In case no one has mentioned, the rapid clicking or buzzing heard for a few moments after the start was the oil filter by-pass opening and closing. Once the cold thickened oil overcomes the filter media resistance the noise stops.
@Andrew and diesels struggle the same way in that regard, as he said in the video. Old diesels and cold weather do not match, the only viable option for extreme cold is gas right now.
@@loganhyler9588 A complete fallacy. Diesels don’t struggle any more than anything else does when it’s super cold. -30 last week and I just then had my first gel up and I’ve been driving nothing but my two Cummins trucks since 2002.
We’ve been -40 to -60 here in Interior Alaska for the past 5 days. That is ambient temps, not windchill. Windchill is irrelevant to vehicles it only applies to people. I would love to be at -3F but I realize its all relative , if you’re use to 30-50F above then -3F is a shock to the system. Cheers from North Pole, Alaska! 🎅🏻🎄☃️🇺🇸
You do not have to select high idle or turn on the exhaust brake, the truck will do everything itself. At 170°F the exhaust brake will come off and at 180°F the idle will go to normal unless of course you hit the brake first.
@@rollingacresfarmstead206 Yes! I usually leave mine plugged in and if the engine is not stone cold it will idle at low RPM for a minute then step up.... If its stupid cold it will fire up then go to fast idle almost immediately, grid heater will be on steady for a bit as well
Yep. My 2017 does the same thing. At exactly 160 oil temp it will shit off the exhaust brake. If I let it sit from a cold start and no input from me for almost a minute it will cycle automatically into high idle.
You should head up to Alberta Canada right now. My sister sent me a snapshot of their weather yesterday, and it was -41 Celsius without the wind chill , that's -41.8 Fahrenheit. Try a cold start in that!
... am in Alberta. My area had -44C (-47F) with -55C (-67F) wind chill. So I kinda laughed when they showed the -3 Thermometer, LOL. Many of us start our trucks in that weather without using our block heaters. For my Tundra in this weather I run a 900CCA battery with 0W30 synthetic oil. Diesel engines need a little more love than gas, but if you run a 5w40 synthetic in your diesel with amazing battery power, you can still start fine. Plugging in the block heater is best, if you have that option.
Dear Genius, the windchill is a made up mathematical number and does not affect the ambient temperature. If its -20 with -100 windchill....its still only -20 and nothing can get colder then that. Thanks.
I might be mistaken but the truck goes into high idle when started in cold weather. My 21 Cummins takes about a minute or so after it starts to automatically go into high idle. Not sure it’s a good idea to force it into high idle right after you start it when it’s that cold out but man, it’s really cold out there. In NJ it’s 50deg going down to about 20 by 5pm.
I agree. My 2019 goes into high idle mode with the exhaust brake engaged automatically after a few minutes. I think it's allowing some time to get the oil warmed ever so slightly before it revs up.
@@caseypries7559 my old 2004 Ram Cummins goes into high idle as well when it cold. It also surges the idle for a few minutes then levels out the idle. It only does that it cold weather. Around the freezing mark and below. It starts pretty good in cold weather.
having all these gauges and numbers are great but it leads to a lot of anxiety. Old trucks some years ago went through cold climates too but nobody knew about the "real" temp numbers of transmission fluids etc. And they still worked.
I assume your very old lol. Overheating is usually the culprit of when things break so being able to monitor many temps at once is useful and necessary
Andre I wish you guys would include how well the heated seats and steering wheel work in some of these videos. I think people would enjoy seeing small things like that.
I have a 2021 3500 longhorn limited and I can tell you the seats/ steering wheel gets hot pretty quick. It was 14 degrees Fahrenheit last night and within ten minutes of driving, I shut seat/ steering wheel heaters off. They almost get too hot.
2021 Laramie 2500 Cummins. The heated seats and wheel work really well. The wheel gets hot quickly and I usually don’t leave it on very long. The heated seats get toasty quickly too. I find that once I’m warm I usually switch them to low or they get too hot.
Looking forward to this winter! There's just something pleasant about the effort you put into heating things up! It's so satisfying when you overcome the crisp coldness of a really good winter!
Where I am in Canada right now we've had like like 3 or 4 straight days of -25*Celsius, which is like -13* Fahrenheit. It's so cold in British Columbia that even the rainforests on the coast have dry powder snow right now.
I worked in Newport VT many years ago. I had my 2000 Ford 7.3 diesel. It was -24F all day long. She started up rough but started. Treating the diesel fuel for those temps is vital. The T444 IH was designed as a cold weather medium duty engine. Miss her.
-37C here in Saskatchewan Canada(-31F) my truck is sitting plugged in at work for a few days… will be interesting to see how it starts… 2022 Ram 1500 Rebel with the Hemi
@@Welcometofacsistube It does as far as equipment is warm, that's right. But once the object reach the ambient temperature, there's no heat to lose quickly due to windchill. Wind increase heat loss, that's for sure, but you cant lose heat if there's no heat to lose anymore.
I also now have a 2500 Cummins 2021. And mine started well too here in the Denver metro area, but the heat cycle was only like 20 seconds at most! Interesting to see yours was longer!
Grid heater bolt drops in ur engine and it blows. Mopar junk. Need banks bypass and def delete cause that freezes too. Airbox gets full of snow. Pure utter garbage. Never mopar again
@@waynehicks317 Deleting actually is terrible for the driver's health. Studies show that exhaust emissions are worse inside the cabin than outside directly behind the tailpipe, which is pretty hard to believe at first but it is actually a very repeatable finding. The backseat is typically worse off. Suffice to see, unless you think smoking is a good idea, you should really refrain from deleting the emissions equipment.
@@unconventionalideas5683 I mean with my current local laws, I can't anyways. But is that because some people who delete also want to roll coal? Because my truck would definitely be tuned to where it would not be.
Yep .. just watch out for the nut falling off of the grid heater inside the engine. Many videos out there of catastrophic engine failure because of the dumb grid heater nut falling off. I just blew a bunch of cash on a Banks intake and replacement grid heater as insurance to never have that happen to me. Merry Christmas!
It was -5 degrees F this morning in Louisville, KY...coldest it's been in about 25 years. I've got a 2000 4Runner and once I got the frozen door pried open, it started right up. I let it fully warm up before moving, and the steering was stiff, and the automatic transmission held 2nd gear for a long time before shifting, but it was drama free. The windows are still frozen shut, (it rained all day yesterday before turning into snow). There is a layer of ice on the roads with packed snow on top of it. I have Falken Wildpeak AT3w's and they were excellent...really didn't need 4wd, but shifted into it for going up hills. Stay warm!
