CRD Engine Heater Observations

[cowcatcher]

Temperatures have dropped here in the inland Pacific NW since late last week and this morning were single digits. While cold starts have not been a problem I thought I should plug in the engine heater this morning and give it a few hours warm-up before starting.

I have had engine heaters on diesel tractors before so I have some experience here but I really noticed little or no difference in engine temperature or starting with the heater plugged in for 3.5 hours. This has not been my past experience but it may be that the CRD heater is of a lower wattage than those I have used before and which always kept the engine warm.

I will test it again tomorrow by keeping in plugged in over night and then checking it in the morning with a bare hand test on the hoses. It may be that the heater is better at maintaining a hot engine in a warm state than warming up a cold engine.

 

[Bonehead]

Block heaters on diesels are for keeping the oil warm enough to allow the starter to spin the motor fast enough to make the needed combustion temp that will let it start and thats all..........the fact that the heater usually blows heat faster is just a rather nice side effect of it use (biggrin) .
I have never had one actually move a temp gauge and I have been around diesels since I was a kid, I do wish we had the ability to "idle up" our CRDs though it would sure help the warm up process.
If I'm not parked aleast 5hrs I usually don't even bother plugging it in..........now leaving it parked a work for 15hrs with out being able to plug it in with 10-15 degree we having really SUX (Argh)

 

[gsbrockman]

I do wish we had the ability to "idle up" our CRDs though it would sure help the warm up process.

I'd bet a correct length stick wedged nicely between the seat and accelerator pedal would work nicely....especially if you have power seats.
Greg

 

[cowcatcher]

It did get real cold last night and I left it plugged in from the time I got home until I started it this morning following the service managers suggestion. He said it is best for keeping the coolant from dropping too low rather than heating it up after it gets that way and that was what I had done with other diesels. Interesting that the EVIC registered 2 degrees F before starting and -3 degrees after. While the heater didn't keep the temp gauge up the engine did heat up faster.

While I agree about the heater allowing the oil to be less thick for an easier turnover doesn't a warmer water jacket and block assists in fuel combustion too? Seems like if it were just the oil one would heat the oil and not the coolant.

I did find out that dropping the ambient temperature from + 20-30 degrees F to minus 4 will cause tire pressure to go from 30 PSI to 25 PSI! #-o

 

[Old Navy]

The CRD has a 1000W block heater and will raise the water temp to about 110*F is all and it will somewhat warm the oil in sump. However the CRD has some new tech in the engine warm up and idle ability.

The CRD has a vicisous heater for warming up the CRD quickly and to maintain heat while idling and thus preventing fuel wash down that is so bad for diesels. The reason the big truck diesels and some diesel PU's have the high idle option is to keep engines warm enough to prevent the unburned fuel (this happens when a diesel runs too cool) washing past the rings and diluting the oil, thus greatly reducing oil service life and engine life.

Our VW diesels would not warm up enough at idle at 20*F to move the heat gage needle or even put out warm air for the cabin heater. We had 1500W tank heaters on the coolant line and they would come up to 18The 90*F from 20*F in 2.5 hrs and as soon as engine was started the tempt would drop to about 110* and then come up to 195*F after about 2 miles of 70 mph highway driving.

The CRD will warm up to a minum operating temp in a very short time, and it will warm up and put out heat faster then my Dodge Magnum. By the way the CRD runs at 173* t0 175*F water temp when driving down the highway at 75 mph at 75*F air temp.

 

[LibertyCRD]

At normal operating temperature my CRD will read about half-way up on the temp. guage. At 25 degrees outside, if I stop the CRD and leave it idling while I run in the store the temperature actually will drop and you can literally watch the temp. guage needle fall. So I'm beginning to wonder what the deal is with this "viscous fluid heater". I thought it was supposed to keep the thing warm?

Also, on a fresh start early in the morning the heat will NOT blow warm until you idle the engine up. I could wait an hour and the temp guage still won't move. Seems like a typical diesel to me. I love it...but it seems typical.

 

[Old Navy]

Something must be wrong with your CRD. I sat at idle yesterday for about 40 minutes with outside temp at 24*F and the gage dropped just a little, the inside temp control was set at low heat. Most of the time we have to run with the heater at where the blue and red line come together or a tad lower to keep from sweating our behinds off in the Jeep. Never had that problem with or VW's, those took 6 to 7 miles of 70 mph highway driving to get to normal temps. I do miss the 50 mpg of the VW's, but don't miss being stuck by 6" snow fall or a 12" snow fall.

The CRD can leave out in the morning and be blowing hot air about mile down the road, this morning at 3*F I was turning the heat back to the middle position in less then 2 miles from the house with 35 mph in town driving.

PS: it's 16*F at 5:15 pm low prediction for tonight is 11*F, dang I moving further south.

 

[cowcatcher]

Something must be wrong with your CRD. I sat at idle yesterday for about 40 minutes with outside temp at 24*F and the gage dropped just a little, the inside temp control was set at low heat.
The CRD can leave out in the morning and be blowing hot air about mile down the road, this morning at 3*F I was turning the heat back to the middle position in less then 2 miles from the house with 35 mph in town driving.

PS: it's 16*F at 5:15 pm low prediction for tonight is 11*F, dang I moving further south.

Pretty much what I am experiencing although it does not warm up much beyond 1/4 if left to idle after a start. As soon as you drive it pops right up.

 

[Old Navy]

These heat gages lack a lot to be desired, because they have no numbers. The 1/4 mark is about 130*F if I remember right, wasn't really trying to check that mark. So the 1/4 mark is not 1/4 of the normal temp or even a 1/4 of the max temp at 130*F, I will check the 1/4 mark and get a for sure reading and post it here for you in about 2 hrs from now.

