Just wondering if anyone has any recommendations as to at what temperature I should be plugging in my block heater on my 99-F150. I'm in Alberta, Canada so we get some rather frosty weather in the winter. I'm using 5w30 oil as per the ford specs...any suggestions?

 

I'm not sure about the block heater, But I would recomend Mobil 1.
It will flow much faster than a conventional motor oil in cold weather. I remember a other truck I had years ago, I went skiing in Vermont at the end of the weekend it wouldn't start.When I got home I put mobil 1 in it, the next weekend it had no problem starting, and it was even colder.

 

BB...I believe Fordification lives up your way. He would probably know the answer. Also, Roadrunner lives in BC; he might know.

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'99 F150 SC, 4x2, Oxford white, flareside, 5.4, 3.55 rearend,
bodyside mouldings, Snugtop hard tonneau, K&N dropin and airbox mod.
Duraliner drop-in (gave up on the Penda Nascar). Gibson Supertruck
No door cracks yet at 3K!!!

Future mods: 2/4 lowering, bra and some Roush stuff.

 

BB, My experience is to plug in a 0 F or colder. I also have a heater for the oil pan, transmission pan and battery. They use alot of electricity but its saves on cold operation. I had a 91 Dodge and it would start at -30 F without being plugged in. I do use Mobile 1.

 

Thanks for the replies...this board is a great source of information!

One thing I'm surprised is that ford doesnt make any mention of this in their manual. They discuss plugging in, but never really mention a temperature at which it should be done.

By the way stephen, you mention a heater for the transmission pan and oil pan. Do you think these are worth while adding on?

 

BB I think having the pan heaters are worth the expense. They stick easily with the high temp silicone gasket feed the wires to the front of your truck use a three way plug extention to connect your block and pan heaters and plug in. Go to a hardware store and buy an Intermatic (brand name) timer and set it for 3 hours before you start in the morning. That gives it time to warm everything before you start up. I live in Alaska so these items are not an option when its -30 or colder. It will save wear on your engine and trans, so I think its worth it. Good luck. If you plan to use the pads, let me know I can give some tips to make it easier.

[This message has been edited by stephen muscio (edited 12-04-1999).]

 

Thanks for the information stephen, much appreciated.

 

The Ford sales information "highly recommends" engine block heater when temperatures are below 20F.

I'm surprised that you guys don't have problems at -30F. I was in Gunnison, CO one night when the temps dipped to -35F. Waited until 10AM to even try starting and there was NOTHING. Once I did get started (ether sprayed in air intake), I had to keep the engine revved (~1500RPM) for 5 minutes because it wanted to just die. And, I had to keep my foot on the brake for 20 minutes because the truck wanted to "drive" in neutral!!! (manual tranny) Glad I don't deal with this every day!

 

I plug mine in when it's going to be less than 10 or so. Plug in to a timer set for a half hour before blast-off time. Got it, might as well use it. Comes in handy often in Minnesota winters.

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Ben Mc.----'99 XLT 5.4 SC SB ORP Dk. Red/Dk. Grey----Fact. Cab Steps/Tonneau/Slider----Straight Duals, Superchip, Airaid/KN (non-sag), Ungo Autostart/Keyless Remote, Prime Designs Air/Bug Deflector, Weathertech Wind/Rain Deflecters----PPI 4240 Amp,McIntosh 6x9's w/crossovers front, Polk DB 5.25's rear---Tuessssdayyyy Affffternoooooon----gotta love it!

 

Does anyone know what temp. the block heater keeps the coolant at?

 

I don't know what temp. it keeps the coolant. A couple of mornings ago I had mine plugged in for 5 hrs. before taking off and the coolant wasn't near normal operating temp at take off, so I don't think the heater keeps it too hot.

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Michael
99f150@pickupman.com
mkrieger@mailcity.com
99 F-150 XLT Supercab, 4x2, Bright Red/Harvest Gold, 4.2L, Automatic, 3.55LS, 255/70R16 Goodyears, Captains Chairs, Keyless Entry, CD Changer, Tow Package

Accessories: SuperChip, Donnelly Compass Mirror, Lariat Wheelwell Moldings and Bumper Cap, Ford Splash Guards, Bug Shield, Bed Mat, WeatherTech Deflectors, Mobil1 Synthetic Oil

Modifications: Painted Tailgate Handle, A/C on/off switch

 

Here is some interesting info I just stumbled onto.

"Some experts estimate that the wear on the rings of an internal combustion engine is as high as 0.001" per 1000 miles of operation when the oil temperature is below 170 degrees F. If the maximum allowable wear is 0.006", how long can you run your engine when the oil temperature is below 170 degrees before you wear it out?" (A 6-to-1 engine-to-wheel reduction ratio, an average running speed of 3000 rpm, and 14-inch wheels 28 inches in diameter are assumed.)

The point of this problem is to stress that by far the greatest amount of engine wear takes place before the oil is warmed up. The amount of wear that occurs afterward is insignificant by comparison.

It can be appreciated, therefore, that it is important to warm the oil, as well as the engine block. An engine that is kept warm with a circulating heater or with one that is plugged into the block can usually be started
easily, but the oil is not heated and it provides very little lubrication at first. Consequently, the most engine wear occurs during the few minutes immediately after starting.

The ideal situation, of course, is to have a heater for both the engine block and the oil pan. Owners of cars with air-cooled engines like the old Volkswagen beetle know that the oil pan heaters are the only kind of heater that the engine will take (aside from dipstick heaters, and the less said about them, the better).

The answer to the problem given above is that the engine would be technically worn out after just 144 hours of cold operation. Realistically though, those 144 hours represent an awful lot of cold starts.

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Michael
99f150@pickupman.com
mkrieger@mailcity.com
99 F-150 XLT Supercab, 4x2, Bright Red/Harvest Gold, 4.2L, Automatic, 3.55LS, 255/70R16 Goodyears, Captains Chairs, Keyless Entry, CD Changer, Tow Package

Accessories: SuperChip, Donnelly Compass Mirror, Lariat Wheelwell Moldings and Bumper Cap, Ford Splash Guards, Bug Shield, Bed Mat, WeatherTech Deflectors, Mobil1 Synthetic Oil

Modifications: Painted Tailgate Handle, A/C on/off switch