@Hal 1000 I wasn't the one with the childish brag about their vehicle, anyways it would be silly to leave my battery in my electric bike if I am not using it at winter, and no problem starting my 2022 Lariat F150. You probably missed the original joke to about it being a Lada.
Absolutely true. The blower motor on my Jeep used to squeal like crazy at -40. Blew out a set of Monroe shock absorbers on my old Dakota hitting a frost heave at -45. Radial tires would start developing flat spots in them at those temps. I chalk it all up to the fun of living in Interior Alaska in the winter. :)
Great video, the grid heater is actually for the emission system to reduce soot load. I have a LML Duramax in my GMC and to reduce emissions and better fuel economy it lives in my garage. It is plugged in 2 hrs before start up with a block heater, oil pan heater and transmission pan heater. I prefer to baby my truck to reduce wear and tear. It is extremely rare that my glow plugs come on.
Nice truck brother, it’s a real shame more ppl don’t take pride and maintain their vehicles. I’ve got an 03 suburban 2500 with 340k miles and 8000 hrs on her but she still runs strong. Every 5k mile fuel filter and oil change, 50k on trans, diffs, transfer case, brakes, coolant and power steering. One day I’d like to throw in an LBZ tho, one day
@@LibertyOrD___h yes I agree we need to look after our trucks. I run 5W-40 full synthetic oil and change it twice a year because I pull a fifth wheel trailer. Brakes are checked twice a year when the winter wheels come off then go on. My son has a 1 ton GMC, same thing happens to that.
The grid heater on a Cummins is not for emissions. They don't have glow plugs so that's the only way to warm the air. A duramax has glow plugs and they come on every time you start it.
@@MrCherrygrovedude I didn’t realize the Cummins is sans glow plugs. I have a diesel in my 109 LandRover which is glowplug with ether pump start, 1969 vintage
@@chrisbarnes2823 no glow plugs and being an inline 6 is the reason for it's legendary reliability and simplicity. Cummins is the best engine you can get in a light duty pickup.
My diesel cold startup experience with this storm as follows: Truck 2002 Ford f250 7.3 Batteries Aldelco AGM Golds, 6 years old. Coolant/D.water 60/40 Oil Shell Rotella T6 5w40 Odometer 175,000 miles Motorcraft glow plugs, 2 years old. Block heater, Hotshots winter fuel additive. Startup 1 with Block heater. Temperature: -8, -45 with wind chill. Block heater for 3 hours. Truck started right up with 1 cycle of the glow plugs. After 10 seconds Truck went into high idle. No smoke after 2 seconds. No engine lag. Near perfect startup. Startup 2 without Block heater. Temperature: -3 -40 with windchill. 1 cycle of the glow plugs also. Truck started right up again but this time after startup it lagged to idle engine speed. 10 seconds later went into high idle and after 20 minutes resumed normal idle. Blew white smoke. Leaked no oil due to brand new oil cooler seals. And maintained 14.6v during idle. Overall old trucks do fine if they're maintained well and proper assistance measures are utilized.
Andre, would putting the transfer case in neutral with the transmission in drive help warm it up a little quicker? I use to do that with my manual transmission trucks (don't forget to set the parking brake!) because when it's in neutral, the fluid just sits at the bottom starving the bearings/ internals of oil. Not sure if it would help with an automatic though.
Andre, you are wrong on all of this info: the Cummins does not have glow plugs, it uses a grid heater. You don't have to use the exhaust brake on cold starts or the high idle feature, it will go into high idle on its own. This isn't a a DMax....
Would really like to see some Hummer EV testing in this cold weather (as others have indicated). Especially, leaving it outside over night without it plugged in.
We have a 2022 Rebel Ecodiesel. It's -31f here today. With windchill feels like -52f. She remote started great. But everything feels super stiff when you drive.
I have a 2017 GMC diesel. I plugged in the block heater last night for the first time. I'm in Texas. 12 degrees this morning. I interested in the cold start this morning.
That was a real good start. on my 2000 Ram 2500, i had a engine heater i would plug in when it was cold. one year i was upstate NY and temp hit about zero and it started fine. however, as i went down the road, performance got sluggish and wouldn't go above 30. The fuel had jelled and hadn't been treated at the station i got it from. i had to stop and get some diesel thinner/heat and put in the tank. after a little while were going down the road ok. during this cold snap, it got down to 2 degrees and my 2022 1500 Echo-diesel started fine, no issues.
I have a 2020 6.6L Duramax in my GMC 2500. I'm living in the Northwest Territories. I have had no issues starting in our cold temps. We've had our day time highs in around -35C and as low as -40C over the last week. I do make use of my block heater. I also added 2x battery blankets and an oil pan heater just to increase my chances of starting. I have done a few cold starts at -33C without plugging in and had no issues. The only irritating part is the DEF tank takes a few min to warm up enough to melt the fluid but knock on wood - no issues with the DEF system as of yet. I keep the tank just slightly below 1/2 for the DEF and that seems to prevent any issues.
Where I'm sitting in MN it's -11.....without the windchill.....and was below zero pretty much all day yesterday for the high....had to start a Chevy Volt and a Honda Odyssey and didn't have any issues.
Here in Wisconsin it's around -10 Fahrenheit with close to -30-35 wind chill today. My 19 Cummins is sitting outside at work all day. We shall see how it fires up tonight when I leave.
My Tundra started up with a little effort up in NW Montana yesterday when it was -30 I keep my truck outside year round with no block heater, only issue was the whine of the steering pump and the heaviness of the steering wheel.
I owned a 99 and 03 Cummins Dodge 5.9 Both started without a block heater at -19 below zero with no problems what so ever. They ran flawlessly! The power steering did whine for about 10 miles on the 99. The heater output took a while to get warm though. When I did use the block heater it gave me instant heat.
Ah so many pleasant memories. One morning back in the 80's I was too late to wait for multiple busses so I jumped in my old Buick on a morning like this, fired it up, scraped the windshield as best I could inside and out, ploughed through frozen piled up snow with that GM posi, made it to the undeground parking lot at work and grabbed the elevator to the office in time. One hitch though. The car had busted hoses and absolutely no water when I fired it up. I took a chance and let me tell you that old 455 was toasty by the time I shut it off. Winter trips at 7 am to work at bone cracking temperatures are par for the course in Ontario and some of my fondest memories. Not!
wow this would be a great day to see how well the propane fire place heat up the camper, i am thinking about putting that model of heater in my cargo trailer conversion.
