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Greetings from Hot Springs, Arkansas
It is a good thing they have hot springs here. Otherwise, we would be freezing our butts off with 20 degrees night time temperatures … We wish we could have stayed in Lajitas, TX, a couple of more weeks. Hindsight is hindsight.
Anyways, the subject is “engine preheat”. For no reasons in particular, I have started to press the preheat button on the Aqua-Hot control panel when temperatures have fallen below 40-35 degrees.
Now, here, even more so. I am starting the bus once a day or so and before I do, I use the preheat of the Aqua-Hot diesel heater for about an hour.
But, I do not know exactly why I am doing this. I have my theories but …
Am I doing it right or is it a mistake?
When do you use the engine preheat function, if at all?
Cheers,
Ronald
on the way to Vonore …
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8 Replies
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Why are you starting the bus every day or so?
1. I don’t believe there is a good reason to start the bus every day or so, unless you are having a problem with the chassis batteries and that’s a separate issue.
2. When you start the coach, you should be expecting to let it come ride height, build 120psi of pressure, warm up a bit, and then drive it for 30 minutes to an hour (whatever it takes to bring the engine and transmission to say normal operating temperature).
3. If you don’t bring it to normal operating temp, there is fuel that blows by the piston rings and ends up in the oil, diluting the oil. Bringing the engine to normal operating temp for a while helps to cook the fuel and condensation out of the oil.
Back to my original question … why are you starting it every day or so?
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Doesn’t your engine have an electric Engine Block Heater? If so, just let the coach sit in the cold, it will be fine. Then, an hour or 2 before starting the bus as you get ready to leave you turn that on, warm up the anti-freeze and the coach will start right up. It sounds like you are doing the same thing with the Aqua-Hot but, as mentioned, you should not be doing this if you don’t plan to drive.
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To answer part of your original question, yes, I always preheat my engine in cold weather when possible. The aqua hot is a great way to circulate the coolant and warm up the engine and the electric block heater warms up the coolant too.
Davy
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why I am starting the bus once a day or so (more like every couple of days now) is, that I am losing bus air at a rapid rate and was losing accessory air even faster. Starting the bus and letting it run for a while pumped-up everything, for a while anyways.
My aux air is doing better since I replaced the California air compressor, which had sounded like an old farm tractor of late.
I could use the engine block heater but find the Aqua-Hot much easier. Flip a switch and its done.
The temperatures are improving here in Hot Springs, AR. They were in around 30/low 30‘s overnight.
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I used to use both the electric engine heater and the aqua-hot when in cold weather. Keeping that big block of iron warm seemed to help keep the bedroom warm and presented options if circumstances required an early departure.
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I would suggest caution regarding the use of engine block heat.
Doing that over time is going to cause condensation and the last thing we need in our engines is moisture.
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If you are in cold weather, the use of the coach diesel heat (Auqa-Hot / Webasto) will also warm the engine whether we like it or not. Makes no difference whether you use the engine block heater in conjunction with that or not.
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I am guessing any system capable of heating the engine also has a means by which that loop or heating circuit can be turned off until needed to start the engine in sub freezing temps.
Just be careful because an engine is a serious expense if it is damaged.
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