bad cranking abilities in cold weather

[Niki]

A few years ago when I had my 95 I was working on the shore of Lake Michigan in the dead of winter, windy and 0 for a high. The truck always started, but man did I cringe when it started up and shook and chugged while I held the pedal partway down to keep it running. I used to use a snowbrush wedged between the front of the seat and the pedal, worked well. With all my Dodges I've idled them until they stop chugging bad than pulled away with light throttle until it warmed a bit. Always put a piece of cardboard in front of the radiator too, helps a lot. Another thing that helps if you can't plug it in is to at least try to park the nose away from the wind, not facing directly into it...

 

[jaynes]

I'm more attached to my truck than my house(which I own both outright), maybe you need to find a another apartment, or a drill bit for your exterior wall.

lol, I know what you mean!!! I haven't put a piece of cardboard infront of the radiator yet, i normaly do in the winter. Now, I don't mean to sound like an idiot (even though I are one, hehe ) but can you explain the wiring for the manual grid heaters because I am DUMB when it comes to electronics. Hand me a wrench and I'll go to town, tell me to wire something and I'll crawl into a hole. But hey, gotta learn sometime! I just know there are some decent gauged wired that connect to the relay solenoids. I'd be worried about amps burning out my switch, or am I looking at the wrong wired to tap into?? And could my dumby light just be the wait to start light? Is there a way to wire into that as well? sorry for all the questions!! But, Niki, I do try and point the front of my truck away from the wind, cause it does make it worse! Thanks for your help guys!!



jaynes

 

[DKarvwnaris]

lol, I know what you mean!!! I haven't put a piece of cardboard infront of the radiator yet, i normaly do in the winter. Now, I don't mean to sound like an idiot (even though I are one, hehe ) but can you explain the wiring for the manual grid heaters because I am DUMB when it comes to electronics. There is nothing to electrical, don't hook up the red's to the black's and you're fine

Seriously though, all you need to do is located the grid heaters two terminals, they will have larger guage wires on them. The wires run back to two solenoids on your drivers side fender well. The relay has smaller wires attached to it that are the energizing circuit leads. You just need to place an additional set of wires onto these terminals so you can run them to your switch in the cab. I wouldn't bother messing with factory harness beyond that. Leave the warning light alone. If you want a simple solution, buy an illuminated toggle switch and put it somwhere where it stands out so you don't forget to shut it off. Put it on the accesory circuit so you can't accidentally leave it on when the key is off and drain the battery.

Hope that's explanation enough. Much more, and you'll need to just bring it by and I'll do it. (the commute will be a rough one though)

Hand me a wrench and I'll go to town, tell me to wire something and I'll crawl into a hole. But hey, gotta learn sometime! I just know there are some decent gauged wired that connect to the relay solenoids. I'd be worried about amps burning out my switch, or am I looking at the wrong wired to tap into?? And could my dumby light just be the wait to start light? Is there a way to wire into that as well? sorry for all the questions!! But, Niki, I do try and point the front of my truck away from the wind, cause it does make it worse! Thanks for your help guys!!



jaynes

Electrical is one of the most common things I hear people afraid to touch. Kind of funny, either its power or it ground. Not much to it, you just need to read the manual and learn the symbols for the schematics, at least the most basic ones like open circuit, ground, power, ohms, etc. ).

Good luck, its not as hard as you think.

 

[JLEONARD]

Jay, is that zero to 60 in 4 minutes with 15. 6 rwhp

No Phil... that's from a "running" start (or should I say hobbling start). :-laf



Jaynes, why not make up a short extension cord that goes out thru the window. Use an outdoor box and GCFI outlet to make it sort of safe. Then plug your heater cord into that. Just a thought not knowing all the details of your situation.



And in facing the wind or not, temperature is the same to a hunk of iron*. YOU feel colder but the engine doesn't care. Yes wind will dissipate the heat faster if you have the heater plugged in and affect it that way, but if the truck is just sitting there all night, it will be the same temp... wind or not.



* Jaynes... no insult to your engine intended... .

 

[DKarvwnaris]

Jaynes, why not make up a short extension cord that goes out thru the window. Use an outdoor box and GCFI outlet to make it sort of safe. Then plug your heater cord into that. Just a thought not knowing all the details of your situation. [/QUOTE]



 He lives in a prison bar equipped fortress :D He mentioned it above earlier, alas the drill bit suggestion. ;)

 

[jaynes]

And in facing the wind or not, temperature is the same to a hunk of iron... Jaynes... no insult to your engine intended... .

He lives in a prison bar equipped fortress He mentioned it above earlier, alas the drill bit suggestion.

Holy crap you guys crack me up. Thanks for the explaination on the manual grids, I think I can manage that!!! This morning it went fine. -1 degree on the 'ole stat, preheated twice, turned over a few times, kicked out, did it again and she roared to life. That wasn't as annoying. Now the Buses I had to go start at 4:30 this morning... . THAT is a different story. P-pumped 5. 9's (cummins) TC's with no preheat system on it... spent about 3-5 minutes with each one of those. And the conventionals with the international 7. 3's... almost all of those needed shots of the groove juice (aka ether). Annoying!! BUT the TC's with the VP-44 24v engines always fired right up... that is if the battery wasn't too drained from the negative temps!





jaynes