I cold started my 05 PowerSmoke this AM, but I was a balmy +4. Took her a few seconds of rolling over before she sputtered to life. I came back outside after about 20 mins with the high idle set and she was toasty!
I wonder if the struts on the hood failing had someone to do with the weight of snow on the hood. There was still quite a bit of snow on it. If not im disappointed in RAM quality for allowing that to slip past their quality control cold weather testing! No good! Plus that window motor needs to be of a heavier duty variety!
How cute, in high school I had to plug in the block heater 30 minutes before I had to leave for school then go sit in my Scout for 2-3 minutes holding down the glow plug button to even give it a fighting chance of starting in the winter. Once it finally did bark off I had to hold the gas pedal down for another minute or so since the high idle didn't work until it could stay running on it's own while I made a huge cloud of diesel smoke for the neighbors to enjoy. Those old Nissan SD-33T mechanical diesels are a different breed.
My 6.0 Powerstroke started well in the cold today. It got to -8 here as well. It is not happy driving for a while unless it either was plugged in or is given a little while to warm up.
I not familiar with the modern Mopar trannies, but the 727 3-speed that they are based on, the best way to cold start an old Mopar is in neutral. The fluid pumps through the transmission and warms everything up to temp. The modern transmissions may pump oil in park; I dunno.
I brought a 2001 Florida MDX on a trip to Canada back in 2004 and it experienced -40C/F cold start. I drove 200 miles that day and it never warmed up... The only thing that kept me warm was the seat warmers. That was the last time I drove my vehicles to Canada in winter.
I think the coldest I've had to start my '03 3500 Ram Cummins was -22 and it had been setting out all night while I was at work, not plugged in and it took right off after the second try. My 2020 2500 Cummins had no problem at -15 unplugged overnight this last winter. I've never had to use ether for starting on any ram cummins.
Well - 22 is yes cold but try double that number at -40 and see how that truck does then Because up here in the Carriboo during the Arctic out flow the temperature can drop to -45 degrees C
I love the Cummins. What I dont understand is why Ram doesnt heat the bottom mirror on the tow mirrors. They heat the top, but not the bottom and it doesnt make sense to me.
I know I take it easy on my 8 speed transmission in my Ram 1500 when it's cold out. It definitely holds a gear longer and shifts slower until it warms up.
I want to know even after you get it warmed up how does it do if do you still have a DPF do you ever reach normal operating temperatures like 190 and above for oil temp ? To actually get hot enough for the dpf to work right?
The dpf should have no problems (at least no more than usual😏). If a regen is required, the ecm will command additional fuel to “light off” the dpf & burn off the soot. I’ve seen it begin before engine or oil temp is at operating temp, BTW.
I've had my 21 ram since March. This is the first really cold day I've started it -2 f. I was surprised how easily it did start not being plugged in. Mine went straight to high idle when in started.
When I was a kid my dad had a 1989 F-150 and it didn't have gas struts or a prop rod to hold the hood open. It had springs, what I think are called clock springs. The springs would open the hood just like gas struts too. Why every company didn't use them I can't understand. Why no company uses them today I can't understand. A simpler part that achieves the same result.
Cost, if everyone else is using them the unit cost when you order 100,000 will be lower than if you are ordering 100,000 tempered steel springs that nobody else uses. The downside of volume pricing
@@twinchargedmr2 The hood didn't slam open like a mouse trap if that is what you are thinking. It opened at the same speed a hoods with gas struts in normal temperatures.
So we don’t really use block heaters or anything like that for Diesel engines in the high parts of MN. We just use diesel fuel additive and regularly change the fuel filters in our large diesel trucks.
My old man drove nothing but diesels his whole life. To prevent gelling he would add a gallon or two of gas at each winter fill up, then top it up with diesel. I have been doing the same thing on my Ford 6.0 and Ram 6.7 and have never had a gelling problem. Merry Christmas!
In Canada when we purchase a HD diesel we get a front cover for the grill. It is advised to install as soon as it dips below 0c during the day. Why are you running without the cover?
I have a 99 24 valve, when outside air temperature is -20 c I plug block engine heater in for 3hours. Activate preheat an engine starts in 1.5 seconds.. when artic air drops lower, I remove batteries into warm area.for protection of freeze..
Never had any problem starting my diesels (Ford and Toyota in Europe) down to - 25F/-32C with winter diesel. Started my hilux at - 8F yesterday, no issues whatsoever. Electric windows, just fine. Usually I use my aux heater though. I always see big diesels from the US having problems starting in the cold, why?
I must have one of the 5.9's built on a Friday.. My 03 3500 won't even think about even a hiccup in anything below 40 degrees Fahrenheit.. My 07 lbz never gives me an issue even in the coldest Temps I've had it which was -17 and without using the block heater...
Interesting, never fully understood these cold-start videos as I personally haven't had a no-start condition on any of the the diesel trucks I've owned. But after a little reading it seems the US does not legislate the use of Arctic/Winter diesel, unlike most other countries, but there is a standard as to what temperature the fuel reaches its cloud point. I guess it must depend on if the station is offering it?
Correct from what I understand regular diesel starts to gel around 15 degrees f . And at least in the southern US, winter diesel is never stocked because of how rare those temps are
Reading the Canadians laughing at this makes me smile. It's Christmas Day in Los Angeles & we're having TERRIBLE weather! We're suffering with terrible Sun Storms. It's 80 degrees & there's this bright yellow thing in the sky shining ALL day! 😎 I love my 2007 Cummins with NO def.
Started my 2020 6.7 H.O. this morning here in northern NH(-13). Didn't plug it in and it fired right up. But just remember the Cummins will automatically go into high-idle in these conditions. Also remember the computer remembers the last engine cycle and of you haven't driven the Ram in a while, the pre-start cycle will be longer.
I am from northeast Wyoming. The week before Christmas we were well below zero for several days. I own a 2012 Ram 2500 diesel. It started at -22 (not plugged in)and I used it throughout the day. Hot Shots Secret anti-gel and number 2 diesel.
Wow, I’m surprised that record is 30 something years old for OAT in Colorado. I would think -8 would be nothing for Colorado. I’m only 1 hour away from Chicago, very rural area where I live and it hits -10 OAT every year for a week minimum.
Did you guys add anything to the fuel?? Like the diesel anti gel? I definitely would have let that warm up for at least 5-6 minutes before driving. Start it up first, then you get the snow off.
