Those MSP bound souls

[Flyingtoohigh]

I'm moving up to Saint Paul on Monday and staying there for six months. I have a 2001 Ford Ranger. I'm thinking of getting a block heater since my truck will be parked outside and it gets darn cold.

I found one here:

https://fordparts.com/acc/product_info.php/cPath/29_67/products_id/904

Any other suggestions? Should I get one? If so, which one and where?

Thanks for those MN dwellers willing to share some knowledge.

 

[saabtrash]

Are you going to be parking it outside? I can't tell you the last time I've seen a car plugged in. Yes, they work great from what I hear, but I've never had one myself. I just start my car 10 minutes before I'm ready to go in the morning. Maybe invest in a remote start...plus we've been having some pretty mild winters over the last few years. Even though it is **CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED** cold right now.

 

[skyking1976]

Absolutely invest in a block heater. The cold up in those parts of the nation will crack your engine block if you're not careful. Be sure to have your antifreeze tested as well. A lot of folks will buy those small ceramic space heaters and leave them in their car overnight to keep things nice and toasty. A friend of mine even went so far as to get one of those remote starters for his car so he wouldn't have to sit in an ice block every morning.

Enjoy St. Paul and be sure to try your hand at ice fishing. Also, be sure to stay away from lutefisk. It's nasty stuff. Trust me.

Stay warm,
SK

 

[saabtrash]

Neither I nor any of my family or friends have had an engine block heater for as long as I can remember, and I've never had an engine block crack on me. Your only here for six months, save the money for booze and Yoshiko massage parlor on Hennepin and Washington in downtown Minneapolis...you'll need to keep yourself warm somehow.

 

[Timebuilder]

Twenty five years ago, we commonly had days during the winter that actually got cold.

I'd recommend filling your tank whenever possible, and using a water remover additive when possible to keep the fuel line from freezing.

A block heater means your engine will not be so stressed when starting, particularly the starter motor. Cold oil is like glue.

A remote starter is a very good idea.

 

[Flying Illini]

I live in central IL where it was 62 yesterday (that's rediculous, btw) and I purchased a remote starter about a month and a half ago. It is quite possibly one of the best investments I have ever made. Since I park outside I decided that I didn't want to battle snow/ice/whatever in the winter in slacks and dress shoes. The remote start works like a dream. The car is warm when you get in it and the windshield is clear (just remember to turn the fan to high, the heat to high, and direct the airflow to your windshield before you get out of your car. Nothing worse than getting to your warm car but your windshield is still iced up b/c you left the fan off the last time you were in the car.

 

[jarhead]

Speaking as a native.......

If you park outside, and you have a good battery with a high cca (cold cranking amp) rating, you should not need to plug in a ranger until the overnight lows reach minus 10 degrees or so. At negative 20 degrees overnight, you will be calling AAA to get them to start you in the morning. If you can get your car into a garage overnight, even an unheated one, I would be surprised if with a new battery, you would need to have a block heater plugged in. I would also recommend that you change your oil to a synthetic type, with a 5W-30, or a 0W-30 for January and February. After March arrives, you'd never need to plug it in. Most of the really severe cold in Minnesota is way up north by Duluth, Hibbing, International falls, etc. There, it is quite common to have negative 30 degrees or more in January and February. All the motels up in those parts have plug in outlets for their guests. You will not see that in the metro area of St.Paul or Minneapolis. We are supposed to get down to -4 to -7 at night for most of next week. Mid January is the toughest month on cars historically, but for several years, it's been a little wimpy. I cant recall how many years it's been since St. Paul has been -20 or colder. If you are only going to be here six months, I'd save the cost of a block heater, and if you know it is going to be -15 some night, set your alarm, get up and start your Ranger and run it for ten minutes and go back to bed. With a good battery and good oil, you will not need a block heater. Besides, It will only cost you about 30 bucks to have a service station come out with a genterator and start you up if it is ever needed.

 

[2000flyer]

...save the money for booze and Yoshiko massage parlor on Hennepin and Washington in downtown Minneapolis...you'll need to keep yourself warm somehow.

