well.

You could also carry a tarp and a heater instead. If the truck doesn’t start, any kind of heat will get it going.

Fuel is your biggest concern. Make sure it’s winterized and treat it in stupid cold temps.

My 2014 Ram Cummins fired right up this morning at -15 in International Falls. As B-Man said you don’t need to plug it in or run it in Iowa. Biggest issue in my mind is having good fuel, strong batteries and a can of 911 in case of gell up.

My old Ford 6.0 I plug in all the time. In fact in really cold weather when I go someplace i’ll bring the spare key and never shut it off all day. At idle they don’t burn much fuel at all.

I’ll be in Baudette. Taking the truck on the lake is my concern. I have a generator and jumper pack. May have to bring it with.

The temps up there are and can be pretty brutal. This week is pretty bad, especially with wind chill.

My 2004 ram cummins started at -27 and -29 without being plugged in. It didn’t like it, and if I remember right I cycled the glow plugs or whatever they had in 2004 3 times. The first time I didn’t have a cord. I didn’t know I was stopping for the night. The second time the hotel didn’t have any outlets outside. As long as you have good fuel they are pretty reliable. The only place I have ever gotten. Bad fuel was the conoco station in baudette. It didn’t gel up but ran like crap for a tank and a half. Make sure you have synthetic thin oil in your generator so that will start in brutal Temps.

I always run additives with my 17 6.7 power stroke and run number 1 diesel. I find myself usually stopping at cenex or a truck stop before stopping at a normal gas station. My preferred additives are amsoil all in one and always keep a thing of the red bottle heet

I have been having good luck just adding additive and starting it and letting it run for a cycle with the key fob (20mins) a couple times throughout the day and right before I go to bed at night in the fish house.

-22 on Mille Lacs

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The best advice I can give you concerning diesel engines this time of year is to avoid the stations that sell bio-diesel with animal protein ( fat ) in the fuel, it will be as high as 3 percent and it will cause issues.
That crap will turn to frozen lard in cold conditions and it doesnt matter if you are running any kind of treatment or if your fuel system has a heater in it.

At my shop I sell Schaeffer’s diesel hotline #284 which is an emergency treatment for gelled fuel and our customers use it on a regular interval as a preventive maintenance additive when temps dip below zero.
Iowa is the dumping grounds for poor quality diesel fuel and you never know what you are actually getting.

I second Sheldon’s advice on NO BIO Diesel FUEL! Avoid that crap like a plague. Fells at a much warmer temp than normal.

Next, double check oil specs on that engine. All my Duramax and Cummins get Rotella in summer months with Lucas stabilizer in the summer and I run Delvac1 synthetic in winter. I’ve ran every diesel I own well in excess of 1/2 million miles with this method.

My trucks don’t get plugged in until below zero. In extreme cold when I don’t have access to plugging it in, I run it about every 6 -7 hours to warm it up

Everytime I read one of these threads I hope I never have a need for a diesel. Love the longevity but what a complex hassle.

crappie55369 wrote:

Everytime I read one of these threads I hope I never have a need for a diesel. Love the longevity but what a complex hassle.

What’s so complex?

Do you do oil changes on you current truck? Do you change air and oil filters? Do you fill it with fuel? Do you add injection cleaner routinely to your fuel?

Really no difference in being aware of what you buy to put into it. Good diesel fuel and bio diesel is about the same as comparing good gas and crap ethanol gas. If you were going to drive a 1000 miles, which would you put in your truck to get the best economy?

Randy Wieland wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>crappie55369 wrote:</div>
Everytime I read one of these threads I hope I never have a need for a diesel. Love the longevity but what a complex hassle.

What’s so complex?

Do you do oil changes on you current truck? Do you change air and oil filters? Do you fill it with fuel? Do you add injection cleaner routinely to your fuel?

Really no difference in being aware of what you buy to put into it. Good diesel fuel and bio diesel is about the same as comparing good gas and crap ethanol gas. If you were going to drive a 1000 miles, which would you put in your truck to get the best economy?

Maybe it’s not. Certainly seems to be a lot more variables with diesel. I use only one type or oil and one type of gas. Don’t need to worry about additives, carrying emergency start stuff, air temps, what station I use to fill up, plugging in or carrying a tarp and heater.