My old man drove nothing but diesels his whole life. To prevent gelling he would add a gallon or two of gas at each winter fill up, then top it up with diesel. I have been doing the same thing on my Ford 6.0 and Ram 6.7 and have never had a gelling problem. Merry Christmas!
@@elmoremundell9450 Unleaded gasoline will destroy both the fuel injection pump and the DPF on modern diesels over time. The "old-time fixes" don't work, anymore. Replacing either one costs thousands of dollars, when spending a few bucks for good cetane booster won't destroy either.
Been Temps of -40 f up in Northern bc and my 2020 ho 3500 starts up just fine in those Temps. The engine warms up quickly but I try not to drive it until the trans hits 68 f when the torque converter will actually lock up
It's been minus 35 F all week up here in Alberta Canada and I work for a large fleet. Everything breaks at this temperature. Been boosting and fixing hydraulic leaks all week up here. Good Times.🙂🥶
I knew a guy who worked on the oil pipeline in Alaska in winter. He said they never turned off their trucks except inside the shop. Do you leave the rucks running when outside?
@@edwardhoward4708 Yep. That's why when my friends find a "deal" on low mile trucks for Alberta I tell them to pass. A truck could have 30k miles but it's been idling 24/7 for years lol
@@edwardhoward4708 Depends on who you work for. Some companies do that. Where i work everything has a good block heater and we will shut them down overnight. If the battery is good they usually start in the morning. The engine oils now a days are pretty good in the cold.
I wonder if you guys would consider fuel warming add-on kits? So your truck doesn't gel up. Mine started to gel up yesterday -15 with a 41 one below wind chill. Id like to know what a persons opinions are?
My old man drove nothing but diesels his whole life. He would add a gallon or two of gas at each winter fill up, then top it up with diesel. I have been doing the same thing on my Ford 6.0 and Ram 6.7 and have never had a gelling problem. Merry Christmas!
In Canada the fuel stations switch to a winter mix diesel (anti gel already added) in the fall. You really only run into a problem if you have your truck laid up for a bit with summer diesel in it or have your own bulk tank.
Gelling issues are PRIMARILY @ a function of the anti-gel additives added at the supplier or fuel station. I never trust that they add enough and always add my own. Several tests have shown that additives can only protect so much, though. In the farther northern areas, they run something like a 50/50 diesel/kerosene blend. I would NEVER blend gas/diesel especially on a modern diesel engine. There are additional heaters in the fuel filter mount on the Ram trucks that help when the truck is running, but do nothing when the truck is off.
In case no one has mentioned, the rapid clicking or buzzing heard for a few moments after the start was the oil filter by-pass opening and closing. Once the cold thickened oil overcomes the filter media resistance the noise stops.
You are correct. Even ISX 15 Cummins does that in bone cold temps.
Wow that's interesting, I thought it was only there as a redundancy in case of excessively thick sludgy oil.
@@aslkdfjhg excessively sludgy oil? ROFL
That's really good to know. Thank you.
Why did you turn on the exhaust brake?
This is the perfect weather for Tommy to review the cold weather capabilities of one of your electric vehicles.
@Andrew they already did multiple videos of the hummer in the cold starting up and driving. It did just fine.
@Andrew and diesels struggle the same way in that regard, as he said in the video. Old diesels and cold weather do not match, the only viable option for extreme cold is gas right now.
My Mach E had a 90 mile range fully charged in 30 degree weather!!
@@futurevikingtony11 ouch. That’s got to be the worst range reduction that I’ve heard of so far.
@@loganhyler9588 A complete fallacy. Diesels don’t struggle any more than anything else does when it’s super cold. -30 last week and I just then had my first gel up and I’ve been driving nothing but my two Cummins trucks since 2002.
We’ve been -40 to -60 here in Interior Alaska for the past 5 days. That is ambient temps, not windchill. Windchill is irrelevant to vehicles it only applies to people. I would love to be at -3F but I realize its all relative , if you’re use to 30-50F above then -3F is a shock to the system. Cheers from North Pole, Alaska! 🎅🏻🎄☃️🇺🇸
How does your vehicle run ? If you have one
Grew up in northpole on newby rd, In wasilla now, best place to grow up! Miss it, rippen the 200x or the bravo to moose creek.
@@lj2757 120 volt ac block heater and oil pan heater has to be turned on at least 2-3 hrs before you even try to start it
Mid -30’s here in northern Saskatchewan the past few weeks
@@landon6327 stoke the wood stove eh.
You do not have to select high idle or turn on the exhaust brake, the truck will do everything itself.
At 170°F the exhaust brake will come off and at 180°F the idle will go to normal unless of course you hit the brake first.
Exacly you could see the rpms come up without him doing anything
@@rollingacresfarmstead206 Yes!
I usually leave mine plugged in and if the engine is not stone cold it will idle at low RPM for a minute then step up.... If its stupid cold it will fire up then go to fast idle almost immediately, grid heater will be on steady for a bit as well
My exhaust brake only activates with the button. My high idle is automatic. 17 2500 Laramie.
@clpadel8692 that's weird. My 2016 does it.
Yep. My 2017 does the same thing. At exactly 160 oil temp it will shit off the exhaust brake. If I let it sit from a cold start and no input from me for almost a minute it will cycle automatically into high idle.
You should head up to Alberta Canada right now. My sister sent me a snapshot of their weather yesterday, and it was -41 Celsius without the wind chill , that's -41.8 Fahrenheit. Try a cold start in that!
That’s what block heaters are for
Also these guys don’t even have the winter cover on…
@@MattSmith-vl8zp From Edmonton, Alberta. Yesterday I zipped my coat up, felt like an admission of failure.
... am in Alberta. My area had -44C (-47F) with -55C (-67F) wind chill. So I kinda laughed when they showed the -3 Thermometer, LOL.
Many of us start our trucks in that weather without using our block heaters. For my Tundra in this weather I run a 900CCA battery with 0W30 synthetic oil. Diesel engines need a little more love than gas, but if you run a 5w40 synthetic in your diesel with amazing battery power, you can still start fine.
Plugging in the block heater is best, if you have that option.
Dear Genius, the windchill is a made up mathematical number and does not affect the ambient temperature. If its -20 with -100 windchill....its still only -20 and nothing can get colder then that. Thanks.
The real question this morning is “What’s the range of your Hummer?”
This. They'll probably hide it until its 50F again.
20 milies take it or leave it
Better than an EV
It’s amazing how quick that thing actually warmed up my old 7.3 wouldn’t even think about heat until a good 10-15 minutes down the road
Yep, we had to beat the snot out of ours to get any heat.
