Diesel engines are more sensitive to cold temperatures than regular engines. If you live in a cold climate, you are going to need to make sure that your diesel engine is warm enough in order to fire up and get started. Here are three different ways you can keep your diesel engine warm, even when you are not using it.

#1 Battery Warmer

One part of your vehicle that you can warm up is your battery. Your battery starts to lose power at a greater rate when the temperatures start dipping below freezing. Keeping your battery warm can help prevent your battery from getting cold when the outside temperature starts to get really cold.

To warm up your battery, you can purchase a special hot plate for your battery. You just slide it under your engine's battery, and it will keep it warm when the temperatures get really cold outside. You can also keep your battery warm via an electric blanket warmer. This type of electric blanket is designed to wrap all around the sides and tops of your battery. Electric blankets to heat up your battery are best if you live someone with really frigid temperatures, like upstate New York or Alaska, whereas hot plate warmers are better for more mild winter climates.

#2 Oil Warmer

Sometimes, with diesel engines, the oil is the real issue. It is actually easy to keep the oil inside of your heater warmed up. You can easily heat up the oil by purchasing a heated dipstick. Just replace your regular dipstick with a heated dipstick. To keep the dipstick heated, you will need to plug it in; however, you should be able to plug it into a normal electrical outlet.

A heated dipstick will keep the engine oil warm, so when you fire up your engine, the oil is able to freely flow through your engine without needed to warm up any more. Just remember to unplug the dipstick before you leave your garage or parking area.

#3 Block Heaters

An easy way to keep your engine warm is via a block heater. Many engines have built-in heater blocks that all you have to do is hook up in order to use them. Most block heaters for diesel engines are set-up so that all you have to do to use them is plug an extension cord into the outlet in your vehicle that is connected to the block heater. You are going to want to make sure that you are using a 110-volt outlet and an extension cord that doesn't have any damage. Depending on where you usually park your vehicle, you may also need a long extension cord as well.

If your vehicle does not have a built-in block heater, you can purchase one at an auto parts store and have your mechanic install it. Just make sure that the block heater produces enough heat to warm up your engine; different heaters are designed for different sized engines, so make sure that you know your engine size before you purchase a block heater for it. For more information or assistance, contact companies like Jim's Garage Inc.