how cold are your cold starts and how do you prepare your truck

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BWL

BWL

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Hehe, I’ve been called worse things by better people ;) :D

Holy ****! That would cast a fortune here just to have the 200Amp service even without any electricity :O
Low voltage, high amperage. 240v single phase.
 

TheEnder

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I live in cali, so it doesn’t get as cold as some of y’all’s states, but, the coldest it’s gotten where i live is 18F.

I let my truck warm up until engine coolant temp is ATLEAST 130, and tranny temp is at 80.


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Juhax

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Today morning was -18 degrees Celsius here in West-Finnland. I use Q8 15w-40 oil. I have pumping waterheater and cabinheater.798299BF-1D9E-4F68-BF7C-C61CFFB9B0A7.jpeg 06784C47-1FF0-462E-8C97-D1328E7E57B4.jpeg 313C2662-C8D0-4ECE-A0FB-DE170EC085CF.jpeg 313C2662-C8D0-4ECE-A0FB-DE170EC085CF.jpeg 06784C47-1FF0-462E-8C97-D1328E7E57B4.jpeg 798299BF-1D9E-4F68-BF7C-C61CFFB9B0A7.jpeg
 
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Today morning was -18 degrees Celsius here in West-Finnland. I use Q8 15w-40 oil. I have pumping waterheater and cabinheater.View attachment 232970 View attachment 232971 View attachment 232972 View attachment 232972 View attachment 232971 View attachment 232970
I've considered one of those circulating coolant heaters. Have a couple electric ones on heavy equipment as well as some diesel fired ones like this. Truck is gas so the electric is all I can use on it. The diesel one definitely keeps things warmer.IMG_20210113_0217396.jpg
 

Wild one

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I've considered one of those circulating coolant heaters. Have a couple electric ones on heavy equipment as well as some diesel fired ones like this. Truck is gas so the electric is all I can use on it. The diesel one definitely keeps things warmer.View attachment 233791

You're better off with one of these,isn't the cold coolant that makes them hard to start in the winter ,it's the oil pump trying to pump the oil that makes them hard to start.

Universal Adhesive Pad Engine Heater, 125W Canadian Tire
 

Stefan N

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Wild one

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But on the odd -40 or worse weeks I'd feel better about my coolant not freezing. Plus the they put out enough heat that the cab has heat right away.

Unless you've messed with the coolant strength,it's not going to freeze at -40. Me i'd rather have instant oil pressure at -40 then instant cabin heat. I can let it run for a couple minutes to offset the interior heat issues,but listening to the motor rattle and bang while it tries to build oil pressure,bothers the hell out of me,lol. Odds are at -40 you'd still have the block heater plugged in along with the oil pan heater,that'll give you as much heat from the heater as a recirculating heater will,while keeping the engine way happier.Plus at -20 a 125 watt oilpan heater is way cheaper to run then a block heater is,and if it's plugged in all night long,it'll keep the block almost as warm as the block heater does,heat radiates up,not down,the block heater doesn't do much in the way of keeping the oil warm at -20
 
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I want both:). No shortage of free electricity for me at work so more the merrier. Home is a heated garage and warmer climate anyways.
 
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Well I'm adding remove my tailgate assist to next winters list. Probably break it if I try to remove it at this temp. Tailgate only drops 1/3. Put a little pressure on it and it didn't want to move. Probably break something if I force it. -45c right now so shock oil is probably pretty thick. Tailgate latches and my rollnlock still work perfect though. IMG_20210207_0645292.jpg
 

Livinalittle

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My truck's a 2013 and it's been in Ontario its whole life; I've never used the block heater once. Just autostart, let it warm up for 15 minutes, and take it easy until it's up to temp.
 
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Warmed up to -33 so now my tailgate drops again. I guess I'll leave the assist in since this extreme cold is pretty infrequent. I can live with it not working on the rare occasion it crosses -40 rather than me forgetting the shock is out and just dropping it. Done it on a couple friends trucks that don't have it and gets me a wtf every time.
 
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Well I put my new snow tires on. Supply chain problems really limited my options so I tried an off brand this time around. Hoping for the best. Hercules avalanche 275/60-20. Paid more for them than my hankook ipikes, which I've found to be a great tire, but nothing much I can do about that at the moment. Just bought what I could.IMG_20211112_1745091.jpg
 

rocket

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lot of water gates on the lugs....at least it shows some thought went into making them....
 
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lot of water gates on the lugs....at least it shows some thought went into making them....
Yeah, tons of siping and the studs don't hurt either. More worried about durability and wear than traction on these. I've seen a lot of tread separation and quick wear from being a really soft compound on a lot of the off brand tires.
 

gfh77665

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I think I started my RAM once when it was about 45 outside, maybe it was even 42 or 43.
 

turkeybird56

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This past winter, in February, was -5 F out when started RAM. I haven't been in cold that cold since in the Alps in 1988 and Goose Bay and Northern New York 76-80. Brrrrrr. That is way too cold for the middle of Texas.
 

bcbouy

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last winter the coldest day we got was -41c. just out of curiosity i went out to try and start my 2012 5.7 2500 without a block heater and out in the open weather.it was a scary start to say the least.the new p/w got plugged in to run the block heater at the middle of october.the wifes mazda has no block heater so i at least hooked up a battery tender to it.
 
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last winter the coldest day we got was -41c. just out of curiosity i went out to try and start my 2012 5.7 2500 without a block heater and out in the open weather.it was a scary start to say the least.the new p/w got plugged in to run the block heater at the middle of october.the wifes mazda has no block heater so i at least hooked up a battery tender to it.
I imagine it squealed a fair bit. I find the pulleys and belt are noisy on start up when it gets that cold. Guess the tolerances are that little bit tighter until it warms up.
 
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