Winter Cover on Hood Grill Necessary?

That's a bug a screen also helps slow small rocks from damaging the CAC condenser radiator

 

Guys use them in the winter, especially on older trucks that didn’t run as hot as the new ones today do, to get the water temperature up so they have heat in the cab. Today’s new trucks run over 220 degrees normally so they are not needed to get water temp up for heat in the cab.

 

I have a 2010 D13. My water temps 172 to 211 when the fan kicks in. 220.....Not so much.

 

Not needed unless you live near Santa Claus, and you never work your truck hard.

Also if your truck is always running at 220 F get it looked at, something is wrong to make it run that hot all the time.

 

Fan should be on long before 225.

 

I run across Canada all winter and I don't need one. Takes a little longer to get the heat going at the start of the day but that won't kill you. Coolant stays 185-190 all the time. Oil 220. I idle it in the morning until it begins to register coolant and oil temp. Gauges start at 100.

My huge grille allows for the fan to rarely come on in winter, only on a long mountain grade. It comes on at about 210 and cools to maybe 195? I turn it on if I am working it hard and it gets to 200 and is going to keep climbing anyway. Leave it on all the way to the top. All it takes is 1 overheat to do very costly damage to your engine.

I should add. My old freightliner could of definitely used one. S60 pre egr. Coolant stayed about 160 at operation in winter. Slow down or park for any time you lose your heat. I still did just fine with that old indestructible truck.