DC Battery Maintainer for Diesel Engines

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   Guys: I know this is not your typical AC discussion but thought I would tap into your vast and  sage wisdom on Cold Weather Diesel Battery Maintenance.  Maybe, just maybe the answers we share here could help in starting up our old AC Diesel crawler and dozers as well.  Here' the deal.....
I purchased a 1990 VW Diesel Jetta.  Excellent Motor in this machine.  I will be using it for a 14 mile commute to work this winter.  Given that scenario, I expect to encounter some extreme cold days when the temp will drop down to 0 or below.  I would like to add a DC battery maintainer to keep the Cold Cranking Amps as high as possible.  

While the car is home I can plug in 1 hour before work and the VW Diesel will light right off no problem. In advance of the coming cold weather I approached the folks that manage the garage where I park the car about paying for some small electrical usage only a really cold days to plug the diesel in for about 1 hour before leaving work.  Answer I got was no way we cannot provide any exceptions for Diesel owners. 

I was thinking is there a way a guy could use a battery maintainer on the battery under the hood and wire it to run off DC to a good known remote battery say on the floor of the back seat?

I am looking for remote power options that I can supply myself to aide in severe cold weather starting since I am unable to use the power supply.  In extreme cold situations I normally go out during lunch and start up the Diesel to keep the block from getting cold soaked.  So far that system has worked well with my Diesel 3/4 ton - not sure if I can get away solely with that approach on Jetta Diesel so am looking for good options to induce this little engine in severe cold.  I just took ownership of this Jetta and trying to plan in advance before things begin to really ice up here.  

Any thoughts and comments are very much appreciated.  Take care guys!  Orangeman 

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orangeman Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Orange Level Joined: 12 Sep 2009 Points: 1681	Post Options Post Reply Quote orangeman Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: DC Battery Maintainer for Diesel Engines Posted: 07 Nov 2012 at 6:50pm
	Guys: I know this is not your typical AC discussion but thought I would tap into your vast and sage wisdom on Cold Weather Diesel Battery Maintenance. Maybe, just maybe the answers we share here could help in starting up our old AC Diesel crawler and dozers as well. Here' the deal..... I purchased a 1990 VW Diesel Jetta. Excellent Motor in this machine. I will be using it for a 14 mile commute to work this winter. Given that scenario, I expect to encounter some extreme cold days when the temp will drop down to 0 or below. I would like to add a DC battery maintainer to keep the Cold Cranking Amps as high as possible. While the car is home I can plug in 1 hour before work and the VW Diesel will light right off no problem. In advance of the coming cold weather I approached the folks that manage the garage where I park the car about paying for some small electrical usage only a really cold days to plug the diesel in for about 1 hour before leaving work. Answer I got was no way we cannot provide any exceptions for Diesel owners. I was thinking is there a way a guy could use a battery maintainer on the battery under the hood and wire it to run off DC to a good known remote battery say on the floor of the back seat? I am looking for remote power options that I can supply myself to aide in severe cold weather starting since I am unable to use the power supply. In extreme cold situations I normally go out during lunch and start up the Diesel to keep the block from getting cold soaked. So far that system has worked well with my Diesel 3/4 ton - not sure if I can get away solely with that approach on Jetta Diesel so am looking for good options to induce this little engine in severe cold. I just took ownership of this Jetta and trying to plan in advance before things begin to really ice up here. Any thoughts and comments are very much appreciated. Take care guys! Orangeman

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DonDittmar Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Orange Level Joined: 15 Sep 2009 Location: MIllersburg, MI Points: 2476	Post Options Post Reply Quote DonDittmar Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 08 Nov 2012 at 7:44am
	A company called Arctic Fox makes a battery warmer. They also make a silicone pad heater you can stick to your oil pan to heat your oil. Those come in both 12v and 120V. I am a dealer at work so if you find something you like on the website shoot me the part number and I can get you a price. https://www.arctic-fox.com/
	Experience is a fancy name for past mistakes. "Great moments are born from great opportunity" 1968 D15D,1962 D19D Also 1965 Cub Loboy and 1958 JD 720 Diesel Pony Start

CTuckerNWIL Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Orange Level Joined: 11 Sep 2009 Location: NW Illinois Points: 22810	Post Options Post Reply Quote CTuckerNWIL Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 10 Nov 2012 at 7:46pm
	Back in the winter of 77-78 I worked with a guy that drove a little Mercedes. He told me he left it run for a week straight once cause it was COLD. He could pull the key from the ignition while it was running, lock the door and go to work. When he got out of work the car was warmed up for him When he got home he did the same thing. Edited by CTuckerNWIL - 10 Nov 2012 at 7:47pm
	http://www.ae-ta.com Lena 1935 WC12xxx, Willie 1951 CA6xx Dad bought new, 1954WD45 PS, 1960 D17 NF

orangeman Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Orange Level Joined: 12 Sep 2009 Points: 1681	Post Options Post Reply Quote orangeman Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 11 Nov 2012 at 5:46am
	Don: Thanks for the info. I will look over and get back. Charlie: I thinking that guy burnt alot of fuel. I am thinking that maybe I should just carry with me a large DC battery with jumper cables if the cold become a problem. If it gets unusually cold I can walk out to the car and fire it up and let it run during lunch. I like the little VW 1.6 Diesels, pretty efficient little engine.