You didn't use a grill cover I take it?
I might be mistaken but the truck goes into high idle when started in cold weather. My 21 Cummins takes about a minute or so after it starts to automatically go into high idle. Not sure it’s a good idea to force it into high idle right after you start it when it’s that cold out but man, it’s really cold out there. In NJ it’s 50deg going down to about 20 by 5pm.
I agree. My 2019 goes into high idle mode with the exhaust brake engaged automatically after a few minutes. I think it's allowing some time to get the oil warmed ever so slightly before it revs up.
Sounds balmy! -37 here in SW MT. -51 with Windchill
Also in NJ, we’ll be out salting roads later this afternoon. Tomorrow morning our temps will be around the temps in this video
@@caseypries7559 my old 2004 Ram Cummins goes into high idle as well when it cold. It also surges the idle for a few minutes then levels out the idle. It only does that it cold weather. Around the freezing mark and below. It starts pretty good in cold weather.
@@vincentlombardo8991 here in Indiana it's -9F right now with wind chill around -35F so it's just lovely out. Great day to stay in the house.
Where -3 in Tennessee this morning! Brrr! Got wood stove going watching tfl!
Andre barely phased, ice water runs through his veins!
I’m in CO. @8000ft. My 17 Ram always starts, but when it’s really cold I cycle the intake heater twice. Much happier starting!!
having all these gauges and numbers are great but it leads to a lot of anxiety. Old trucks some years ago went through cold climates too but nobody knew about the "real" temp numbers of transmission fluids etc. And they still worked.
I assume your very old lol. Overheating is usually the culprit of when things break so being able to monitor many temps at once is useful and necessary
The CO temperature is making me appreciate FL right now.
FL summer makes you appreciate CO summer btw
It’s -15 in northern Minnesota right now that should make you appreciate FL even more
@working_country ___ 66 today in phx...low 70's next few. Even Flag
is in 50's but they suppose to be colder
Andre I wish you guys would include how well the heated seats and steering wheel work in some of these videos. I think people would enjoy seeing small things like that.
I have a 2021 3500 longhorn limited and I can tell you the seats/ steering wheel gets hot pretty quick. It was 14 degrees Fahrenheit last night and within ten minutes of driving, I shut seat/ steering wheel heaters off. They almost get too hot.
2021 Laramie 2500 Cummins. The heated seats and wheel work really well. The wheel gets hot quickly and I usually don’t leave it on very long. The heated seats get toasty quickly too. I find that once I’m warm I usually switch them to low or they get too hot.
Started my BMW 220d Grand tourer in -11F with no problem last week, in Sweden..
Looking forward to this winter! There's just something pleasant about the effort you put into heating things up! It's so satisfying when you overcome the crisp coldness of a really good winter!
Where I am in Canada right now we've had like like 3 or 4 straight days of -25*Celsius, which is like -13* Fahrenheit. It's so cold in British Columbia that even the rainforests on the coast have dry powder snow right now.
Alberta yesterday morning: -37C = -35F Nice and toasty today at -25C = -13F
@@alflyer9406 I’m right here with ya bud, warm days are ahead! Lol
Canada who?
@@JeepCherokeeful it's now chinada
@@freeaudiobooks7469 we prefer Canadistan.
I worked in Newport VT many years ago. I had my 2000 Ford 7.3 diesel. It was -24F all day long. She started up rough but started. Treating the diesel fuel for those temps is vital. The T444 IH was designed as a cold weather medium duty engine. Miss her.
-37C here in Saskatchewan Canada(-31F) my truck is sitting plugged in at work for a few days… will be interesting to see how it starts… 2022 Ram 1500 Rebel with the Hemi
I'm in saskatoon. -47c with the wind chill
@@Welcometofacsistube windchill didnt affect equipment but just living creatures btw
@@Tonyx.yt. another one who know nothing about the cold.
Windchill does affect equipment. Big time.
@@Welcometofacsistube It does as far as equipment is warm, that's right.
But once the object reach the ambient temperature, there's no heat to lose quickly due to windchill.
Wind increase heat loss, that's for sure, but you cant lose heat if there's no heat to lose anymore.
I also now have a 2500 Cummins 2021. And mine started well too here in the Denver metro area, but the heat cycle was only like 20 seconds at most! Interesting to see yours was longer!
Grid heater bolt drops in ur engine and it blows.
Mopar junk.
Need banks bypass and def delete cause that freezes too.
Airbox gets full of snow.
Pure utter garbage.
Never mopar again
@@freeaudiobooks7469 can't delete in my county otherwise I would. I test drove Cummins prototypes. They are far from junk.
its a chrysler it won't last anyway
@@waynehicks317 Deleting actually is terrible for the driver's health. Studies show that exhaust emissions are worse inside the cabin than outside directly behind the tailpipe, which is pretty hard to believe at first but it is actually a very repeatable finding. The backseat is typically worse off. Suffice to see, unless you think smoking is a good idea, you should really refrain from deleting the emissions equipment.
@@unconventionalideas5683 I mean with my current local laws, I can't anyways. But is that because some people who delete also want to roll coal? Because my truck would definitely be tuned to where it would not be.
Cummins has done a great job on the grid heater on the intake. They work really well up here in Canada at temps cooler than that all winter long
🛻
Yep .. just watch out for the nut falling off of the grid heater inside the engine. Many videos out there of catastrophic engine failure because of the dumb grid heater nut falling off. I just blew a bunch of cash on a Banks intake and replacement grid heater as insurance to never have that happen to me. Merry Christmas!
It warmed up here to -8 and it was pretty nice. When it gets cold outside you can always look forward to warmer temperatures like this.
It was -5 degrees F this morning in Louisville, KY...coldest it's been in about 25 years. I've got a 2000 4Runner and once I got the frozen door pried open, it started right up. I let it fully warm up before moving, and the steering was stiff, and the automatic transmission held 2nd gear for a long time before shifting, but it was drama free. The windows are still frozen shut, (it rained all day yesterday before turning into snow). There is a layer of ice on the roads with packed snow on top of it. I have Falken Wildpeak AT3w's and they were excellent...really didn't need 4wd, but shifted into it for going up hills. Stay warm!
I live in northern Finland
Hand cranked my Lada in -47c weather
And it started with no problem and worked with no problem
I live in Saskatchewan at -47 c and my chrysler starts no problem
@@Welcometofacsistube Wow pretty good especially it being a chrysler, not a premium vehicle like a lada.
@@garys2157 did your bicycle start? Or did your mom drive you today?
