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How cold before block heater needed?

Pootytanger

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Anyone who’s picked up their diesel yet: what’s the coldest startup you’ve had yet? Any trouble firing up? For only $95, I wonder if I shoulda just added it.
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VABarn

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Lowest it's been for me for a cold start has been 43... so I can't really help. I did buy it, tho.
 

Karl_in_Chicago

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Anyone who’s picked up their diesel yet: what’s the coldest startup you’ve had yet? Any trouble firing up? For only $95, I wonder if I shoulda just added it.
Unless you will be spending a fair amount of time "up north", parked outside, I really wouldn't sweat it. In the mid-80's through the mid-90's I had a diesel VW Rabbit (no block heater), parked outside 2 blocks from Chicago lakefront, and it only failed to start once. It was 25 below (real, not that lame-ass windchill crap) and you know what - hardly anyone else's car started either! When I bought my Acura (gasoline motor, obviously) I got the block heater option . . . and in 15 years I've never plugged it in. For those in the more rugged/elevated climates a block heater definitely adds value but if you are really home-based in KY you'll never miss it. For only $95 it's not a break-the-bank item, obviously, just passing on my experience.
 
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Pootytanger

Pootytanger

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Awesome, that’s good to hear. Thanks, makes me feel better.
 

BuffaloBill

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Pootytanger,

On the RAM 1500 EcoDiesel (for the first few years at least), the actual block heater was installed in all the engines, whether one ordered it or not. It just wasn’t equipped with the electrical cord if you didn’t “order” it. People would just add their own cord, etc.

I’m curious if the Wrangler gen3 Ecodiesel are all shipping with the block heater?

Also curious if those shipped to the north come with a grill cover (like the 1500). Or did FCA find a way to design out the need for one?
 

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I spent some time at Grand Forks AFB in North Dakota from 2001 to 2004. I had an old ‘82 Suburban with the 6.2L Diesel engine. There were times to where I was walking out to start it up to let it warm at -35F. (At -45F work was stopped till it warmed up.). It would start up when I forgot to plug in the block heater, but it took a long time, and lots of cranking. When the block heater was plugged in, it was always quick and easy. The gas cars always started up quickly, though they turned over slower.

Somewhere around 15F-20F the block heater didn’t really matter as much.

keep in mind, this was an older diesel
 

Arterius2

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Oil becomes more viscous at lower temperature.. harder to flow through the engine and thus engine have to work harder.. so even if you could theoretically start your vehicle in extremely cold temperatures, you should use the block heater to reduce wear on your engine parts.

I always plug mine in about an hour or two before I need to start my vehicle whenever possible, also reduce my cold start idle times significantly.
 

Stampede.Offroad

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Anyone who’s picked up their diesel yet: what’s the coldest startup you’ve had yet? Any trouble firing up? For only $95, I wonder if I shoulda just added it.
If it's cold enough that you ought to have anti-gelling agents in your fuel, you probably want a block heater too.

Maybe you don't use it every time, maybe it's not 118% necessary, but that seems like a reasonable guideline.
 

angrynewyorker

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Going to be 8 degrees here tonight, and 10 tomorrow night. Needless to say, I ordered mine with it. I don’t need it at those temps, but last year we had temps of -15 with a wind chill of -70. At those temps I’ll be plugging in.
 

Stampede.Offroad

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Going to be 8 degrees here tonight, and 10 tomorrow night. Needless to say, I ordered mine with it. I don’t need it at those temps, but last year we had temps of -15 with a wind chill of -70. At those temps I’ll be plugging in.
I think today's high was a positive number here.

That's probably not what they meant by "think positive thoughts"
 

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UTES

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I have two other diesels, a '17 Colorado and a '18 VW. Our Winters here get temps down to 0 degrees F, and I've never needed a heating element. So, I did not order one on my '20 Diesel Wrangler, and have not had starting issues. My other family members here who own diesels have not had issues either.

Also, our Diesel fuel here in the "snowbelt" is blended for seasonal changes.

Just my $.02.

Hunter
 

GtX

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Chicago. JLURD ordered with the block heater. I'll be hard wiring it into a recessed plug in the front bumper.
 

JLURD

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Off the manual.

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I noticed this when I was perusing the supplement manual and thought to myself, define “required”. As in the damn thing is programmed not to start if the thermometer reads below -20F and the block heater isn’t plugged in? I will be parking my rig below -20F far from electricity at times so I guess we’ll find out one way or another. Somehow I doubt Jeep has the balls to disable a vehicle from starting just because it’s cold. My guess is the lawyers recommended that wording so they could reduce legal exposure for accelerated wear or failed parts in extreme cold.
 

2020 Diesel JL

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Oil becomes more viscous at lower temperature.. harder to flow through the engine and thus engine have to work harder.. so even if you could theoretically start your vehicle in extremely cold temperatures, you should use the block heater to reduce wear on your engine parts.

I always plug mine in about an hour or two before I need to start my vehicle whenever possible, also reduce my cold start idle times significantly.
I agree, it would reduce engine wear dramatically. Very cold starts will wear your motor more than you think. 75% Of engine wear is on cold start up until warm.
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