Cooler weather... love my remote start!

[Firesong]

Like I said, push the button, 8 seconds later the diesel
is warming up outside... And I can watch from inside the house.

It's not that cold out yet but at +3 I do let it warm up a couple
minutes before I take off.

This L400 is just like my L300
Heats up quick and blows nice and warm.
Gotta love that!

FS

[TardisDeli]

Ahhh, that's how you deal with Delicii in the cold...and I just pictured you sitting in the frosty cabin trying and trying to start a reluctant diesel while you scraped ice off the insides of the windows.

I do keep a little household oil heater inside my delica in the winter, plugged in to the house. so the inside of the van is always warm and dry, and the windows do not need scraping. http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/3 ... ?locale=en

But I have a question about block heaters, as you are more expert than us westcoasters. block heater is lovely, used it a few times this fall when I forgot to switch off the wvo the night before. BUT is it bad to leave the block heater on all night ie 12 hours in winter, or should I just turn it on a few hours before starting?

By the way, overzealous readers, No, this question is not hijacking the post, cuz I would use the remote clicker from my outside Christmas lights to turn on the power to the blockheater.

Cheers Christine.

[Firesong]

You can leave a block heater plugged in all night.
The only thing is that its a waste of power.

When the weather gets colder.. -5 and lower
I will plug in the block heater to a timer. I usually
give it about 3 hours of on time before it's expected to run.

It can get frosty.. I think the hardest thing in the past
has been trying to start my old L300 at -26C when it
had sat all day while I was on the tractor blowing snow.
Not plugged in..
The seats were hard that day...

Firesong

[sub-arctic]

You can leave a block heater plugged in all night.
The only thing is that its a waste of power.

When the weather gets colder.. -5 and lower
I will plug in the block heater to a timer. I usually
give it about 3 hours of on time before it's expected to run.

It can get frosty.. I think the hardest thing in the past
has been trying to start my old L300 at -26C when it
had sat all day while I was on the tractor blowing snow.
Not plugged in..
The seats were hard that day...

Firesong

That is about the lowest I have gotten my L300 started not plugged in. needless to say it was very very angry when it did start. It almost does not start being plugged in below -35, but if i am stubborn enough then i can get it going. at those temps the transmission is like glue though so it makes for a slow going. I think i almost blew the trans cooler last winter too because of the stupid cold. the hoses were weeping fluid. The block heater timer is a good idea, they draw a lot of juice, especially when electricity costs you over 27 cents a Kw/hr!

for the stupid cold I have a battery heater as well, makes things a bit easier. although i never got around to wiring in my remote start, i can deal with scooting outside 15 mins early to get it going!

[macro]

The remote start works properly with the glow plug cycle?

[sub-arctic]

They generally pickup a signal from the glowplug circuit, and as soon as it no longer detects that signal, it engages the starter. IIRC

[FalcoColumbarius]

Mine's got a timed delay, three seconds, which is the usual gap between the two ECU clicks. On cold situations such as -15°C to -25°C it can be as long as four seconds but the remote start still works.

Falco.

[vstrom]

That is about the lowest I have gotten my L300 started not plugged in. needless to say it was very very angry when it did start. It almost does not start being plugged in below -35, but if i am stubborn enough then i can get it going. at those temps the transmission is like glue though so it makes for a slow going. I think i almost blew the trans cooler last winter too because of the stupid cold. the hoses were weeping fluid. The block heater timer is a good idea, they draw a lot of juice, especially when electricity costs you over 27 cents a Kw/hr!

for the stupid cold I have a battery heater as well, makes things a bit easier. although i never got around to wiring in my remote start, i can deal with scooting outside 15 mins early to get it going!

I use 0w40 oil with a block heater and an oil pan heater.. at -40 I give it 2 pumps and crank and she'll start right up. The oil pan heater is worth it's weight in gold.

I just replaced all the oils (front & rear diff, tranny, transfer) so i'm curious how well it will drive when she's cold-soaked.. you can really feel how thick that oil is when it's nut-shrinking cold.

[Firesong]

I am the same.
0/40 weight synthetic oil. Had it in my L300 and my L400 will be getting it's
change shortly. Although I am using 5/40 since it was handy last oil change so
not a big difference. I haven't checked the diff's but when I do I will put
the synthetic in there as well.

The remote start has 2 settings for diesels... can't remember exactly but I think
it's 5 seconds. At least that what I counted in my head :) The website
has the details. I think mine is an autostart brand.

My L300 had a blockheater (which I installed) and an oil pan heater epoxied to it
(which it came with) It started for me pretty good. Even when I was out
icefishing and it got cold.. all day.

The L400 is a different breed. Got it at the end of the winter when we were
still getting -18's and it started up easy. (No block heater) Block heater
is now in and I have looked at that oil pan while doing oil changes and
am not sure that it's shape is good for a heater. Have to see as I go along.

Firesong