😄
@Hal 1000 I wasn't the one with the childish brag about their vehicle, anyways it would be silly to leave my battery in my electric bike if I am not using it at winter, and no problem starting my 2022 Lariat F150.
You probably missed the original joke to about it being a Lada.
From Canada this video made me laugh. Every car makes funny noises in winter but once its 10-15 years old ,Then you find out real quality.
Funny you say that...Ive always thought that too. The cold points out short- comings of ones vehicle.
Funny most cars now can’t make it 8 years… it’s sad they fall apart at the seams especially in the extremes
Absolutely true. The blower motor on my Jeep used to squeal like crazy at -40. Blew out a set of Monroe shock absorbers on my old Dakota hitting a frost heave at -45. Radial tires would start developing flat spots in them at those temps. I chalk it all up to the fun of living in Interior Alaska in the winter. :)
Love our '21 2500 Cummins, and although not as cold as your was, ours ran fine in 16 degrees during a cold snap here in the Pacific Northwest!
Great video, the grid heater is actually for the emission system to reduce soot load. I have a LML Duramax in my GMC and to reduce emissions and better fuel economy it lives in my garage.
It is plugged in 2 hrs before start up with a block heater, oil pan heater and transmission pan heater. I prefer to baby my truck to reduce wear and tear. It is extremely rare that my glow plugs come on.
Nice truck brother, it’s a real shame more ppl don’t take pride and maintain their vehicles. I’ve got an 03 suburban 2500 with 340k miles and 8000 hrs on her but she still runs strong. Every 5k mile fuel filter and oil change, 50k on trans, diffs, transfer case, brakes, coolant and power steering. One day I’d like to throw in an LBZ tho, one day
@@LibertyOrD___h yes I agree we need to look after our trucks. I run 5W-40 full synthetic oil and change it twice a year because I pull a fifth wheel trailer. Brakes are checked twice a year when the winter wheels come off then go on. My son has a 1 ton GMC, same thing happens to that.
The grid heater on a Cummins is not for emissions. They don't have glow plugs so that's the only way to warm the air. A duramax has glow plugs and they come on every time you start it.
@@MrCherrygrovedude I didn’t realize the Cummins is sans glow plugs. I have a diesel in my 109 LandRover which is glowplug with ether pump start, 1969 vintage
@@chrisbarnes2823 no glow plugs and being an inline 6 is the reason for it's legendary reliability and simplicity. Cummins is the best engine you can get in a light duty pickup.
Started my 22 ram today, -16 ambient-57 wind chill. Started no problem
My diesel cold startup experience with this storm as follows:
Truck 2002 Ford f250 7.3
Batteries Aldelco AGM Golds, 6 years old.
Coolant/D.water 60/40
Oil Shell Rotella T6 5w40
Odometer 175,000 miles
Motorcraft glow plugs, 2 years old.
Block heater, Hotshots winter fuel additive.
Startup 1 with Block heater.
Temperature: -8, -45 with wind chill.
Block heater for 3 hours.
Truck started right up with 1 cycle of the glow plugs. After 10 seconds Truck went into high idle. No smoke after 2 seconds. No engine lag. Near perfect startup.
Startup 2 without Block heater.
Temperature: -3 -40 with windchill.
1 cycle of the glow plugs also.
Truck started right up again but this time after startup it lagged to idle engine speed. 10 seconds later went into high idle and after 20 minutes resumed normal idle. Blew white smoke.
Leaked no oil due to brand new oil cooler seals. And maintained 14.6v during idle.
Overall old trucks do fine if they're maintained well and proper assistance measures are utilized.
I'm in North Dakota right now... -26f.. Everyone has a plug in hybrid here... They all have block heaters...lol
Andre, would putting the transfer case in neutral with the transmission in drive help warm it up a little quicker? I use to do that with my manual transmission trucks (don't forget to set the parking brake!) because when it's in neutral, the fluid just sits at the bottom starving the bearings/ internals of oil. Not sure if it would help with an automatic though.
Merry Christmas TFL!
The active grill shutters really help the warmup on these new diesels .
Andre, you are wrong on all of this info: the Cummins does not have glow plugs, it uses a grid heater. You don't have to use the exhaust brake on cold starts or the high idle feature, it will go into high idle on its own. This isn't a a DMax....
I know when he said that I was like what? Way to go pointing that out
Andre and Alex, my new fav TFL duo.
Were you using any fuel additives/anti gel?
Would really like to see some Hummer EV testing in this cold weather (as others have indicated). Especially, leaving it outside over night without it plugged in.
And go straight to towing. What do you want to bet....40 miles on a full charge? 25?
@@drockjr that means it works as planned.
Hush! Dont asks important questions like that!
Turns on truck.
.5 seconds later: “wow, this is a pretty long warm up cycle”
I started a 2021 Ram 6.7 cummins in Virginia MN during a cold front. The truck was unplugged overnight, with temperature at -30F. Fired right up.
I've started mine in -40c. It started just fine. It was the heater fan and the power steering pump that made noise
We have a 2022 Rebel Ecodiesel. It's -31f here today. With windchill feels like -52f. She remote started great. But everything feels super stiff when you drive.
I have a 2017 GMC diesel. I plugged in the block heater last night for the first time. I'm in Texas. 12 degrees this morning. I interested in the cold start this morning.
That was a real good start. on my 2000 Ram 2500, i had a engine heater i would plug in when it was cold. one year i was upstate NY and temp hit about zero and it started fine. however, as i went down the road, performance got sluggish and wouldn't go above 30. The fuel had jelled and hadn't been treated at the station i got it from. i had to stop and get some diesel thinner/heat and put in the tank. after a little while were going down the road ok. during this cold snap, it got down to 2 degrees and my 2022 1500 Echo-diesel started fine, no issues.
I have a 2020 6.6L Duramax in my GMC 2500. I'm living in the Northwest Territories. I have had no issues starting in our cold temps. We've had our day time highs in around -35C and as low as -40C over the last week. I do make use of my block heater. I also added 2x battery blankets and an oil pan heater just to increase my chances of starting. I have done a few cold starts at -33C without plugging in and had no issues. The only irritating part is the DEF tank takes a few min to warm up enough to melt the fluid but knock on wood - no issues with the DEF system as of yet. I keep the tank just slightly below 1/2 for the DEF and that seems to prevent any issues.
Where I'm sitting in MN it's -11.....without the windchill.....and was below zero pretty much all day yesterday for the high....had to start a Chevy Volt and a Honda Odyssey and didn't have any issues.
