Whats the advantage of plugging up a diesel at night? Does it help? When should you do it and when should you not do it?

I live in Tennessee, more often warm than cold, knobody pugs up their deisels here and they all start up and run fine. Many of them with over 250K.

I leave my F-2 parked most of the time. I have a 99 s-10, 23mpg, work beater. Should i plug it up and leave it plugged up? Sometimes I can go two weeks without starting it. When I try to start it after a long period of time, it takes 2 turns of the key to get it going. After I drive it for a day, I can park it at night, come out the next day and fire it up no prob.

Is it hurting it by not plugging it up or does it matter?

I have also herd that the diesel will go bad if you leave it setting without plugging it up.

OHH YEAH heres some pics of the purple headed yogurt slingger if your interested https://www.f150online.com/galleries...cfm?gnum=10747

 

can't help with the plug, but how long have you had those tires, and how do you like them?

 

Good looking truck! If I were you, I would only plug it in on cold nights when you will be driving it the next day. Leaving it plugged in all the time without driving it could wear out the block heater unnecessarily. Here in Tennessee, the engine will start fine 99% of the time without the block heater. The biggest difference I have noticed is that the engine warms up to operating temperatures much faster when the block heater is used. Most diesels run a little rough when cold, so the truck runs smoother a little sooner.

Also, I had the Mickey Thompson Baja ATZ's on my old F150 and loved them...until I rotated them. Once rotated, the ones that were on the front made extremely loud noise on the rear. They had worn unevenly and were bumpy all the way around. If you buy them, rotate them very often!

 

thanks for the info! i have had the tires about 1500 miles there pretty sweet so far theres not much viberation if any, but the do humm pretty loud going about 70 but considering the size you really cant beat them. I wasnt sure about going with them, but i got a good deal on tires and wheels so couldnt pass it up and definatly dont regret it.

 

Funny I use that same name for something else.

 

i live in murfreesboro i only plug it up when its gonna drop below 40 degrees or so.

 

Plug it up when it will be cold outside. And you bought that truck off ebay didn't ya?

 

YUP bought it about 2 montrhs ago. he had two sets of tires with it the atz's and some baha bleted told the guy to put the baha belted on so i could drive it home. YEAH BIG mistake it was like riding a 5 hundred mile roller coaster! lol.

 

but, like the guy said above should i plug it up if i dont plan on driving it the next day?

 

Unless it is going to be cold, then skip the plugging in. Your hard starting is just from the fuel draining back into the tank and out of the lines. It does the same things when you change your fuel filter.

 

The only time I plug mine in is when the temp is forcasted to drop below 20. Even then, it's not necessary. Below 40, I wait till the glow plug light goes out before cranking, and it fires right up. Probably wouldn't hurt to leave it plugged up for a few days at a time as the heat generated is about like trying to brew a pot of coffee with a match.

 

If it is below freezing outside, I would recommend plugging it in. What it does is keep the engine oil warm, so it starts up much easier in the cold. Your heater will blow warmer air a lot sooner too. Back home in North Dakota if you drive a diesel (or even gassers) and don't plug them in during the winter, you're crazy.

I have heard though to not plug them in when it is warm outside.

 

I hear you guys up there have to plug them in during the month of July sometimes!

 

Ya that's no lie, a few years back we had a blizzard in the middle of the summer! Pretty crazy when our average summer is between 95-100.

 

SO thats what making it hard to start after it sets. the whole fuel draining back out of the system it makes sense. hell yeah that eases me mind about it a little.