L300 Engine Preheat? No outlets.

Does your Mitsubishi L300 make a strange noise? Need wheel alignment specs?
Post Reply
Furi
Posts: 167
Joined: Mon Apr 11, 2016 11:00 am
Member's Photo Album: http://www.delica.ca/Photos/
Vehicle: 1990 L300
Location: Queens, NY

L300 Engine Preheat? No outlets.

Post by Furi »

So on our cross country trip we hit some lower temps in 8-10F in South Dakota and had a little trouble starting in the morning. I think a glow plug was out as I was getting white smoke but it made me think that being able to preheat the engine will be a good thing when we get to colder climates to help the engine and baby it a little.

From my research it seems there are a few options, all with pros/cons. I should add that if electrical; I'm looking for a solution that wouldn't require an AC outlet. Should be 12v and run from a battery. I have a 70Watt house battery that recharges from alternator that runs the fridge, etc and don't mind adding another one that could assist with the power supply during warmer times and could just be dedicated for warming the engine during the colder months when the internal electrical consumption drops. But options seems to be these. Any other good options? Inputs?

1. Block heater. Might not work since it will require an outlet. And I'm not sure if a converter would do a descent job.
2. Oil pan heater. Same issue as 1.
3. 12v Inline coolant heater. Not sure about effectiveness. Would the heated coolant flow through the pipes without a pump? Would the heat be sufficient?
4. Diesel Coolant Heater like espar, etc. Obviously these are the first choice but also most expensive.
5. Fuel filter heaters. Have no experience with them. Are they effective for cold staring?
6. Charcoal under the engine. Cook at the same time!!!

1-deli.jpg
1-deli.jpg (48.18 KiB) Viewed 6476 times
2-deli.jpg
2-deli.jpg (196.6 KiB) Viewed 6476 times
3-deli.jpg
3-deli.jpg (36.22 KiB) Viewed 6476 times
204explorer
Posts: 167
Joined: Sun Oct 02, 2016 10:19 am
Member's Photo Album: http://www.delica.ca/Photos/
Vehicle: l400
Location: CA

L300 Engine Preheat? No outlets.

Post by 204explorer »

I think if you are off the grid, only a diesel powered heater is ab option. They are very expensive. On the up side you could use it to build yourself a hotwater system.

Sent from my SM-G920W8 using Tapatalk
User avatar
cosmo727
Posts: 108
Joined: Sun Mar 29, 2015 7:18 am
Member's Photo Album: http://www.delica.ca/Photos/
Vehicle: 1996 Delica Starwagon Active World
Location: Kitchener, Ontario

L300 Engine Preheat? No outlets.

Post by cosmo727 »

Charcoal Heater...LOL!!!!

Brings back a memory from 20 years ago. I was going to college in North Bay Ontario where the temperature fell to minus 40 degrees Celsius over night...a common occurrence in that neck of the woods. Tried to start the 1979 Chevrolet Impala with no luck. Hopped on a bus to Crappy Tire and bought myself a tin foil turkey pan and a bag of charcoal. Took half the day to heat the engine enough and a boost to finally get her started. The interior smelled like BBQ for months.

Ah yes, good times...
Furi
Posts: 167
Joined: Mon Apr 11, 2016 11:00 am
Member's Photo Album: http://www.delica.ca/Photos/
Vehicle: 1990 L300
Location: Queens, NY

L300 Engine Preheat? No outlets.

Post by Furi »

cosmo727 wrote:Charcoal Heater...LOL!!!!

Brings back a memory from 20 years ago. I was going to college in North Bay Ontario where the temperature fell to minus 40 degrees Celsius over night...a common occurrence in that neck of the woods. Tried to start the 1979 Chevrolet Impala with no luck. Hopped on a bus to Crappy Tire and bought myself a tin foil turkey pan and a bag of charcoal. Took half the day to heat the engine enough and a boost to finally get her started. The interior smelled like BBQ for months.

Ah yes, good times...
:) Bet you were always hungry while the smell lasted.
zapizoid
Posts: 9
Joined: Mon Oct 02, 2017 4:31 pm
Member's Photo Album: http://www.delica.ca/Photos/
Vehicle: 1993 L300 Super Exceed
Location: Olds AB

L300 Engine Preheat? No outlets.