Yeah, but all that drinkin' money will end up going to the doc for that terrible burn and itch! Then again, all the effort scratchin would keep you warm!

Don't forget some sand bags or other weight in the back end of that ranger. Empty pickup + snow/ice = multiple 360° turns!

 

[jetbluedog]

Forecast

Check out the forecast TEMPS for MSP this week, better keep them engine covers handy!!:


Tonight: Partly to mostly cloudy. Low 4F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph.

Tomorrow: Scattered flurries and snow showers. High 14F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 30%.

Tomorrow night: Cloudy early with partial clearing expected late. Wind chills approaching -25F. Low -3F. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph.

Monday: Partly cloudy. Cold. Wind chills approaching -20F. High around 5F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph.

Tuesday: Partly cloudy. Highs in the mid single digits and lows -7 to -11F.

Wednesday: Partly cloudy. Highs 1 to -3F and lows 0 to -4F.

 

[jarhead]

Like I said.....wimpy for Minnesota standards of yesteryear. Must be all that 'global warming' stuff

 

[Flyingtoohigh]

Thanks for the information!

My Ranger is a manual transmission and from what I know you can't get a remote start for a stick.

Also, Ford suggests 5w20 synthetic oil under standard conditions and that is what is in there now.

It snowed today here in Colorado and I got to test out my new snow tires. With the tires and about 240 pounds of sand in the back, I was impressed with the traction in 3" of snow with a rear-wheel-drive truck.

I'll worry about the block heater after I get to Saint Paul. I leave Monday and don't have much time to worry about it in the interim.

I will have to admit this will be an interesting January as an intern. I never thought I'd walk right into the arms of a (possible) pilot strike at Mesaba during my tenure. Hopefully you guys get a contract and not walking papers!

 

[EagleRJ]

-run full synthetic oil.

-block heaters and cabin heaters are nice... until you get the electric bill. They use a LOT of electricity. They are not really necessary unless you park the vehicle in extreme cold (-40 or so). Starting the vehicle 10 minutes before you leave works well.

-get winter wiper blades that have rubber skins so the ice doesn't jam the springs.

Does your truck have anti-lock? You'll be using it!

 

[cl-65link]

I had a block heater in my car when I lived in No Dak. You might see 2 different kinds. I had one that plugged into a pre-made hole in the engine block and it warmed the oil. The other kind I've seen mounts inside the radiator and heats and circulates the anti-freeze.

 

[ericnod]

I lived in ND for ever. I have a 95 monte carlo and I never pluged it in. It would always start fine, even when it was -40 for every day in the month of Dec in 2001.

 

[Flyingtoohigh]

I think I will try living without a block heater through January. My Ranger has a system where hot/warm coolant is passed through the block to warm the engine after start. This is separate from the normal coolant/block system. It's a 2001 3.0L V6.

I begin my journey out to MSP in about 12 hours... I'm exciting and can't sleep. Any place near MSP I should make a point of seeing while I'm there?

 

[88_MALIBU]

I have owned a vehicle in MN for 7 years... Its overrated/. 4 degrees is nothing if you havent got any wind. I put a remote starter in my Tundra and she is nice and toasty when I get in. I dont own a car long enough to see the probs of not owning a plug in. Just dont gas and go without letting her warmup. Good luck!

 

[Flyingtoohigh]

Can you put a remote start on a manual transmission vehicle? I don't believe so.

 

[saabtrash]

They do have remote starts for manual transmissions now, I remember hearing an ad on the radio. They are probably a bit more pricey, maybe you have to go to more of a specialty store to find them.

 

[Ravengirl]

Another vote for the remote start. I was using my father's car over Christmas in upstate New York. He had the remote starter put in- no more cold car, period. It's great!

 

[EagleRJ]

You can add a remote starter to a car with a manual transmission- you just have to disable the neutral start switch.

Just make sure you don't leave the car in gear when you park it!

I know there are remote starters meant for sticks, but I'm not sure how they would work. I'm sure they're more expensive.

Check out the Mall of America. That's the main tourist trap. It's huge. If you were to spend just 10 minutes in each store, it would take you something like three straight days to see everything. There's at least one aviation store there, but it's pretty lame.