The CRD this morning at 16* would drop to 163*F at idle, but didn't go below that after 15 minutes of idle.

 

[Old Navy]

The 1/4 mark is 142*F and after sitting 15 minutes in 31*F air temps the CRD dropped to 170*F or 3*F below the normal temp.

 

[cowcatcher]

The 1/4 mark is 142*F and after sitting 15 minutes in 31*F air temps the CRD dropped to 170*F or 3*F below the normal temp.

How and where are you measuring the temp?

 

[Old Navy]

The 1/4 mark is 142*F and after sitting 15 minutes in 31*F air temps the CRD dropped to 170*F or 3*F below the normal temp.

How and where are you measuring the temp?

I have a ScanGage and it reads the water temps among other things.

 

[melted]

'Twas a dark and frosty night...

Last weekend we stayed in Sheridan Wyoming. The temperature dropped to about -30C (-22F) overnight, and when we got going at 7 am, it had warmed? up to -25C. I filled up with fresh, local truck stop #2, and plugged in the CRD's block heater before retiring. So on with my cold weather story ...

1. In the morning, the CRD turned over, coughed and died five or six times before finally running at a rough idle. Each time I waited for the glow plug lamp to go out before engaging the starter. It smoothed out after a minute or two, and then continued to run fine all day (although a bit worse than normal fuel consumption).

2. We entered the interstate, and drove a mile before I realized that she wasn't shifting into overdrive - even though we were going about 60MPH. We pulled over, shut off the engine and restarted - and then she shifted fine.

3. The TPM icon lighted and the EVIC displayed low tire pressure. I checked all tire pressures which were fine (32 psi at that temperature = fine in my book). I wasn't too surprised by this at first, but the warning light & message didn't go out all day. Eventually the display changed to TPM system failure.

She goes into the dealer when I get back home, but this experience made me think of a few things.

1. The block heater is broken, or just plain ineffective.
2. Perhaps the advice that driving is the best way to warm up a KJ is wrong.
3. TPM is a pain in the ass.
4. A CRD KJ is not a cold weather machine.

 

[Old Navy]

My door sticker says minum recommended tire pressure is 32 psi, I run 38 psi and it is doing excellent in both wet & snow on the cheap Goodyear ST's which are rated for 44 psi cold at max loaded vehicle. Kind of like in the old days a tire rated for 35 or 36 max PSI would normally be run at 30 to 32 psi. When I run 32 psi (first week when new) the tires spin real easy on wet pavement, my Magnum runs 40 psi F&R (rated 44 psi) in Michelin HydrEdge tires and at 15,000 miles there is perfect tread wear by my tire tread measuring gage.

 

[LibertyCRD]

It's normal for the ****** to not go into overdrive when the fluid is cold. Lots of this stuff is explained in the owner's manual that no one ever bothers to read.

I think there are some issues, but most of us are happy with how our Jeeps operate considering it is a diesel.

 

[Old Navy]

Lots of this stuff is explained in the owner's manual that no one ever bothers to read.

Hey I have read owners manual for both vehicles and have always read the OM's when I buy a car. O

When I had a flat last week in the Magnum first thing a friend ask was where is the OM so we could do the tire change. I told him "unlike you I have read the OM and already know where the lift points are and how the jack works" and we both got a laugh at that point. He has no machanical skills to go with his two master's (History & Poly Sci) and it just amazes him I don't need to keep the OM handy for referal. He has never just read a the OM, just uses it for reference.

 

[Ranger1]

Re: 'Twas a dark and frosty night...

Last weekend we stayed in Sheridan Wyoming. The temperature dropped to about -30C (-22F) overnight, and when we got going at 7 am, it had warmed? up to -25C. I filled up with fresh, local truck stop #2, and plugged in the CRD's block heater before retiring. So on with my cold weather story ...

1. In the morning, the CRD turned over, coughed and died five or six times before finally running at a rough idle. Each time I waited for the glow plug lamp to go out before engaging the starter. It smoothed out after a minute or two, and then continued to run fine all day (although a bit worse than normal fuel consumption).

2. We entered the interstate, and drove a mile before I realized that she wasn't shifting into overdrive - even though we were going about 60MPH. We pulled over, shut off the engine and restarted - and then she shifted fine.

3. The TPM icon lighted and the EVIC displayed low tire pressure. I checked all tire pressures which were fine (32 psi at that temperature = fine in my book). I wasn't too surprised by this at first, but the warning light & message didn't go out all day. Eventually the display changed to TPM system failure.

She goes into the dealer when I get back home, but this experience made me think of a few things.

1. The block heater is broken, or just plain ineffective.
2. Perhaps the advice that driving is the best way to warm up a KJ is wrong.
3. TPM is a pain in the ass.
4. A CRD KJ is not a cold weather machine.

You might want to check your glow plugs, especially if you had the egr replaced. Using the block heater all night won't help much if even one of the glow plugs is dead or weak. I had smoky slow starts and poor, loud performance when 2 of my glow plugs died. They were overstressed when the egr went out, and died a week after the egr was replaced.

There is a small connector on the drivers side of the engine with 4 black wires coming out of it. It's near to the oil dipstick tube and is connected to the intake manifold on the side. It disconnects with a snap on connector. An ohmmeter check to ground on the engine will show if they're ok - should be .5 to 1.5 ohms for good plugs. One of mine was 167 ohms and one was open. Once replaced it starts easily and the smoky poor performance went away.

 

[cowcatcher]

I guess I missed the TPM post and yes it can be a pain in the butt when it acts up. I have noticed that sometimes on will stop sending and also they will sometimes flash and aleert even if in an acceptable range. I figure the stop sending issue is related to moisture or junk in the tires that fouls them for a while and the flashing and alerting may be associated with the spare being low and not heating up with travel like the road tires.