Post by zapizoid »

Funny, I've heard of battery heaters, never a fuel filter heater. I'm in the market for solutions as well. Previous owners have installed an inline coolant heater - which needs to be plugged in (and sorted :? strange things). But I haven't really been able to see whether or not its effective yet. I kinda want as many solutions as I can get affordably so I'll able to do snowboarding trips without getting too anxious. Working on more trying issues currently.
Furi
Posts: 167
Joined: Mon Apr 11, 2016 11:00 am
Member's Photo Album: http://www.delica.ca/Photos/
Vehicle: 1990 L300
Location: Queens, NY

L300 Engine Preheat? No outlets.

Post by Furi »

204explorer wrote:I think if you are off the grid, only a diesel powered heater is ab option. They are very expensive. On the up side you could use it to build yourself a hotwater system.

Sent from my SM-G920W8 using Tapatalk
The only thing holding me back is the cost. I'm hooking up a heat exchanger to the cars coolant line to heat water; but be a + if a coolant heater is used.
User avatar
ChuckBlack
Posts: 333
Joined: Tue Mar 17, 2015 9:27 pm
Member's Photo Album: http://www.delica.ca/Photos/Bingo
Vehicle: L300 Jasper
Location: St. Albert AB

L300 Engine Preheat? No outlets.

Post by ChuckBlack »

You will need:
a 3000W inverter
4 Odissey deep cycle 12V battery
Run your inverter to run all of your AC connections!!!
L300 Jasper, :-D
L300 Chamonix, :-)
Pajero Mini, :-(
Pajero GDI :o
Pajero DiD 8-)
Furi
Posts: 167
Joined: Mon Apr 11, 2016 11:00 am
Member's Photo Album: http://www.delica.ca/Photos/
Vehicle: 1990 L300
Location: Queens, NY

L300 Engine Preheat? No outlets.

Post by Furi »

ChuckBlack wrote:You will need:
a 3000W inverter
4 Odissey deep cycle 12V battery
Run your inverter to run all of your AC connections!!!
Do you have this setup to preheat the engine? And if so are you heating the block or the coolant?
Furi
Posts: 167
Joined: Mon Apr 11, 2016 11:00 am
Member's Photo Album: http://www.delica.ca/Photos/
Vehicle: 1990 L300
Location: Queens, NY

L300 Engine Preheat? No outlets.

Post by Furi »

zapizoid wrote:Funny, I've heard of battery heaters, never a fuel filter heater. I'm in the market for solutions as well. Previous owners have installed an inline coolant heater - which needs to be plugged in (and sorted :? strange things). But I haven't really been able to see whether or not its effective yet. I kinda want as many solutions as I can get affordably so I'll able to do snowboarding trips without getting too anxious. Working on more trying issues currently.
Fuel filter heaters are used in some of the veggie oil conversions i've seen examples of. It's not really an engine preheat which is a different conversation but might be a good option as a first step for cold staring. But have found little information on their effectiveness.
User avatar
ChuckBlack
Posts: 333
Joined: Tue Mar 17, 2015 9:27 pm
Member's Photo Album: http://www.delica.ca/Photos/Bingo
Vehicle: L300 Jasper
Location: St. Albert AB

L300 Engine Preheat? No outlets.

Post by ChuckBlack »

Heating the block or the coolant!

You must be thinking about something else. Coolant is in the block! 8-) So yes I'm heating the coolant in the block!

Class 8 truck which sometimes can have up to 8 batteries (1000)=(8000) CA/CCA uses fuel heaters, coolant heaters, oil heaters and even cab heaters during the winters.

Fuel filter housing are installed at the bottom of the filter which heats the fuel before being pumped into the common rail.
As the Engine warms up so does the fuel when it returns to the tanks.

Coolant can be heated via block heater, Webasso(vesba), electric recirculating coolant heater pump

Oil heater usually will have a type of oil pan plug similar to a block heater. Engine/transmission/torque/diffs...

Cab heater are usually electrically ran and run off 12V or 120V

All these can be running on 120V... But really, I've had my van parked for 2 weeks at -25 and started after 3x run of glow plugs. I have two Odissey deep cycle battery... Never had a problem!
L300 Jasper, :-D
L300 Chamonix, :-)
Pajero Mini, :-(
Pajero GDI :o
Pajero DiD 8-)
Post Reply

Return to “L300 Technical”