cold start heater grid?

[Grinder1]

Quick question guys, does the '09 6.7 have the cold start heater grid like all the earlier 5.9s? My out of state bro-in-law thinks not. He has had some trouble starting truck on cold mornings in Colorado. Figured it best to ask before I stick foot in mouth.

 

[cerberusiam]

They all have the heater grids, part of the emissions package.

 

[mweiman]

Yes it should, As far as I know all years have used basically the same design of intake air heaters. He should be able to see the voltage fluctuate as they cycle. Unless they are not working properly or if someone has deleted them.
Matt

 

[DonFitzwater]

Your BIL, like most, knows not what he speaks. They've all got an intake heater.

 

[n7gxz]

The grid heater on the 6.7L is under the intake manifold cover plate where the 5.9L have a block that sits between the intake horn and manifold.

Kevin

 

[JDinNY]

All 5.9 and 6.7 Cummins engines have grid heaters.
Trucks, heavy equipment, boats ect., it has nothing to do with emissions, it's a starting aid.

 

[rscurtis]

It is used mostly for emissions to keep the engine from missing or cold-smoking when it's first started. At a certain point, probably around 0* F., it becomes a starting aid. If it was only a starting aid, it would not operate at the 50-60* ambient temperatures as it does now.

 

[JDinNY]

It was never used for emissions,
It is a cold start aid, period.
It's been in the trucks since '89. It's in our excavators back as far as Komatsu used Cummins diesels.
The grid heater operates when engine intake air temp is below 66* to warm the incoming air

 

[Jim W]

Did your brother-in law buy the truck new or used? If used the previous owner may have deleted the air intake heater grid. A lot of user thinks this helps with improved air flow to the engine.

Jim W.

 

[cerberusiam]

It always has been and always will be a part of the emissions equipment. Without the grid heaters at cold temps the engines smoke and that is what they are used once the engine is running. Has to be there to meet emissions and has become more critical the tighter the emisisons get. Even gensets and backhoes need to meet an emissions base.

It does more thna that, it also functions as a starting aid in really cold temps and a way to get combustion temps up faster when it is cold. Easier starting, faster warmup, less wet stacking, and less emissions. All included but the emissions drives its inclusion on these trucks.

 

[Grinder1]

Thanks for all the responses guys. Yup, I pretty much knew the 6.7 had the heater grid, just needed confirmation from my fellow TDR gear heads. Regarding the BIL, I have to keep in mind he didn't know about the second battery until some months after he had bought truck. He did heed to my advice to by the Dodge Cummins, and thanks me often. It is a clean used stocker and nothin' has been deleted, except for the completely replaced front clip that was "tweeked" by a large buck at 60mph shortly after he bought it. Another note, a good contracting friend of mine bought a new 2012 Dodge diesel. Over a year later I asked him how he liked the factory exhaust brake. He had been towing a huge equipment trailer back and forth over the Grapevine to do a job near Bakersfield. He said "what exhaust brake?". His truck had almost 40k miles on it. Dang I am jealous of guys like that. Christmas can come at any time of year for them.

 

[JDinNY]

It always has been and always will be a part of the emissions equipment. Without the grid heaters at cold temps the engines smoke and that is what they are used once the engine is running. Has to be there to meet emissions and has become more critical the tighter the emisisons get. Even gensets and backhoes need to meet an emissions base.

It does more thna that, it also functions as a starting aid in really cold temps and a way to get combustion temps up faster when it is cold. Easier starting, faster warmup, less wet stacking, and less emissions. All included but the emissions drives its inclusion on these trucks.

Ok, whatever you say is right.
There's no point in continuing this discussion.

Have a great day.

 

[jhenderson]

I can tell you from 1st hand experience, both Clark Ranger, and Timberjack skidders with 6BT engines had NO heater grids in the early days. This would be in the mid 80s when Cummins was coming in and Detroit was going out of favor in the forestry industry. No trouble starting at -20F. Starting aid? Don't think so.

 

[JDinNY]

I can tell you from 1st hand experience, both Clark Ranger, and Timberjack skidders with 6BT engines had NO heater grids in the early days. This would be in the mid 80s when Cummins was coming in and Detroit was going out of favor in the forestry industry. No trouble starting at -20F. Starting aid? Don't think so.

Like I said, whatever you say man.
it's just such a shame you spread such misinformation, when you obviously have no clue what you are talking about

 

[PC12Driver]

I would agree, it was a starting aid first. I have a bunch of diesels on the farm that have grids that don't do anything post start. In fact, they're user selected. And one tractor is definitely from the don't-care-about-smoke era.

But on the other hand, somewhere along the way I read some Cummins tech info that said the post-start cycling is in fact used to control white smoke.

Do first gens cycle post-start?

 

[cerberusiam]

Ok, whatever you say is right.
There's no point in continuing this discussion.

I suppose you believe wet stacking on a stoich rich modern diesel is NOT a problem, hmmm?

Do you really believe that 08 ISB you have operates just like an 86 6BT? Try disconnecting the grids and see how fast you get into regen when you do a lot of idling in the cold with a newer truck.

Trying to compare excavators and an LD truck is not going to be a valid comparison, they have different requirements.

Do first gens cycle post-start?

Yes, gen1's cycle post start. It is a preset time period based on the IAT temp. My 05 is driven completely of the IAT temp. It will cyclce if it cools down too much sitting idling.

Tractors are a differnet story because they are Ag equipment which has it own little section for emisisons and operation. Now that the EPA has hit every OTHER area Ag is next.

 

[rscurtis]

I have owned three wood chippers powered by "B" engines, none had any starting aids. If you still think it's a starting aid, disconnect the relays and see how the truck starts. If the temperature is much above 0*, you won't notice any difference.

 

[PC12Driver]

My 05 is driven completely of the IAT temp. It will cyclce if it cools down too much sitting idling.

Tractors are a differnet story because they are Ag equipment which has it own little section for emisisons and operation. Now that the EPA has hit every OTHER area Ag is next.

They've changed that back then. My '12 stops cycling after a time or a speed and doesn't come back on until a power cycle, just like my '01. Lots of teens and a bunch of single digit temps this year, and the heaters haven't started cycling after longer-than-should idle sessions.

Ag isn't as far behind as you think. The tractor we're getting this fall has all the same emissions tech that you'd find on a '13 Ram (EGR, DPF, DEF). Final tier 4 emissions for ag is required as of this month. Nonetheless, the point I was trying to make was that a basic, mechanically injected, completey non-emissioned, direct injection diesel engine has a grid heater. It clearly isn't there for emissions reasons on this engine. They've been around a long time on diesels as starting aids before emissions was a concern. So you can't say that it's main function is emissions control on a diesel engine. Not all trucks live in the south.

I have owned three wood chippers powered by "B" engines, none had any starting aids. If you still think it's a starting aid, disconnect the relays and see how the truck starts. If the temperature is much above 0*, you won't notice any difference.

As someone who does frequently start his diesels with temps in the teens or less during winter, I can assure you that they do start better when the grid heater has a chance to do its thing. Easier on the starter and batteries. Even the manual suggests cycling the grid multiple times when it's really cold to aid in starting. So I'd call it a starting aid.

Consumers expect immediate starts from their $50k pickup, regardless of the outside temps. The grid heater helps accomplish that.

Is it too much of a stretch to conclude that someone along the line figured out that the grid heater, originally utilized as a starting aid, could also be multi-tasked to also operate as an emissions reducer? Why are you guys making it one or the other?

 

[jhenderson]

Yes they do

 

[DonFitzwater]

Must be cabin fever making these guys cranky. Relax folks, its just the internet.