Are block heaters necessary ?????

[Cleeglog]

I don't have a TC I have a DP. Specifically I have a 40' Safari powered by a CAT C12 with no block heater. My motor home friends say I don't need a block heater but they all have smaller diesels than mine. I'm thinking lots on this BB have larger diesels and would be more in the know. I just got the coach, it's a 2002 and the weather is starting to get colder here in KC. Any advice would be appreciated.

[Matt295]

i don't know if this relates to block heaters at all, I am not too familiar with big diesels, but I know that most of the big motors dont even have glow plugs, its just hot air that gets pushed into the cylinder or something. Maybe they are such high compression they dont even need glow plugs or block heaters? I am sure someone else here will have a better answer for u.

[Gary Atsma]

The only reason ANYBODY needs a block heater is to prevent the block from cracking due to an overnight freeze. To aid in starting, the fuel must be heated, and a block heater won't do that enough to keep the engine running once it is started.

[rjbutler]

If you live where it's cold block heaters are a requirement. Block heaters warm the engine so it turns over and fires like on a 60 degree day. You can start em at 0 without a block heater with either but it pounds the hell out of em. I have a friend that wanted to see if his Deere endloader would start one day without a block heater in -10 degrees........it did and when it spun the main bearing it cost him $7000 to put in a new crank.

Randy

[Wick]

Block heaters were a necesity back in the day. They were used to help in starting the engine on a cold day (below freezing) When I was coming up I could not start my old worn out 318 Detroit without the aid of a block heater and ether!! Todays engines are built different and they will preheat the air in te intake before starting. If all is in good shape then a block heater is no needed. That said, I would use it in cold climates to help reduce cold engine wear on start up and to help get the engine at the proper temperature faster.

Wick

[rjbutler]

Let's just say it's safer to have sex with a one legged, toothless, three dollar hooker with pus running out of her eye than to try and start that C12 at below zero without a heater.

I would almost bet if you crawled underneath there is a heater installed and the cord wrapped up and just probably never used.

Randy