Do you plug your ICE engine vehicles block heater in overnight or only a few hours before use?

[throttleplate]

I only plug in for 2-4 hours the day of use if its under 25 degrees F as i usually start my day at mid afternoon. I am using my dads 2002 Chevy Trailblazer 4x4 which has a 4.2 straight 6 and that engine takes 7 quarts of oil, thats alot of 5w-30 oil running around in a cold block. Gets the heater workin a bit faster also.

This truck only has 94000 miles on it and no rust, the thing weighs curb weight 4500 lbs and after filling up gas in the cold in town i am gettin 12 miles a gallon in this 15 above to -10 degree weather. Thing is built like a tank.

[gim]

No garage to park the car in throttle?  Its been pretty friggin' cold here this week.  I'm glad I have a garage.

[Rockhopper]

The 7.3 powerstroke gets plugged in over night when its freezing temps.  That one lives outside and not in the shop.

[throttleplate]

6 hours ago, gimruis said:

No garage to park the car in throttle?  Its been pretty friggin' cold here this week.  I'm glad I have a garage.

Yes its in the garage connected to the house but the garage isnt heated.

[12poundbass]

Is that an add on? I thought only diesel vehicles needed to be plugged in during cold spells.

[MN Fisher]

I don't even know if my Silverado HAS a plug in heater - never needed it even though it's parked outside open to everything. Even after sitting through the -6 low/+5 high of Thursday then the -4 low Thursday night, when I went to start it yesterday (+10 at the time) it growled a little then kicked off. So no heater for me...not needed.

[gim]

22 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

I don't even know if my Silverado HAS a plug in heater

it may or may not. Older vehicles are more likely to have them than newer ones. My 2014 F-150 had it but I never used it.

 

Its like starting a snowblower with an electric start. Sure, you can do it without one but it’s just easier with it when it’s very cold out.

[throttleplate]

Well if ya have to you can light a small fire under the oil pan to warm the oil for easier starting.

When i worked at service stations after school in the 70,s in fargo nd and the weather in the winter got serious cold is when our wrecker made money picking up frozen cars.

Remember back then most cars had no fuel injection, just the pump the pedal to the floor 1 time and then hold half throttle and pray the choke set itself properly.

We used kerosean torpedo heaters set in front of the vehicles to thaw them out, most times a battery was needed and the vehicle was flooded.

We installed many block heaters on the frozen cars and changed the oil to a winter weight and always checked and replaced the old anti freeze. One more thing that needed replacing was the interior core heater that were usually plugged so no heat in the car. Back in those days the core heaters were easy to replace, usually took me an hour not like todays vehicles where its a 1,000.00 job to tear the dash out to get to them.

[NETim]

I have a magnetic oil pan heater that works well for warming up the oil in the engine of my Ram when needed.  I have it on a heavy duty timer set to kick on a few hours before I think I'll need the truck.   

 

I'm retired though, so seldom do I need to drive it on cold days.    

[throttleplate]

20 hours ago, NETim said:

I have a magnetic oil pan heater that works well for warming up the oil in the engine of my Ram when needed.  I have it on a heavy duty timer set to kick on a few hours before I think I'll need the truck.   

 

I'm retired though, so seldom do I need to drive it on cold days.    

Yes i to used the magnetic heater on my honda civic untill i put  a block heater in it. I couldnt leave the magnetic heater on the oil pan when using the car as the ground clearance was a major problem.