Winter Prep for a rig

[nate379]

Looking for suggestions for prepping a rig for winter temps.

Block heater and good battery/batteries of course, synthetic oil.... etc.

Do I have to get all crazy with a heater pad on the trans pan, oil pan, diffs, batteries, battery trickle charger, etc?

What kind of cold temps are normal? Coldest I've ever been in was -46* in Maine.

[sevenslats]

It'll get to -50 at least once a year. Especially in rural North Pole. On base, not so much.

For one-ton rear ends, I've seen tiny heater pads make a difference. If you're still on 1/2 ton stuff, synthetics will be fine.

Tranny pan heaters are highly recommended for automatics. I had an Explorer with ribbs on the pan, and couldn't put a heater on it. I made sure to let it idle in N for about 10 minutes each day.

There's very heated (no pun intended) discussions on battery care. Pads/blankets/chargers, they all work, they all have drawbacks.
Personally, I ran the hard plastic pad heaters from JC whitney for 5 years without a problem. I also ran the soft orange ones from N-A-P-A for a few years without a problem either. never had a blamket or charger.

I've got an interior heater I'll give you. Heck, I ain't gonna use it again. I loved it. Made a big difference. As well as on teh electric bill.

[Ronster]

The only heaters that I have on my Jeep are the block heater and oil pan. I put synthetics in the diff's and called it good. I took my antifreeze down to -40, and I plug in if its going to get below -30.

I like my auto start, but with the price of gas, I have cut back a bit this year. I just turn on the seat heater and its all good.

I wouldnt do anything until you get here. Aafes has pretty good deals.

[nate379]

What is the drawback to the battery heaters? I know we had them on most of our trucks at work when I was at Elmendorf.

[AKMark]

I had battery heaters on all my truck when I was there, as well as block heaters, oil pan heaters, and tranny pan heaters. No matter how cold it was, my trucks always started right up and ran great. I put a tranny pad on the manual trans in my Grand Cherokee because without it, I couldn't shift unless it had idled for at least ten minutes first.

[sevenslats]

What is the drawback to the battery heaters? I know we had them on most of our trucks at work when I was at Elmendorf.

Your vehicle will catch fire.

[Ronster]

I had a battery heater my first time up here and it killed my battery, basically overheated it. I have never had one sense, and never had a starting problem, knock on wood.

[Angler]

This is my first winter up here and I put a battery heater and a oil pan heater on my fusion and it started up just fine everytime all the way to -45

I learned to always park manual vehicles and leave the shifter in netural because one time when it was -45 my manual transmission would not shift into netural so I had to sit with my foot on the clutch for like 10 min till the thing warmed up enough to let me through it out of gear.

I did not have a block heater in any of my vehicle's just an oil pan heater and as long as i plugged them in they would start fine.

[DieselPower]

Are you guys running synthetic lube in your manual transmissions? I have never had a shifting problem with my truck.

[sevenslats]

I was. But that was tohelp with my water endeavors more than the temps.

[akram]

Jeff the turd doesn't have a block Heater? I thought it did? I run a block heater, oil pan heater, tranny pan heater and the soft orange battery heater on the XJ. The dodge gets a little bit wilder with two oil pan heater, two tranny pan heaters, heater on both batteries and the factory block heater, o h wait only one battery heater now as I ripped the cord to the other one.

[Angler]

Jeff the turd doesn't have a block Heater? I thought it did?

it did but the wires got ripped out wheeling and I never cared to get under there and brake clean all the oil away to fix it, I did not notice any difference in the way it started with out the block heater.

I think the gear oil in the turd was half water, never cared so what its just a turd. :lol:

[ARCTIC_EXPRESS]

don't use a battery heater put a auto shut off trickle charger on the battery.

[nate379]

Like this?

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/di...mber=92426

The rig I am concerned about is my daily driver, 98 Dodge Ram diesel.

[arcticmutt]

On my Dodge I run a block heater, a tranny pad heater, an oil pan heater, and a trickle charger and as long as I remember to plug it in (-30 and platinum plugs needless to say I only did that once) I havent had any problems

[ARCTIC_EXPRESS]

that's it. 2 advantages, it keeps the battery charged and it keeps it warm. battery pads or blankets can boil a battery.

[akram]

To be truthfull I didn't plug my vehicle one time during this last cold spell. It wouldn't start one morning but it probably would have if I tried a little longer. the diesel has sat at -40 for over 24hrs and still strarted up without beeing plugged in, it didn't run wel for a bit though.

[Angler]

I forgot and did not plug my car in (07 ford fusion) a couple times at -40 and she still started but very sluggishly, the TuRD and the Jeep if i did not plug them in past -30 they are not starting

[99TJ]

My heep will start at -35, but not at -45. wasn't much fun starting at -35, but hey I went to work that day

[ajpthng]

I've gone 3 winters now with only a battery heater and a oil pan heater. I've forgot to plug my Jeep in several times and it has always started. I put in a block heater when I replaced my radiator because when I do remember to plug it in I don't have to wait forever for it to warm up. On a side note my Jeep doesn't sit out side for more then 9 hours at a time.

[gijoey]

an auto-start is a sweet addition, if you can get it. the wife's jeep has one and very nice. i have a buddy-heater to keep the inside of the TJ nice and comfortable as i sit there while the engine warms up. heated seats are a very nice addition and well worth the PITA (depending on your seat) to install... and the AOS CEO will take time to assist

[sevenslats]

Hot link for autpstarts

[nate379]

I have a car starter in the truck actually. Starter/car alarm.

How about tires. Will siping be good enough for the ice?

[Angler]

How about tires. Will siping be good enough for the ice?

Goodyear MTRs work awesome on the Ice!

[nate379]

I was talking about siping the tires that are on my truck, BFG M/Ts.

I wouldn't run a set of MTRs unless they were free... Expensive, junk off road, and don't last.

I ran a set on the truck and they were done right around 30,000 miles. I have just over that on my BFGs and they are still about 60%. That's with a Detroit locker in the rear, where it was open diff with the MTRs.

[Angler]

I was talking about siping the tires that are on my truck, BFG M/Ts.
.

I think JackRabbit runs this set up

.
MTRs ... Expensive, junk off road, and don't last.

Says you