how cold before you plug it in?

Milner · **Posted:** Mon Oct 23, 2006 10:42 am

Just wondering when you al start plugging your heater in? Just starting freezing at night here and it the KJ still starts easily.
Do you leave it plugged in all night or on a timer?

My psd like to be plugged in from 30deg or less and takes at least 3 hours of being plugged in to warm up, just wondering how the Libby will compare.

bugnout · **Posted:** Mon Oct 23, 2006 10:51 am

I live in the Chicago area, and have yet to plug it in. It sat outside in the cold last winter, somedays near zero F, and it started everytime.

This year I got the garage cleaned out :wink:

RTStabler51 · **Posted:** Mon Oct 23, 2006 1:28 pm

I haven't plugged mine in yet.

rs4mtnitro · **Posted:** Mon Oct 23, 2006 7:53 pm

I have had mine for a year and seen below 0 temps and never hesitated to start.

rjmaype · **Posted:** Mon Oct 23, 2006 9:26 pm

I installed a 30 ft power cord reel since the KJ sits outside every night.

I plug in anytime below 30 degrees.

Probable don't have to but I leave 1 hour before my wife, who drives the KJ.

kjfishman · **Posted:** Mon Oct 23, 2006 9:50 pm

if its going to drop below 30 I plug mine in even though it is in the garage. You hear a big difference in the cold idle when it starts after being on the juice for the night. I doubt it uses much electricity maybe equivalant of a 60 watt bulb.

Herk · **Posted:** Mon Oct 23, 2006 10:23 pm

I plug her in with a timer 3 hours before departure when in the 20's. I can tell a difference in the sound of the valves

when I forget to plug her in.

RFCRD · **Posted:** Mon Oct 23, 2006 11:38 pm

Herk wrote:

I plug her in with a timer 3 hours before departure when in the 20's. I can tell a difference in the sound of the valves

when I forget to plug her in.

How heavy of a timer are you using? Will an ordinary household lamp timer carry the load?

I didn't have any problems starting last winter (down to -5) without using the block heater but I know from past experience that using a block heater make a huge difference in warm-up time and fuel consumption.

Bonehead · **Posted:** Mon Oct 23, 2006 11:52 pm

At about 15 degrees or so

Taz · **Posted:** Tue Oct 24, 2006 7:24 am

RFCRD wrote:

How heavy of a timer are you using? Will an ordinary household lamp timer carry the load?

I use a heavy duty outdoor timer rated for 15 amps. Got it at the local Menards store.

breakerbacker · **Joined:** Wed Dec 07, 2005 1:23 pm **Posts:** 76

A timer is the way to go. On our D max, I found as little as 2 hours with the block heater on fills the bill. The Jeep doesnt seem like it drags with the cold at all, and warms up faster than most gassers, so never bothered plugging it in.

Greg

no-blue-screen · **Posted:** Tue Oct 24, 2006 10:26 am

The wife and I live in an apartment so we don't have a way to easily plug in CRD in. Hopefully we will be finding a house soon, but until then I won't be able to plug er in.

My guess is that the cold really won't hurt the CRD as long as you don't run the heck out of it before it warms up. I would feel better about plugging it in though, and the instant heat sure wouldn't hurt either.

Milner · **Posted:** Tue Oct 24, 2006 10:34 am

I use the a timer on my PSD. It takes about 3 hours to warm it up....Sounds like I will do about the same with the CRD.

SteveInMD · **Posted:** Tue Oct 24, 2006 5:26 pm

Taz wrote:

RFCRD wrote:

How heavy of a timer are you using? Will an ordinary household lamp timer carry the load?

I use a heavy duty outdoor timer rated for 15 amps. Got it at the local Menards store.

I'd guess it draws much closer to 1 amp than 15 amps.

vtdog · **Joined:** Fri Sep 30, 2005 11:27 am **Posts:** 640

I live in northern new england where it does tend to get cold. Last winter was "mild" by our standards and never got much below -20F. I never plugged my CRD in. It started in weather below -10 without issue, ran rough for a short period of time and gave me heat within 5 mins.

It just seems crazy to me to have to plug in a 1000 watt heater to get the engine going. I know it will be more comfy, etc, but come on, its just a car. If it ever gets too cold to start without heater it will probably be because the fuel is gelled, not that the "high tech" glow plugs don't work. I used to start my '78 diesel rabbit in all weathers. Why do I have to worry so much about the crd? I don't think I do!

alpnst · **Posted:** Wed Oct 25, 2006 12:33 am

Does anyone know the wattage the block heater is pulling?

europachris · **Posted:** Wed Oct 25, 2006 8:15 am

I recall the block heater on the CRD is between 300 and 400 watts. It's not that big.

We have an insulated garage that stays fairly warm even without heat, but I still plug in the CRD for the wife if it's below 20F or so. I just put it on a timer and have it turn on 3 to 4 hours before she leaves for work. Every little bit helps.

My VW TDI, however, has no block heater facilities at all. Starts fine every time, but it takes FOREVER to warm up when it's really cold outside. I'd love to have a block heater on it. But, again, with the insulated garage, it's really not needed, and where I would park outside all day (at work) I couldn't plug it in, anyway, so really it doesn't matter.

The viscous heater on the CRD is really what makes me jealous. The wife gets heat within 2 minutes of starting up the engine. I'm lucky to get usable heat after 10 to 15 minutes if it's really cold.....

Chris

how cold before you plug it in?

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