06 "Wait to start" light different??

[wsurf]

Just got my new 2006, very nice truck. As compared to my 2003, I have noticed that the wait to start light (pre-heater) doesn't always light up. In the morning it comes on (colder outside temp), but in the afternoon (warmer temps) it doesn't come on. My 03 would always come on and ,of course, stay on a certain length of time depending on the outside temp.



No starting issues, it starts up first crank even if the wait to start" light did not come on.



Any ideas?

 

[Brock]

The 06 does not have glow plugs... it uses a heating grid and also the compression of the engine to help warm diesel for starting... .

It is thermostatically controlled and does not come on until the temp gets below the 50s I belive...



Your wait to start light... . not coming on when engine is warm or during warm days is absolutely normal. Congrats on new truck

 

[Pawpaw]

The grid heaters (and thus, the wait-to-start light) will only work when the intake temp is 66 deg or lower. In the afternoon, even if the outside temp is in the 50's, the sun beating down on the hood may keep the engine above that magic 66 degrees, so the light won't come on.



FWIW, that's how my '04 works.



Bob

 

[steved]

The 06 does not have glow plugs... it uses a heating grid

As does all the 5. 9 CTD dodge uses... this is nothing new... don't understand why you made this statement? Makes it sound like the 05 had glow plugs!



It may be a "consumer" driven thing like our "fake" computer controlled oil pressure guage. Customer didn't like seeing the light when it is warm out??



I know what your saying though... even though the ambient air temperature is above the point the heater is needed, it still flashes on as a light check when the key is switched on, even though it doesn't heat anything... did this in my 99, does this in my 04. 5.



steved

 

[DJennings]

Basically, what you are experiencing is normal for the 06. If the WTS light doesn't come on, start it up. Mine only comes on in the morning or if it has been sitting in the cold for more than a few hours.



I rarely waited for that light to go out starting my 04. 5 when I knew it was warmed up. Dodge just took the mystery out of it by only having the WTS light come on when the grid heaters (no glow plugs ever on 3rd gens... ) are needed.

 

[Brock]

As does all the 5. 9 CTD dodge uses... this is nothing new... don't understand why you made this statement? Makes it sound like the 05 had glow plugs!



It may be a "consumer" driven thing like our "fake" computer controlled oil pressure guage. Customer didn't like seeing the light when it is warm out??



I know what your saying though... even though the ambient air temperature is above the point the heater is needed, it still flashes on as a light check when the key is switched on, even though it doesn't heat anything... did this in my 99, does this in my 04. 5.



steved

I made that comment because I have driven diesels my entire military career and they always had glow plugs that continuously needed replacing and you had to wait every single time to start. My daughters old 85 Mercedes uses them as well... .

So did not know if the fella was like me... not new to Diesel but new to the 5. 9L Cummins with heater grid.

No conspiracy theory just giving info that I WAS NOT AWARE OF until after I had my truck a month or more... .

 

[klenger]

... or on the 24 valve 2nd gens. Don't know about the 12 valve engines, but I think they had a grid heater too.

 

[Grizzly]

I adhere to the, "Wait To Start", light religiously. Do I not need to be that particular about it?

 

[Cummins360]

Yes the 12 valves use glow plugs..... ALL DIRECT INJECTION ENGINES like are cummins have to use grid heaters as there is no pre-chamber to stick a glo-plug into.

 

[Prairie Dog]

As does all the 5. 9 CTD dodge uses... this is nothing new... don't understand why you made this statement? Makes it sound like the 05 had glow plugs!



It may be a "consumer" driven thing like our "fake" computer controlled oil pressure guage. Customer didn't like seeing the light when it is warm out??



I know what your saying though... even though the ambient air temperature is above the point the heater is needed, it still flashes on as a light check when the key is switched on, even though it doesn't heat anything... did this in my 99, does this in my 04. 5.



steved

Maybe after ford bought Cummins they started sneeking glow plugs in there???



Scotty

 

[DJennings]

I adhere to the, "Wait To Start", light religiously. Do I not need to be that particular about it?

It can't hurt to be particular. That's why we are all reading this stuff... right? When the motor has been run, I turn the key to the on position. By time I got my seatbelt fastened, it's out.



I've started mine right away in cold temps on accident. It runs rough for a few seconds and blows white smoke, then everything is good 10 seconds later.

 

[wsurf]

I'm well aware of the grid heaters, my 03 had them (24V). My question was that the light doesn't always come on. I live in Ohio, so we are still below 66F. I think it was answered above by the fact that the truck may have residual heat and therefore the light doesn't come on (maybe a new thing for 06??). It didn't matter how warm or cold my 03 was, the light came on, the duration it was on was the only thing that changed.



Thanks for all of the replies. I'm on my second TCD and love it!!

 

[DPKetchum]

All the B59 family used in the Dodge trucks from 89 up use a grid heater. NO glow plugs in any of them. In fact I had a few MOTOR HOMES on a Dodge truck frame and the TRUCK front end come in with a hard start cold issues. There was NOTHING. No grid heater,no grid heater relays etc. it was like what the heck. They started in the teens etc. but were hard to get fired up. Must of had industerial versions in them.

 

[TMitch]

The grid heater relays on my '97 were inoperative for over a year before I replaced them. It always started, sometimes with a lot of white smoke and rough idling. If it got cold (below freezing), I tried to remember to plug it in. After I replaced the relays, I could have kicked myself for not doing it sooner. The 'ol Cummins didn't deserve those rough starts. Starting before the WTS light goes out is possible but not recommended, kinda like shutting down with a hot turbo.

 

[abrankod]

I have one even better than DPK. Some of the cummins 5. 9l and even the newer Mercedes 906 engine driven school buses our company owns have grid heaters, but they are not connected to anything because the vehicles never were optioned with the "cold weather package"... I put relays and pushbutton heat-up switches, which makes them start a lot happier on cold mornings.





-Dan



p. s. Contrary to popular opinion, the MBE906 engine is one of the worst engines i've ever had to deal with. I just hope its not the direction that DC is gonna go in.

 

[Brock]

the wait to start showing or not is entirely dependent on the temperture around it..... if it is warm it will be gone before you see it... if it is cold you will have to wait for it to go out.



other than a couple mornings in 20-30s..... never wait more than 30 seconds. Just habit to wait for the curly yellow light to extinquish... . no matter what it is called or what it is installed inside...

 

[DPKetchum]

Interesting. Go figure "THEY" must not think its needed,LOL. Of course "They"don't have to drive or operate them.

 

[steved]

Maybe after ford bought Cummins they started sneeking glow plugs in there???



Scotty

:-laf



steved