2014 chevy 1500 Block Heater sucks

[smcgillis10]

Anyone else think the block heater sucks on these trucks? Anyone have a better block heater or option?

[Spurshot]

I think it sucks that I would have to use one. But what's wrong with it?

[fondupot]

I believe it only kicks in below -18 degrees. So it might not be "sucking," it might not be even running. What kind of exterior temps have you been experiencing?

[soltys]

My works great. Back into the mid -30s this week and the truck was parked outside while visiting over the holidays, two hours on the timer in the morning and it fired up easily.

 

Might want to test that it's working properly. My brothers new `Dodge had one installed that wasn't actually wired in.`

[smcgillis10]

The temps we are seeing are 5 to -25 lately. Wyoming. Anyone put a better heater that gets your coolant to around 100* besides 30-40?

[TooTall1]

If the air temp is -25°F and your block heater keeps the engine oil warmed to +30°-40°F it's doing the job it's designed for. It's not designed to have your engine warmed up for you, but to make it easier to start.

[nards444]

If the air temp is -25°F and your block heater keeps the engine oil warmed to +30°-40°F it's doing the job it's designed for. It's not designed to have your engine warmed up for you, but to make it easier to start.

pretty much. its not designed to keep your engine to room temp, just there to make actually start in extreme cold and assist. I think the OPs expectations might be much higher than what actual capability or design is.

[smcgillis10]

Maybe I am. But I'm coming from a 2011 cummins and the block heater on that would have the coolant to 70-100*. Guess I'm expecting too much out of GM. Lol

[nards444]

Maybe I am. But I'm coming from a 2011 cummins and the block heater on that would have the coolant to 70-100*. Guess I'm expecting too much out of GM. Lol

lol you probably are. A block heater is designed to do nothing more than keep certain fluid a little warmer to ease the starting process, they arent designed to keep you warm.

[soltys]

Did you cummins have a block heater or an inline coolant cycle and heat. You can get those installed in anything but it would be a little overkill on the gas motors.

[smcgillis10]

It was just the factory block heater. I was thinking about the in line heater but no one seems to know much about them.

[WendysOrBust]

If I remember correctly in my 04.5 Cummins the injectors had some sort of heating element that would warm up and diesel left in the lines. That and you really can't compare a Diesel i6 vs a Gas v8.

[Colossus]

That's cause Cummins diesels needed all the help they could get when it came to keeping things warm so that the dang things would actually start and stay running after starting.

[Jon A]

Diesels need a lot more help than gas engines starting in the cold. It's not surprising they'd calibrate the block heaters to shut off at a higher temp. Doing the same on a gas motor wouldn't be worth it as you'll spend a lot more on your electric bill than the minute or so of gas it takes to warm the engine to that level after starting. Some of those heaters take practically as much energy as heating a small house.

[WendysOrBust]

That's cause Cummins diesels needed all the help they could get when it came to keeping things warm so that the dang things would actually start and stay running after starting.

My old 270k mile 4x4 Laramie would argue against that.