Here in Wisconsin it's around -10 Fahrenheit with close to -30-35 wind chill today. My 19 Cummins is sitting outside at work all day. We shall see how it fires up tonight when I leave.
Scotland last week was -18'.My 12 month old Defender d300 started 1st time and i didn't rev the arse out of a cold engine!!!!
Just came from minus 38 in Yellowstone with wind chill at minus 45 and 8 inches of fresh snow. Hemi started without issue.
My Tundra started up with a little effort up in NW Montana yesterday when it was -30 I keep my truck outside year round with no block heater, only issue was the whine of the steering pump and the heaviness of the steering wheel.
-30celsius here yesterday. (-22) 2.8l duramax took only 2seconds to warm up the glow plugs.
I owned a 99 and 03 Cummins Dodge 5.9
Both started without a block heater at -19 below zero with no problems what so ever. They ran flawlessly! The power steering did whine for about 10 miles on the 99. The heater output took a while to get warm though. When I did use the block heater it gave me instant heat.
You guys don't know what cool is I live in northern BC I didn't plug my truck in it it started at -38 my 59 it took two tries it started
And this video was filmed at like -22
And they thought it was super cold 🤣🤣
I'm in saskatoon and it's-47c right now. -22c is t shirt weather
Gotta love when it sounds like a fan is impacting something on a cold day.
Ah so many pleasant memories.
One morning back in the 80's I was too late to wait for multiple busses so I jumped in my old Buick on a morning like this, fired it up, scraped the windshield as best I could inside and out, ploughed through frozen piled up snow with that GM posi,
made it to the undeground parking lot at work and grabbed the elevator to the office in time.
One hitch though.
The car had busted hoses and absolutely no water when I fired it up.
I took a chance and let me tell you that old 455 was toasty by the time I shut it off.
Winter trips at 7 am to work at bone cracking temperatures are par for the course in Ontario and some of my fondest memories.
Not!
That's awesome!
I live in Vermont and we deal with the same type of weather normally.
Come up to Saskatchewan. -8 F is not that bad. It has been in the -30's here all week.
wow this would be a great day to see how well the propane fire place heat up the camper, i am thinking about putting that model of heater in my cargo trailer conversion.
I cold started my 05 PowerSmoke this AM, but I was a balmy +4. Took her a few seconds of rolling over before she sputtered to life. I came back outside after about 20 mins with the high idle set and she was toasty!
I wonder if the struts on the hood failing had someone to do with the weight of snow on the hood. There was still quite a bit of snow on it. If not im disappointed in RAM quality for allowing that to slip past their quality control cold weather testing! No good! Plus that window motor needs to be of a heavier duty variety!
Moved from WY to AZ last year don't miss that at all. Miss my deer antelope and elk but not the wind or the freeze.
How cute, in high school I had to plug in the block heater 30 minutes before I had to leave for school then go sit in my Scout for 2-3 minutes holding down the glow plug button to even give it a fighting chance of starting in the winter. Once it finally did bark off I had to hold the gas pedal down for another minute or so since the high idle didn't work until it could stay running on it's own while I made a huge cloud of diesel smoke for the neighbors to enjoy. Those old Nissan SD-33T mechanical diesels are a different breed.
Lol. That’s a nice winter day in our part of Canada. Try -42 degrees or minus >-50 with wind.
My 6.0 Powerstroke started well in the cold today. It got to -8 here as well. It is not happy driving for a while unless it either was plugged in or is given a little while to warm up.
damn colorado warm as hell..
It’s 11 degrees Fahrenheit in Dallas, my 2006 F-250 took a bit longer of cranking, but it started ok
I not familiar with the modern Mopar trannies, but the 727 3-speed that they are based on, the best way to cold start an old Mopar is in neutral. The fluid pumps through the transmission and warms everything up to temp. The modern transmissions may pump oil in park; I dunno.
100% correct
-34 F (-37 C) in Alberta not including the wind-chill minus 50 C with. Block heaters are very useful.
I brought a 2001 Florida MDX on a trip to Canada back in 2004 and it experienced -40C/F cold start. I drove 200 miles that day and it never warmed up... The only thing that kept me warm was the seat warmers. That was the last time I drove my vehicles to Canada in winter.
Such a beautiful truck
Hi from Minnesota! The 4WD cluster on my 2021 Ram 2500 Laramie flashes when I start it when the temps are that low or lower.
I think the coldest I've had to start my '03 3500 Ram Cummins was -22 and it had been setting out all night while I was at work, not plugged in and it took right off after the second try. My 2020 2500 Cummins had no problem at -15 unplugged overnight this last winter. I've never had to use ether for starting on any ram cummins.
that is very hard on engine bearings
Well - 22 is yes cold but try double that number at -40 and see how that truck does then Because up here in the Carriboo during the Arctic out flow the temperature can drop to -45 degrees C
I love the Cummins. What I dont understand is why Ram doesnt heat the bottom mirror on the tow mirrors. They heat the top, but not the bottom and it doesnt make sense to me.
I know I take it easy on my 8 speed transmission in my Ram 1500 when it's cold out. It definitely holds a gear longer and shifts slower until it warms up.
I want to know even after you get it warmed up how does it do if do you still have a DPF do you ever reach normal operating temperatures like 190 and above for oil temp ? To actually get hot enough for the dpf to work right?
The dpf should have no problems (at least no more than usual😏). If a regen is required, the ecm will command additional fuel to “light off” the dpf & burn off the soot. I’ve seen it begin before engine or oil temp is at operating temp, BTW.
I start my truck on -40 not being plugged all the time during winter lol
I've had my 21 ram since March. This is the first really cold day I've started it -2 f. I was surprised how easily it did start not being plugged in. Mine went straight to high idle when in started.
When I was a kid my dad had a 1989 F-150 and it didn't have gas struts or a prop rod to hold the hood open. It had springs, what I think are called clock springs. The springs would open the hood just like gas struts too.
Why every company didn't use them I can't understand. Why no company uses them today I can't understand. A simpler part that achieves the same result.
Cost, if everyone else is using them the unit cost when you order 100,000 will be lower than if you are ordering 100,000 tempered steel springs that nobody else uses. The downside of volume pricing
@@rowerwet True. The only other possible thing I can think of is maybe there was a safety risk(?) when installing the springs at the factory.
A hood probably slammed someone in the head seems like the obvious reason
@@twinchargedmr2 The hood didn't slam open like a mouse trap if that is what you are thinking. It opened at the same speed a hoods with gas struts in normal temperatures.
