Do I need to plug in Tahoe/engine heater???

[HAWKEYETAHOE]

Just wondering if I will need to plug in our Tahoe for the engine heater. It will not be driven and parked inside an unheated garage for the next 3 days or so.
See temperatures for the next few days ..

 

[Doubeleive]

Just wondering if I will need to plug in our Tahoe for the engine heater. It will not be driven and parked inside an unheated garage for the next 3 days or so.
See temperatures for the next few days ..View attachment 418707

there is no need to plug it in if you are not going to be driving it or starting it rather unless it is maybe one of those -15 below mornings.
all the heater does it warm the block so the oil isn't like molasses

 

[15burban]

If the garage is attached and insulated I wouldn't worry about plugging it in unless you leave the garage door open all the time. Our attached garage rarely gets below freezing unless we leave the door open for a little bit. My truck albeit a gas 3/4 ton ram that's parked in the pole shed with no insulation or heat I'll just go out there an hour or 2 before I know I'm going somewhere and plug it in if the temps are under 20f.

 

[Fless]

You don't need to run the heater if you're not going to start it during the cold temps.

Here's a partial snip from the Duramax's Diesel Engine Supplement -- read yours or download it from the GMC website. There are a few pages on the heater operation.

 

[Stbentoak]

there is no need to plug it in if you are not going to be driving it or starting it rather unless it is maybe one of those -15 below mornings.
all the heater does it warm the block so the oil isn't like molasses

0W-20 will never turn into "Molasses"...... This isn't 15W-40 like a big boy truck. I wouldn't worry about plugging in a LM2 unless it was sitting outside at -20, and only because it would warm up faster....

 

[Doubeleive]

0W-20 will never turn into "Molasses"...... This isn't 15W-40 like a big boy truck. I wouldn't worry about plugging in a LM2 unless it was sitting outside at -20, and only because it would warm up faster....

I just said that just for reference, It seemed like the OP thought maybe it did something more when plugged in.

 

[stedanrac]

While we’re on this subject…. I was testing out the block heater in advance of the really cold temps headed our way and I can’t see any indications that it is working or on. It’s plugged in to a live plug, but I expected to see some sort of informational message on the dash and there are none. This is a 2023 Tahoe with 3.0 Duramax.

Thanks for any help

 

[ZKWBQD]

Just wondering if I will need to plug in our Tahoe for the engine heater. It will not be driven and parked inside an unheated garage for the next 3 days or so.
See temperatures for the next few days ..View attachment 418707

I live in Texas, so the winters are not quite that cold. Although, as I write this, it's about 10° in Dallas. (I wish the government would take action about global cooling.) I spend my winters in Hawaii and my summers in California. I never do anything with any of my vehicles. One Tahoe, a Toyota, and a 2005 Ford Mustang convertible (NOT for sale). They start right up upon my return. On the Tahoe, the daytime running lights and engine stop start have been permanently disabled. I'm not sure if this matters much.

 

[TwoBigBoys n dog]

While we’re on this subject…. I was testing out the block heater in advance of the really cold temps headed our way and I can’t see any indications that it is working or on. It’s plugged in to a live plug, but I expected to see some sort of informational message on the dash and there are none. This is a 2023 Tahoe with 3.0 Duramax.

Thanks for any help

My dealer installed a block heater on my '18 6.2 L Yukon Denali. Was told it will not come on until it is below freezing; as from the post above, don't know if that is 0'C or 0'F, but it worked in Montana this weekend when it was brrrr outside.

 

[RST Dana]

My dealer installed a block heater on my '18 6.2 L Yukon Denali. Was told it will not come on until it is below freezing; as from the post above, don't know if that is 0'C or 0'F, but it worked in Montana this weekend when it was brrrr outside.

Heaters must have gotten smarter since my days plugging up our freightliner. It was plug and play. No matter what the outside temp was, when you plug it up, it heats the block.

 

[Doubeleive]

While we’re on this subject…. I was testing out the block heater in advance of the really cold temps headed our way and I can’t see any indications that it is working or on. It’s plugged in to a live plug, but I expected to see some sort of informational message on the dash and there are none. This is a 2023 Tahoe with 3.0 Duramax.

Thanks for any help

the only way you are going to know it is working is with a thermometer, maybe if you stuck your hand up in the right place it might not feel as cold as the rest, cord might feel warmish
it is literally just power cord to heater, no other gizmo's involved.
very much like the photo below and as already noted you can see the label/tag indicates 0'deg is when it turns on

 

[steiny93]

My dealer installed a block heater on my '18 6.2 L Yukon Denali. Was told it will not come on until it is below freezing; as from the post above, don't know if that is 0'C or 0'F, but it worked in Montana this weekend when it was brrrr outside.

their isn't any intelligence in the factory heaters...

when you plug them in, if you listen you can here a slight 'hisssssss' it's the element in the coolant getting hot
the vehicle has not idea they are on or off, they are just a heating element in the coolant

for duration... they only need a couple hours to make a big difference. When our new place came online the parking area didn't get heat right away, -25F in 2 hours an ecoDiesel would be up to say 30F. These baby Dmax's should behave very similarly.

 

[UsualSuspect]

Fire trucks are plugged in all the time at the Fire Station, turn the key and the cord is automatically ejected from the plug on the truck. I doubt you will hurt anything if you are concerned and plug it in. I just came back from northern Montana, never plugged it in, was down to -whatever it was parka pants and jacket cold, it started just fine, there was a little delay in the start waiting for the glow plugs to warm things up.

 

[Steve Smith]

The thermostat is in the plug. My 2023 Tahoe didn't have a thermostat in the plug. It is just a regular molded plug end. My older Chev pickup had the thermostat. It wouldn't turn on until temp was -22C. I didn't like that if I plugged the truck in at -21C, the block heater wouldn't work. I cut the thermostat plug off and replaced it with a good quality electrical plug.

 

[kerlyb]

Have owned many diesels...Chevy, GMC, Merecedes, VW, and Audi over my lifetime. Never used a block heater in vehicles that had them...while living in Wisconsin.

I will say the plastic cover for the plug in heater on my Tahoe is junk. Clips deform and warp when I did a trial run in cool temps. Bet they are P.I.A. trying to reinstall in bitter cold temps with wind and snow blowing.

 

[Padraig]

Can not plug my 2013 Suburban in with getting down on my knees and having something to pry the cover off. Screw that!

Padraig