Block Heater Threshold

[Kenobi]

With this polar vortex chilling us to -13F (even lower windchill) here in Colorado, I found my '21 1500 ED would crank and crank, but not start.

I plugged the block heater in for an hour and after some cranking it finally started.

Well, at least I know now to plug it in while in negative temps.

 

[06 Dodge]

With this polar vortex chilling us to -13F (even lower windchill) here in Colorado, I found my '21 1500 ED would crank and crank, but not start.

I plugged the block heater in for an hour and after some cranking it finally started.

Well, at least I know now to plug it in while in negative temps.

And having a winter front helps it warm up faster when driving, at those temps I would put the block heater on for 3 hours longer if its outside in the wind... I also hope your fuel is fully winterized for current temps..

 

[Kenobi]

And having a winter front helps it warm up faster when driving, at those temps I would put the block heater on for 3 hours longer if its outside in the wind... I also hope your fuel is fully winterized for current temps..

I waited too long to get the fuel additive - now there's none in town. I ordered some online, though, for next time around.

 

[crash68]

With this polar vortex chilling us to -13F (even lower windchill) here in Colorado, I found my '21 1500 ED would crank and crank, but not start.

I plugged the block heater in for an hour and after some cranking it finally started.

If I was to take a guess, it's probably a fuel related issue and not the lack of using the block heater. Several people have reported being able to start EcoDs in temps similar and colder than -13F without using a block heater.
Ram recommends using the block heater when the temps are 0°F and below. I have mine on a smart outlet and it turns on for several hours before I leave when the temp is below 40°F. Completely not needed at that warm of temp but it helps with the engine getting to temp faster.

And having a winter front helps it warm up faster when driving,

^^^ this
You can run the cover with all the flaps closed when the temps are below 0°F unless your towing something.

 

[GTyankee]

this is a Mopar winter front for your Ram

Ram 1500 Winter Front

OEM winter front for the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel. Even though the 1500 is equipped with active grill shutters, this winter front helps the engine get to and keep proper temperature. This cov...

www.idparts.com

 

[WY-Dave]

I'm just a lil north of ya in Cheyenne. Working mids last had fun when trying to go home from a -31° low. Even with running it 20min every 3 hours, the fuel jelled up. Would idle fine, but the slightest throttle it would stumble. After sitting 30 min, was able to drive normal. With the advice of my bro-in-law, switched over to Howes from Power Service Diesel anti-gel. Last 3 years have had these snaps and no issues with PSD. I'm not going to be using Howes anymore in the winter. Now like you have found out, trying to find it

 

[crash68]

this is a Mopar winter front for your Ram

Ram 1500 Winter Front

OEM winter front for the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel. Even though the 1500 is equipped with active grill shutters, this winter front helps the engine get to and keep proper temperature. This cov...

www.idparts.com

View attachment 509650

Wrong winter front for the Gen5 truck.
This is the one he would need: https://store.mopar.com/oem-parts/mopar-cold-weather-cover-82216061ab
More than likely if he has the OEM block heater the truck has the cold weather package which includes the winter front.

 

[Dean2]

On top of plugging in, which makes it WAY easier on everything even if the motor will start, I strongly suggest you guys find a truck stop that sells proper winter diesel. It gets to -50 up here and we don't have to add stuff to keep the diesel from Gelling. It should be properly formulated from the refinery.

 

[Kenobi]

Thanks, guys.
I do have the front cover from the factory, but it doesn't get driven much so I'm not sweating that yet.
No stumbling when it did start and run, just hard getting it to start that first time.

 

[06 Dodge]

On top of plugging in, whic makes iot WAY easier on everything even if the motor will start, I strongly suggest you guys find a truck stop that sells proper winter diesel. It gets to -50 up here and we don't have to add stuff to keep the diesel from Gelling. It should be properly formulated from the refinery.

In my area its mixed at the loading terminal when truck is loaded and only if requested, our loading terminals serves many areas that do not always require blended diesel, any time I have asked what the fuel is winterized too no-one including managers at any station can tell me or have that info available ( my nearest truck stop is 45 minutes away ) so any time I notice temps are expected to be colder then 30 degrees I add anti gel just to be safe, all of our diesel fuel contains 5% Bio ...

 

[crash68]

I do have the front cover from the factory, but it doesn't get driven much so I'm not sweating that yet.

You can have the front cover on when the outside temps is around 40°F with all flaps open if your just driving without issue. The faster these engines get up to temp the better they run and get better fuel economy.

 

[Dean2]

In my area its mixed at the loading terminal when truck is loaded and only if requested, our loading terminals serves many areas that do not always require blended diesel, any time I have asked what the fuel is winterized too no-one including managers at any station can tell me or have that info available ( my nearest truck stop is 45 minutes away ) so any time I notice temps are expected to be colder then 30 degrees I add anti gel just to be safe, all of our diesel fuel contains 5% Bio ...

Well, you guys need to do some serious nut kicking. If I was a trucker loading 400 gallons on the road and had to be worried about it geling when I drove through cold weather I would be WAY PAST PISSED OFF. There is no excuse for that kind of stupidity on the part of the vendors.

 

[WY-Dave]

On top of plugging in, which makes it WAY easier on everything even if the motor will start, I strongly suggest you guys find a truck stop that sells proper winter diesel. It gets to -50 up here and we don't have to add stuff to keep the diesel from Gelling. It should be properly formulated from the refinery.

Normally I do go to the truck stop here to/from work, but last week went to Ft Collins CO and did a fill up there.

 

[4xdad]

Plug it in and leave it plugged in while it’s warming up Diesel engines relies on heat run properly I run my pw with the gauges on the display at -30 c it won’t warm up past about 60-70c until you start driving then you can watch the temp climb until it reaches about 99-99 c then the thermostat opens and it drops like a rock it takes quite a while to completely warm up with no winter front

 

[06 Dodge]

Well, you guys need to do some serious nut kicking. If I was a trucker loading 400 gallons on the road and had to be worried about it geling when I drove through cold weather I would be WAY PAST PISSED OFF. There is no excuse for that kind of stupidity on the part of the vendors.

One of the stations I buy from has several semi truck owners who buy from them daily so you would think the fuel would be blended when it gets at or below 30, since moving to Oregon a few years ago I have assumed here in Oregon they don't give a po op and being a former OTR driver its like WTF, why don't you know this stuff your the manager

 

[GTyankee]

I have been fueling stations, where no person that was working knew whether or not they had #2 Diesel or Bio Diesel.
They did not even have a sticker on the diesel pumps.
It was an older station, Dept. of Agriculture must of have been slacking off

 

[06 Dodge]

I have been fueling stations, where no person that was working knew whether or not they had #2 Diesel or Bio Diesel.
They did not even have a sticker on the diesel pumps.
It was an older station, Dept. of Agriculture must of have been slacking off

Not at all surprised, I stopped at a 76 a few weeks ago a few miles from my house, even though the whole metro area is required to sell 5% Bio diesel, not one of their 3 diesel pumps had the Bio decal indicating the diesel being sold contained Bio, maybe some of our Dept Of Agg works came from Socal