You still see this setup on new Chevy trucks
So we don’t really use block heaters or anything like that for Diesel engines in the high parts of MN. We just use diesel fuel additive and regularly change the fuel filters in our large diesel trucks.
My old man drove nothing but diesels his whole life. To prevent gelling he would add a gallon or two of gas at each winter fill up, then top it up with diesel. I have been doing the same thing on my Ford 6.0 and Ram 6.7 and have never had a gelling problem. Merry Christmas!
In Canada when we purchase a HD diesel we get a front cover for the grill. It is advised to install as soon as it dips below 0c during the day. Why are you running without the cover?
Was 7 when I started mine up yesterday and ran perfect started immediately
I have a 99 24 valve, when outside air temperature is -20 c I plug block engine heater in for 3hours. Activate preheat an engine starts in 1.5 seconds.. when artic air drops lower, I remove batteries into warm area.for protection of freeze..
I started my Cummins at -20 before.
Used the block heater to increase longevity
@The Fast Lane Truck (6:59) Why you didn't unsnow your pickup adequatly?
Never had any problem starting my diesels (Ford and Toyota in Europe) down to - 25F/-32C with winter diesel.
Started my hilux at - 8F yesterday, no issues whatsoever.
Electric windows, just fine.
Usually I use my aux heater though.
I always see big diesels from the US having problems starting in the cold, why?
I must have one of the 5.9's built on a Friday.. My 03 3500 won't even think about even a hiccup in anything below 40 degrees Fahrenheit.. My 07 lbz never gives me an issue even in the coldest Temps I've had it which was -17 and without using the block heater...
Interesting, never fully understood these cold-start videos as I personally haven't had a no-start condition on any of the the diesel trucks I've owned. But after a little reading it seems the US does not legislate the use of Arctic/Winter diesel, unlike most other countries, but there is a standard as to what temperature the fuel reaches its cloud point. I guess it must depend on if the station is offering it?
Correct from what I understand regular diesel starts to gel around 15 degrees f . And at least in the southern US, winter diesel is never stocked because of how rare those temps are
Reading the Canadians laughing at this makes me smile. It's Christmas Day in Los Angeles & we're having TERRIBLE weather!
We're suffering with terrible Sun Storms. It's 80 degrees & there's this bright yellow thing in the sky shining ALL day! 😎
I love my 2007 Cummins with NO def.
Started my 2020 6.7 H.O. this morning here in northern NH(-13). Didn't plug it in and it fired right up. But just remember the Cummins will automatically go into high-idle in these conditions.
Also remember the computer remembers the last engine cycle and of you haven't driven the Ram in a while, the pre-start cycle will be longer.
@The Fast Lane Truck 😆 Here in Canada at about 8 hours at north of Toronto, sometime we cold start at - 40 'F
I am from northeast Wyoming. The week before Christmas we were well below zero for several days. I own a 2012 Ram 2500 diesel. It started at -22 (not plugged in)and I used it throughout the day. Hot Shots Secret anti-gel and number 2 diesel.
Wow, I’m surprised that record is 30 something years old for OAT in Colorado. I would think -8 would be nothing for Colorado. I’m only 1 hour away from Chicago, very rural area where I live and it hits -10 OAT every year for a week minimum.
Did you guys add anything to the fuel?? Like the diesel anti gel? I definitely would have let that warm up for at least 5-6 minutes before driving. Start it up first, then you get the snow off.
My old man drove nothing but diesels his whole life. To prevent gelling he would add a gallon or two of gas at each winter fill up, then top it up with diesel. I have been doing the same thing on my Ford 6.0 and Ram 6.7 and have never had a gelling problem. Merry Christmas!
@@elmoremundell9450 Unleaded gasoline will destroy both the fuel injection pump and the DPF on modern diesels over time. The "old-time fixes" don't work, anymore. Replacing either one costs thousands of dollars, when spending a few bucks for good cetane booster won't destroy either.
Speaking as a guy from Atlanta it actually got down to about 8 degrees today's well about 30mins north of Atlanta so not too far behind u.
Been Temps of -40 f up in Northern bc and my 2020 ho 3500 starts up just fine in those Temps. The engine warms up quickly but I try not to drive it until the trans hits 68 f when the torque converter will actually lock up
I'm just north of you guys and it was like -20 as well, -52 with wind chill, my 2.7 ecoboost f150 fired right up thankfully haha
It's been minus 35 F all week up here in Alberta Canada and I work for a large fleet. Everything breaks at this temperature. Been boosting and fixing hydraulic leaks all week up here. Good Times.🙂🥶
I knew a guy who worked on the oil pipeline in Alaska in winter. He said they never turned off their trucks except inside the shop.
Do you leave the rucks running when outside?
@@edwardhoward4708 Yep. That's why when my friends find a "deal" on low mile trucks for Alberta I tell them to pass.
A truck could have 30k miles but it's been idling 24/7 for years lol
I just can not imagine working in those temps.
@@edwardhoward4708 yes all vehicles stay running, especially the heavy machinery.
@@edwardhoward4708 Depends on who you work for. Some companies do that. Where i work everything has a good block heater and we will shut them down overnight. If the battery is good they usually start in the morning. The engine oils now a days are pretty good in the cold.
I live in Georgia about an hour from ATL. Good video got me to thinking about a couple of things.
I wonder if you guys would consider fuel warming add-on kits?
So your truck doesn't gel up. Mine started to gel up yesterday -15 with a 41 one below wind chill.
Id like to know what a persons opinions are?
My old man drove nothing but diesels his whole life. He would add a gallon or two of gas at each winter fill up, then top it up with diesel. I have been doing the same thing on my Ford 6.0 and Ram 6.7 and have never had a gelling problem. Merry Christmas!
In Canada the fuel stations switch to a winter mix diesel (anti gel already added) in the fall. You really only run into a problem if you have your truck laid up for a bit with summer diesel in it or have your own bulk tank.
Gelling issues are PRIMARILY @ a function of the anti-gel additives added at the supplier or fuel station. I never trust that they add enough and always add my own. Several tests have shown that additives can only protect so much, though. In the farther northern areas, they run something like a 50/50 diesel/kerosene blend. I would NEVER blend gas/diesel especially on a modern diesel engine.
There are additional heaters in the fuel filter mount on the Ram trucks that help when the truck is running, but do nothing when the truck is off.
"POWER SERVICE - DIESEL 911" in the Red bottle. You can get it at Wal-Mart and probably almost everywhere else.
That's fine but anti gel additives only go so far.