I’ve never owned a diesel so maybe it just seems complicated to me and it isn’t for others

</blockquote Maybe it’s not. Certainly seems to be a lot more variables with diesel. I use only one type or oil and one type of gas. Don’t need to worry about additives, carrying emergency start stuff, air temps, what station I use to fill up, plugging in or carrying a tarp and heater.
[/quote]

i agree with you

crappie55369 wrote:

Everytime I read one of these threads I hope I never have a need for a diesel. Love the longevity but what a complex hassle.

They are pretty simple. Just need good fuel. Just like a small engine.
I plugged my big truck in 1 time last year when it was -30 for those couple days. Otherwise if it’s really cold I just double cycle my glow plugs.

The emissions era / DEF diesels hate long idle times. They want to be run hot and heavy from what I’ve heard/read or you’re heading for emissions issues.

I had a general contractor working at my place last spring and he had two brand spankin new PowerStrokes. The dashes were lit up like Christmas trees even though they had less than 25k on each rig. Too much use as a man cave on wheels. I’ll get all kinds of crap if I tell how I fixed them, but it involved a process called an “Italian Tuneup”.

Deleting the DEF systems people tout as being the cure all, that is until the unit gets checked by the feds.

I wouldn’t delete anything until the 100k mile warranty is done. It would clearly void that. After that all bets are off. The fuel filters on my 2020 ram 3500 are a PITA to change compared to the 2004. What a mess. Are the chevy and fords a pain, or are they just a screw off and on? I had run gas motors for several years until I went back to a diesel last year. The power for pulling is really impressive. The only thing I really don’t like about this one is the turbo lag. It is really bad if I let off the pedal maybe merging to let someone by then when I get back on it the delay is bad. What feels like 4 or 5 seconds is probably really 1-2 seconds but I hate it. I have learned to not let off the gas completely and that helps a bunch. I wish I could chip it so the turbo wouldn’t completely quit boosting. Are the other similar or is that a cummins HO issue?

Dutchboy wrote:

Deleting the DEF systems people tout as being the cure all, that is until the unit gets checked by the feds.

Dutchboy wrote:

Deleting the DEF systems people tout as being the cure all, that is until the unit gets checked by the feds.

For the record it did not involve deleting anything.

Having good batteries and working glow plugs is a must in diesels which is not much different in gas engines good batteries make or break cold weather starting..

TheFamousGrouse wrote:

The emissions era / DEF diesels hate long idle times. They want to be run hot and heavy from what I’ve heard/read or you’re heading for emissions issues.

I had a general contractor working at my place last spring and he had two brand spankin new PowerStrokes. The dashes were lit up like Christmas trees even though they had less than 25k on each rig. Too much use as a man cave on wheels. I’ll get all kinds of crap if I tell how I fixed them, but it involved a process called an “Italian Tuneup”.

If you idle alot you have to high idle for the Def system to work. I idle my truck all day at work. So I have somewhere warm to go. I lock my idle at 1300 rpm. That way my Def is burning

I once had a beetle TDI, it was a fun little car, but this may not be manly enough for this forum

I have Seen the mr heater cooker save the day plenty of times. Placed under the oil pan facing up and the trucks would start after the oil was warmed up. I never had a diesel I always had a gas vehicle that would start.

Diesels are unquestionably more complicated than a gasser. Def freezes so the tank will freeze solid sitting in cold temps. This is usually not a problem until you find out the tank heater isn’t working and you are derated down to a crawl. Fuel gelling will be your first concern. Make sure you get straight #1 diesel and stay away from Bio if you are expecting subzero cold soaks. Treated #2 is ok but nothing compares to straight #1. I wouldn’t start the truck any more than when you plan to use it as the truck cools off fast enough that it would be a waste and you just end up running the batteries down if it doesn’t run a long time after starting it.

@MNdrifter What additives do you use? How long did your truck sit before starting?

@iowaboy1 I agree about our diesel.

@Randy Wieland I agree no biodiesel.

Forgot about the possibility of the DEF freezing up too. I bought the diesel because I put a lot of miles on my truck each year. Like I said, still learning about the diesels. It’s going to Baudette and being driven out onto the lake. We’re just day fishing and not staying in a sleeper shack. Have to wait and see what the weather forecast is as it gets closer to the end of January.

All electric is looking better and better!

Joe Jarl wrote:

All electric is looking better and better!

If you want to stop 4 times on the way to charge while your pulling a ice house. 7 hour drive would turn into a 27 hour drive

rsee wrote:

@MNdrifter What additives do you use? How long did your truck sit before starting?

Power Services Diesel 911, white bottle.
That was overnight last winter mid February. Last ran before bedtime 10/11 o’clock, probably started it at 8/9 am.