Can you hurt a truck by leaving it plug in?

[walsey]

Hey guys, some 20-30 degree weather starting where I live in. I plugged my truck up last night I got to thinking about a couple of questions. Can you leave your truck plugged in too long. I plugged it up a 6 p.m. last night and got in it at 7 am this morning. I going to get one of those timers that can come on a few hours before I'm ready to jump in my truck in the mornings but also when I come to work I like to plug it in because it sits all day til 6 or 7 at night and I also push snow which I probably will be doing tonight so an overview would be plugged it up a 6 pm last night. Got in it at 7 this morning. Drove it for 15 mins to the shop plugged it up at 730 this morning. Get in it and go home at 6 or so and plug it up for either work tonight or in the morning so it can sped alot of time on plugged up. Sorry to be long winded but didnt know if it would mess anything up by plugging it in so much. thanks

[Mopar1973Man]

No harm in leaving it plugged in. Back when I worked for the fire dept I use to leave mine plugged in all winter for the sole purpose of have the engine warm enough to leave instantly so I could get down the road to the fire house about 1 mile away.

[AH64ID]

It just puts a hurt on the power bill! Otherwise no issues.

[Rogan]

It just puts a hurt on the power bill! Otherwise no issues.

That, it does! LOL

[AH64ID]

I haven't done the math for a few years but I think the timer paid for itself in 3 weeks of 90 minutes of usage vs 8 hours.

[Mopar1973Man]

AH64ID is right 750w heater can suck up a lot of kwh's of power... :whistle:Since I left the fire dept I don't bother with plugging in at all. The truck is stored in a unheated garage. But Grid heaters is all I need for the first part of the start and then allow high idle to kick in for short time to build just a little temp (around 100*F) and I leave.

[Rogan]

I haven't done the math for a few years but I think the timer paid for itself in 3 weeks of 90 minutes of usage vs 8 hours.

I need to get one of these...

[walsey]

Yeah definately going to get me one of them timers cuz it sure is nice to jump in and take off. The neighbors would probably buy me one so that my truck don't warm up for 15 mins with high idle and straight pipe at 5 am in the morning.

[royta]

It just puts a hurt on the power bill! Otherwise no issues.

I'm surprised I didn't worry about this already. I mean, I work for Rocky Mountain Power. Lol. Let's see, I put less than 5000 miles on my truck last year, so obviously I don't drive it much. However, I've made it a practice to keep it plugged in all winter. I did the math and am glad I quit plugging it in (for other reasons) last week. 750 Watts = .75 kW. .75 x 24 hrs x 30 days = 540 kWh. 540 kWh x $.13 = $70 a month. Ouch. Sent from my DROID X2 using Tapatalk

[CUMMINSDIESELPWR]

then im running $35 a month... not plugged in at work. ill just let the grid heaters do their job. if its gonna be nuts cold then ill plug it in.

[flagmanruss]

I suspect there must be a thermostat switch on the blockheater (high temp cut off). I've run the block heater AND stock tank heater most all winter and we never noticed any difference in the electric bill. The bill was higher in winter but that's with the electric heat on the living space. Basement is wood heated which DOES make a big difference.That said, the nice warm engine makes wonderful accommidiations for mice who have destroyed almost all my insulation. After they got loose & trashed, I removed the remains of the hood, firewall & cowel box insulation. Now my wife packs her MP3 & ear buds... long trips with no conversation or directions except "the girl in the box".

[royta]

I suspect there must be a thermostat switch on the blockheater (high temp cut off).

There wasn't one on my dad's old '90, my '97, or my '02. Sent from my DROID X2 using Tapatalk

[Mopar1973Man]

He's there is no cutoff switch it just too small of a heater (750w) to heat all hat cast iron, 6 gallon of coolant and the air around it. What seriously funny about it is the water heater here at the house is (1,100w) in a 60 gallon water heater that is insulated does just fine to getting 140*F hot water...After relizing this I no longer will park a vehicle outside in the weather and plug it in. It extremely wasteful. When you can park that same vehicle in a unheated garage and plug it in now you got a double bonus. First the block temperatures are higher because of less wind ans weather contact. Also the the garage now is about 2-5*F warmer from the radiant heat given by the block heater.This is exactly how I use to keep it during fire fighting days. I'd keep it plugged in and the shop was always just a taste warmer than outside. The windows never had frost/ice to scrape off.

[pri_i_oh]

Ive heard people mention before in reference to "high idle" is there a way to set the truck so that it idles high while you warm it up in the morning or are you guys just pressing the gas pedal slightly?when I used to drive truck I drove an International 4900 and if I set the cruis control while ideling it would idle up until I hit the brake. Kind of a cool feature. Just wondering if maybe my dodge does this and I dont know it

[Mopar1973Man]

Ive heard people mention before in reference to "high idle" is there a way to set the truck so that it idles high while you warm it up in the morning or are you guys just pressing the gas pedal slightly? when I used to drive truck I drove an International 4900 and if I set the cruis control while ideling it would idle up until I hit the brake. Kind of a cool feature. Just wondering if maybe my dodge does this and I dont know it

You mean... http://articles.mopar1973man.com/2nd-generation-24v-dodge-cummins/26-engine-systems/51-high-idle-mod

http-~~-//youtu.be/il7iJCKfmaE

[pri_i_oh]

thats quite interesting. I love this site. You guys are Cummins geniuses....lol. I just need one of you guys to be living near NE Ohio to help me with MY current problems