Questions for any owners from Alaska or other cold areas

[Sascwatch]

I am in the process of moving full time to my house in northern Ontario where up until recently I’ve only spent the warmer seasons and I’m trying to make sure I am prepared for the winters to come.

My questions are in regards to the engine block heater, battery maintainer and oil pan heaters.

My truck is equipped with the factory block heater which I plan to run on a timer during the colder months of December-March where temps will drop below -40 at times. I figure anytime the temps are forecasted to drop below -15C I will plug the truck in and have the timer set to run for a few hours before my morning commute.

Is an oil pan heater also a good idea to run on the coldest of days? Lets say -30C or colder to help with oil flow?

Should I install an onboard trickle charger to help keep the battery topped off for times where it sits in the extreme cold for days? There’s times where it gets to cold to go outside let alone go for a drive.

I have taken my truck up north during the winter once when it was -29C and had plugged the block heater in just to be safe, truck had no issue starting the next morning nor were there any strange noises from low oil flow.

Fuel stations up there do switch to a winter blend of diesel or even #1 diesel when the temps get really low, I do plan on running an anti-gel during the winter months just to be safe.

Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Ramroo]

My son has had a 21 Ram Hemi etorque in Fairbanks Alaska through last winter and only used a engine block heater plugged in all night parked outside. He has not had any troubles with starting or anything. He starts it up on his phone about 10 minutes prior to leaving.
Next time I talk to him I will ask more about the cold WX stuff.
He sleeps and operates outside during the winter months in the ARMY, so yea, crazy.

I do know diesels don’t like the cold WX, so I would run the anti gel in fuel. Also plan on longer warm up times. He does have some friends that have the bigger diesels that operate OK.

 

[Fatherof3]

I am in the process of moving full time to my house in northern Ontario where up until recently I’ve only spent the warmer seasons and I’m trying to make sure I am prepared for the winters to come.

My questions are in regards to the engine block heater, battery maintainer and oil pan heaters.

My truck is equipped with the factory block heater which I plan to run on a timer during the colder months of December-March where temps will drop below -40 at times. I figure anytime the temps are forecasted to drop below -15C I will plug the truck in and have the timer set to run for a few hours before my morning commute.

Is an oil pan heater also a good idea to run on the coldest of days? Lets say -30C or colder to help with oil flow?

Should I install an onboard trickle charger to help keep the battery topped off for times where it sits in the extreme cold for days? There’s times where it gets to cold to go outside let alone go for a drive.

I have taken my truck up north during the winter once when it was -29C and had plugged the block heater in just to be safe, truck had no issue starting the next morning nor were there any strange noises from low oil flow.

Fuel stations up there do switch to a winter blend of diesel or even #1 diesel when the temps get really low, I do plan on running an anti-gel during the winter months just to be safe.

Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

I’m in Southern Ontario and I’ve never used a block Heater on any of my vehicles . We did hit -40 a couple years in a row but never had a problem with the vehicles not starting . I use the remote start and let it run while I scrape the windows . That being said there wouldn't be a problem using the block heater either .

 

[OCD Solutions]

I had dual block heaters in my V10 and then a circulating water heater in my Diesels to supplement the factory block heater. Never messed with timers though and just left the truck plugged in all night. I always drove standard too and never got remote start until I moved to the South and got an automatic. Remote start is awesome though.
The last couple years in High Level, AB saw weeks of -50C and seldom a day warmer than -30C and I was turned onto a cab heater. That one gets a 3hr timer and I wish I had learned about them years earlier. Nothing like a warm and cozy truck at -30C without having to run it for an hour.
Anything below -50C and you just leave the diesels running. I didn't shut my work truck off for 11 weeks one winter. I didn't pay for fuel and was seldom home for more than 3-4 hours so what would have been the point.
Another good option and easiest to install was an inline radiator hose heater.

