Ecodiesel and extreme cold

[md-lucky]

Just got back from hunting camp... Man I love this truck.

Above 7,000 feet. We got about a foot of snow Friday night, and then temps dropped well into the negatives. Sunday morning fired the truck up at -8 below after sitting for 4 days in freezing weather covered in snow (obviously not plugged in).

Fired right up. No issues what-so-ever.

Crawled out of the mountains in 4-low. Most of the time in 3rd gear around 7mph. Used the rear locker in 1 section but probably could have made it without it. Was nothing more than extra insurance.

25.7mpg all the way there and back on the pavement. Starts right up in the bitter cold with no issues. Gearing and rear locker just perfect for my needs. Still could use a little more ground clearance... 35s probably next year.

I don't think I've ever been happier with a truck in my first 5 months of ownership. From 10,600 foot passes, to 24-25mpg with the cruise set at 80mph, to crawling around in the mountains in 4-low in below zero temperatures after sitting for days on end... The new ecodiesel is the real deal, and the 5th gen is easily the best pickup on the road today.

 

[TexasJonathan]

cheaper to buy the cover and the cord separate then to have on the window sticker. I use the cover more to keep the engine bay cleaner, I have never had a problem keeping the motor warm in MN winters.

link to cord. https://parts.moparonlineparts.com/oem-parts/mopar-engine-block-heater-cord-68357826aa?c=az0x

link to front end cover, though yours may vary depending on model: https://www.moparonlineparts.com/sku/82216061ab.html

My 2020 Ram 1500 ecodiesel didn't come with the engine block heater, per the window sticker...can I just purchase the cord and make it work? Or will I need to purchase the whole engine block heater? Not sure what they come with if that option wasn't included from the factory.

 

[Aseras]

All Ecodiesels have the block heater installed when the engine is made. You just need the whip to power it.

cheap part # is KAT 28500

 

[TexasJonathan]

All Ecodiesels have the block heater installed when the engine is made. You just need the whip to power it.

Thank you!

 

[bill-e]

I just added a 6' extension and have it tied off at the passenger side tow hook.

 

[VernDiesel]

A few winters ago they had the “polar vortex” in MN WI and I was up in it. Think it was like negative 45 one morning and negative 41 the next. Staying in a hotel I brought an extension cord. Asked the hotel & they had a few outside accessible outlets.

Plugged in with weather front she fired right up and with weather front warmed quickly and stayed warm. At another time with real cold weather & no weather front she had a hard time staying at a temp where the heater working well.

 

[Bassinb]

Ah, if only everyone would just RTFM. I told my neighbor this exact same thing, yet they still idle their car for 30 minutes on a mild Texas morning. Thanks for giving me hope for the average truck owner.

No, raising the idle speed *manually* only exacerbates the issue. Idle at 800 RPM or 1100 RPM is still a very low-load situation with lots of start-up enrichment and cold lubricants. Raising RPM just means parts are spinning/ wearing faster in that crappy situation. Your engine is being controlled by a $900 computer that runs the engine optimally for just about any operating scenario - if Ram wants to bump up the cold idle engine speed, they will bump the cold idle engine speed. It's not like an aftermarket company with 5 employees figured out a super secret solution that a multi-billion dollar company was blissfully unaware of - they just made a box that people wanted.

Getting in and driving the truck gently - as the manual tells you to do - is the solution. That puts actual load on the engine to warm it up faster and allow for full combustion.

Higher idle definitely HELPS prevent wet-stacking. That is pretty much undisputed across nearly all diesel engines. A manual elevated idle option is or has been a standard feature on many trucks for this exact reason. Often times increased oil pressure alone makes a big difference in wear over a prolonged consistent rpm. Whether or not that has a negative effect on fuel economy and emissions (which seems to dictate nearly every decision vehicle manufacturers make) is another question.

Although a totally different animal, in the 5.7 Hemi it is widely accepted that elevated rpm keeps lifters and associated parts better lubricated as well.

 

[hunter1234]

I would check with your gas station supplier, in WI I was once told that their winter blend (they do not have artic blend) was good to negative 10 (F) below zero before it could gel, when we are in for a very cold snap I add an additive that takes me down to negative 40 below - I figure cheap insurance.

 

[Aseras]

Higher idle definitely HELPS prevent wet-stacking. That is pretty much undisputed across nearly all diesel engines. A manual elevated idle option is or has been a standard feature on many trucks for this exact reason. Often times increased oil pressure alone makes a big difference in wear over a prolonged consistent rpm. Whether or not that has a negative effect on fuel economy and emissions (which seems to dictate nearly every decision vehicle manufacturers make) is another question.

