Squealing/Groaning Upon Frigidly Cold Start-Up

The '17 2.7 with 10,000 miles that I drive at work does this. Sounds like a power steering pump or something, but fluid level is good. My '09 2.7 with 100,000 has never made this sound under the same conditions.

 

Quite normal for fan clutches and power steering pumps to make that groaning sound at cold temperatures, although I will say the Tacoma does it even sooner than some other trucks like the Colorado, etc. My Colorado wouldn't do it until about -10F but the Tacoma does it with anything below 15F

 

My F-150 always groans around 0* when I start it, pretty sure it is the PS pump and cold PS fluid. Just does it for a couple seconds.

Very relatable sound, I feel like making the same noise when I step out of the house when it is that cold.

 

Without hearing it and just guessing, I agree with the fan belt, fan clutch, PS pump is the likely issue and not terribly surprising.

 

Yea I have a 2017 pro with 6000'miless and live in Maine it made some noise this morning at -17 degrees it's bound to happen in those temps I hate it but then I watch this video and feel better lol

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gu9JVAuYCoc

 

Squealing and groaning I do that to when I go out in this brutal weather. Cant blame the truck for doing it either. We are going to be at 0 this week for 3 days. Gotta love Ohio winters.

 

An oil pan heater is not a block heater. Block heaters heat the block and / or coolant (which heats the block in the end). Oil pan heaters heat the oil and do absolutely nothing to warm the block. Not trying to be a dick but there is a huge difference. My success rate with pan heaters is dismal in solving hard starting in cold weather. A true block heater made my diesel tractors start like summertime at -20F

 

Isn’t the heater that replaces the oil pan drain plug a block heater? Sorry for the confusion. That’s the type I used to have on my old 1600 BMW when I lived in the Sierra. The absolute low it ever got was down to -15F on some mornings during an arctic blast event we had and it worked well, but mostly we were in the +20’s. Don’t need those anymore, nor a snow shovel!

 

Yeah I am hating the sound of the zero and below shit coming the next few days...

 

you guys in the Great White have my respect, we turned on our air conditioner again today as it reached 87F on our way home this afternoon!

 

Still a pan heater. Only heats the oil.

A block heater can be a cartridge type like the OEM 3rd gen Tacoma ones where it literally heats a pocket in the block and transmits the heat into the block and eventually the coolant. It’s like starting a vehicle that was already warmed up. Many older types replace a frost plug in the block to heat the coolant directly. Some types are in-line to one of the coolant hoses and the warm coolant rises and the cool coolant circulates down to warm the block. This type is slower to heat the block but in some cases it is the only option you have.

Block heaters are almost essential on glow plug diesels and have somewhat been eliminated by newer grid heater systems (a whole different discussion). With diesels using heat from the engine to essentially “spark” the highly compressed fuel they are really a bitch to start when cold. Block heaters reduce this issue.

On most gas engines it is more of a convenience thing as your heater gets warm coolant right away. It helps ignition and helps things turn over easier but unless in extreme environments they are mostly unessecary now. Coming from a Dodge Cummins if I didn’t run a block heater I could’ve driving 15 minutes or more before I felt anything resembling warmth from the heat vents. From -8F this morning I had heat from the vents about the same time I really felt the seat heaters. And yes I did get the groan people are talking about. Fan clutch or a minute belt slip. Was so quick I barely caught it.