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Colorado! Engine Tempertures

Dura-Ration

Dura-Ration

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Escatawpa,Ms.
My wife and I will be making a trip to Fort Carson to visit my son and family for Christmas and before he goes to Iraq again in March '10. I need advice for my truck in cold weather. It runs fairly cool in 40 degrees with the current setup that I have now, will I need to cover the front of the truck to keep the engine from running too cool in the mountains of Colorado ? I've driven in snow before with 18 wheeler and other auto's but, not with a cool Duramax.
 
The 2 most important things you need are a winter front cover (just the grille part) and some additive that keeps the fuel from gelling (Power Service -white bottle for one). You will especially need the additive in the tankful you buy down by you Steve. You really shouldn't have too much other troubles. The terrain around Co Springs is not too steep unless you start heading up the side of Pike's Peak on Co24 and then still, I've driven it to where my Daughter is in Woodland Park in snow several times. Then again, I drive in heavy snow every year. If I see LA plates on a slick day, I get the hell away from them!:eek::D
on edit: Actually you might be just fine without a front cover but when It all of a sudden decides to get down to 5* or so, you'll wish you had it...
 
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I always ran a cover when it was around 30 or below. Neither my LBZ nor my LLY would make any heat at or below those temps.
 
I need to put my grill cover on, it has gotten chilly here. Last year I kept it on until the avg temp was up to 40F. I do a lot of short distance driving and I would like it to warm up faster. I've driven my truck when it was -5 - 0 F and only ever used the cover.

Unit453 said:
I always ran a cover when it was around 30 or below. Neither my LBZ nor my LLY would make any heat at or below those temps.
Click to expand...

That is pretty much how mine behaves as well. Last year in the -5 - 0 I don't even think I reached 210F ECT with the grill cover on.

I subscribe to the philosophy that my truck was designed to run most efficiently near 210F and in putting the cover on I am closer to achieving that in the winter. I noticed that my Allison didn't ever really warm up last winter so I may put my bumper cover on as well this winter.

Oh, I PMed Mike. L asking him if there was a minimum recommended operating temperature for the Allison. Mine rarely gets over 125 in the winter and I wanted his opinion on that. I am debating on installing my bumper cover in an effort to warm my Allison up a bit, if he recommends it. I will share his recommendations here when I get them.
 
Great

Thank you everyone. I'll see what I can come up with. Maybe an electric blanket.):h
Ok Devin , I'll be waiting your reply.
I put on a larger transmission cooler earlier this year and the temps. have really be dropping since. In the summer, 95 degrees , it runs about 20 to 25 degrees cooler than stock. Now that its winter, 40's ):h, its hard to reach 140 degrees on the trans and that affects the engine temp to run 170.
 
My trans temp would rarely get over 100 degrees with the cover on at highway speeds. My coolant temp never got above 194 WITH the cover on, at highway speeds. Without the cover, it would stick right to 170 or so and never move from there. At idle at temps below 30, especially below zero, the engine couldn't generate enough heat to keep it at operating temp, which it never reached anyways. So, the temp would constantly fall until the coolant dropped below 150 degrees and the high idle would kick back on.

If I was out running errands, I'd leave it running. I'd come out after 30 minutes or so and the high idle would be on telling me that it lost all the heat it generated, just sitting there idling.

I could cruise down the road at 60 mph at zero degrees and it would never get warm. It'd hit 175 and the coolant would flush and you could literally watch the temp gauge drop like a rock back to 130 or 140, then eventually creep its way back up. The second I get off the throttle, it drops like a rock again. It wasn't uncommon to lose 30 degrees sitting at a light for 2 minutes. Again, this is all with the winter cover on. I dont know how anyone's truck could warm up at all without it. This was all northern NY state, up on the Canadian border. This is where zero was warm some days.

I think running the cover is important in the winter time. These trucks are designed to operate most efficiently at or around 200 degrees. I also learned not to get on it either when it was that cold. Its kinda tough to push jello through the fuel lines at 24,000 psi rail pressure. I'd be lucky to see 15k. This is with running additive.

The cold is not easy on these trucks.
 
I had drove big trucks for a year and went most anywhere from Lincoln,Neb. to Bangor,Maine and never did see temps that low on the engine when empty. Thats good to know to Nick. I know what to expect now. Know where I can get a winter cover cheap? I only need one for a week.
 
They're only like 50 bucks from the dealer. Or maybe find someone who will let you borrow one. Or just drive it and not even bother since its only for a week.
 
Charlie, I think the 01's and 02's are year model specific due to the differences in grille styling.
 
I'm not sure but if it does you know you can use it.

Does anyone know if an '03 cover will fit an '02?
 
I dont think the GMC cover will fit either.

I could be wrong but I *think* the 01's and 02's are specific to each other and its gotta be a Chevrolet cover, not for a GMC.

Steve, have you looked on flebay?
 
You can try mine and see if it'll work for a week. I can have Lori put it a flat rate box to you (at no charge).
 
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