Although a totally different animal, in the 5.7 Hemi it is widely accepted that elevated rpm keeps lifters and associated parts better lubricated as well.

its is very unlikely to ever wet stack a diesel vehicle engine. Unless you idle it a stupid amount of time 100x greater than driving and NEVER driver it under a load. The only thing I see wet stacking in is unexercised generators. A vehicle will always have enough of a load to keep it cleaned out if it is driven even moderately.

 

[Drewster]

its is very unlikely to ever wet stack a diesel vehicle engine. Unless you idle it a stupid amount of time 100x greater than driving and NEVER driver it under a load. The only thing I see wet stacking in is unexercised generators. A vehicle will always have enough of a load to keep it cleaned out if it is driven even moderately.

Better call up Ram and tell them their owner's manual is wrong.
We wouldn't want FCA powertrain engineers to be contradicting anecdotal evidence on the internet

 

[Aseras]

FCA's problem is that the engineers don't write the manuals. The marketing and lawyers do.

 

[Drewster]

FCA's problem is that the engineers don't write the manuals. The marketing and lawyers do.

Ah, they never consult the engineers, just leave them in a black box that magically makes vehicles come out.. got it

As an engineer, there are plenty of times we wish marketing would dive a little deeper into a product... but when there's a very technical blurb in the documentation that says something like

long periods of idling may be harmful to your engine because combustion chamber temperatures can drop so low that the fuel may not burn completely. Incomplete combustion allows carbon and varnish to form on piston rings, cylinder head valves, and injector nozzles. Also, the unburned fuel can enter the crankcase, diluting the oil and causing rapid wear to the engine.

...you can almost bet that came from engineering

 

[jasnak]

yea, or buy it separately, about $100

View attachment 71044

These trucks come with active grill shutters they don’t need winter fronts anymore

 

[bill-e]

These trucks come with active grill shutters they don’t need winter fronts anymore

They may not "need" them but the manual suggests them for under 32°f and after using one for 5 winters they absolutely make this truck more comfortable in the cold weather.

 

[WXman]

Ah, they never consult the engineers, just leave them in a black box that magically makes vehicles come out.. got it

As an engineer, there are plenty of times we wish marketing would dive a little deeper into a product... but when there's a very technical blurb in the documentation that says something like

...you can almost bet that came from engineering

Engineers do what the people who pay their checks tell them to do. This is particularly true in the automotive segment.

I don't idle my truck a lot, but I do idle it quite a bit and my last oil analysis showed almost zero trace of fuel in the oil.

 

[jasnak]

They may not "need" them but the manual suggests them for under 32°f and after using one for 5 winters they absolutely make this truck more comfortable in the cold weather.

I live in western Canada. Had the truck in -40c, -40f temps with no weather front. It heats up to running temp, no gelling of fuel, all your doing is putting a bandaid on a bandaid. To each your own. Some people aren’t aware they have active shutters in the rads now. All I was stating

 

[bill-e]

I live in western Canada. Had the truck in -40c, -40f temps with no weather front. It heats up to running temp, no gelling of fuel, all your doing is putting a bandaid on a bandaid. To each your own. Some people aren’t aware they have active shutters in the rads now. All I was statin

You do know that these trucks have had Active Grill Shutters since 2014, it's not new. And as I said it's a matter of comfort. We get -20F here in the winter a the truck definitely comes up to temp faster with the winter front.

Everyone drives their truck differently and has longer and shorter rides at highway speeds and not, I prefer to be comfortable

 

[hunter1234]

My suggestion is if your in a cold area get the winter front, very easy to install, has vents that you can open when necessary and as Bill-e stated it does keep the truck happier in extreme cold. I have used them in all my diesels, the current and last one had active grills. I guess the last piece of comfort for me, is that I know the cover is on but I do not know if the grills are working, or stuck with ice and snow or when they exactly open or close. I Was under the impression and I could be wrong that they were for fuel economy and not really for cold weather, that they operate based on speed not temperature and open when the vehicle slows or stops which would allow the heat to escape the engine compartment in a cold environment.

 

[bill-e]

The intent is definitely to improve aerodynamics and fuel economy but thee are some other benefits also.

From an FCA Press Release:
FCA US Media - Press Kit: 2019 Ram 1500:null (fcanorthamerica.com)

Engine coolant temperature, air conditioning requirements and vehicle speed determine shutter position. The shutters remain closed when less engine cooling is required and aerodynamic drag is most significant; the system will open the shutters when the truck’s cooling demands require additional airflow, for example traveling up a hill or pulling a trailer in high-temperature environments.

 

[J-Cooz]

I have the winter front for my limited but I'm worried about grit getting behind it and wrecking my paint. I'm anal about my paint and washing technique. I'd hate to cause a bunch of minor scratches on the grill.