 

[HSKR R/T]

I’m in Southern Ontario and I’ve never used a block Heater on any of my vehicles . We did hit -40 a couple years in a row but never had a problem with the vehicles not starting . I use the remote start and let it run while I scrape the windows . That being said there wouldn't be a problem using the block heater either .

We're your vehicles gas or diesel? OP has a diesel, which makes a difference

 

[Fatherof3]

We're your vehicles gas or diesel? OP has a diesel, which makes a difference

Totally missed that . Mine were all gas . Sorry OP .

 

[Sascwatch]

For the times I’ve been up there during -20 and colder temps I had no issues with gelling or getting the engine up to temp. With the grille cover and shutters it really closes the air off to the engine bay.

For the coldest temps I figure I’ll leave the block heater on anytime the truck is parked, add an anti gel at every fill up even tho the diesel is treated or #1 right from the pump. Maybe switch to 0w-40 for the few coldest of months aswell? I’ll have to talk to the dealer about that one, full synthetic shouldn’t mean much difference between 0w and 5w.

Thanks for all the info so far, greatly appreciated.

 

[OCD Solutions]

You're tweaking some good memories with this one. I forgot all about the grill covers. I guess the active grill shudders do the same thing but I had the stainless inserts that clipped into the grill to block cold air. They were pretty much a necessity on the diesels to get the cabin temps up once it passed -20C. At least on the older trucks. My 2008 Cummins (6.7l), seemed to have no issues cooking you out of the cab but my 2004, (5.9l), not so much. lot's of guys just shoved a piece of cardboard in front of the radiator if they caught in a cold snap.

Being raised in the North, things like coolant freezing point are just hammered in that they are always at least -75C. I've heard of diesel gelling but never had it happen to me personally. Like you mentioned, they change the mix at the pumps well in advance of the seasons so the only risk was fuelling from old stock or a private tank that didn't get cycled out in time. It was more common to hear of guys getting a slug of water and having to fight through purging the system. Most guys I knew packed a spare fuel filter and a bottle or two of fuel additive. The bush guys all carried a can of starting fluid as well. A lot of my friends worked in logging or trucking so all the practices that they used on their heavy equipment got adopted into their daily drivers as well.

If you always fill up a proper fuel station that cycles through their fuel and keeps their water seperators functional, you shouldn't have any issues or need to do more than just plugging in a block heater.

 

[jent]

Active grill covers are not designed to replace an actual cover. I still cover my grill when it's close to 0C or colder.

I also use a fuel additive to be safe.

I don't mess with an oil pan heater. I have heard that unless the heater is built into the pan (as opposed to just pressed to the outside of the pan), there is no point. Not enough of the heat goes into the oil when you don't heat the oil directly.

So for me it's just the factory engine block heater, and a trickle charger that is wired with it so the battery gets a little boost before starting too.

I only got half the winter last year (new truck). So time will tell if there are any issues. I should also mention we will only get below -20C a handful of times every year. But hopefully that helps some.

 

[Sascwatch]

Active grill covers are not designed to replace an actual cover. I still cover my grill when it's close to 0C or colder.

I also use a fuel additive to be safe.

I don't mess with an oil pan heater. I have heard that unless the heater is built into the pan (as opposed to just pressed to the outside of the pan), there is no point. Not enough of the heat goes into the oil when you don't heat the oil directly.

So for me it's just the factory engine block heater, and a trickle charger that is wired with it so the battery gets a little boost before starting too.

I only got half the winter last year (new truck). So time will tell if there are any issues. I should also mention we will only get below -20C a handful of times every year. But hopefully that helps some.

Thanks, I’ve had no issues in southern Ontario so far. 75000km on my 2020 and pushing 20000 on the 2022 already, I just want to be prepared for what winter has to offer on the north.

This forecast is a few days old, but it’s already winter up there.

 

[OCD Solutions]

Give the trucks an extra 15 minutes to warm up when it looks like this and you’ll be fine.