Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) Best method for cold start up?

[Milo Pig]

I was just wandering what is the best way by method to start these little cummins diesels up. Weather is getting cold now and was wondering what the best procedure is. Crank it up and let idle for a bit? Crank it up and go!? Should I invest into a high idle kit? etc...



Thanks,

Sean

 

[RAJohnson]

Get it plugged in about 2-3 hours before you need it. If you are going to let it sit and idle longer than 5 minutes get a high idle kit. I start mine every morning after it has been plugged in and just go. I take it easy for the first few miles, or at least until the oil pressure gauge comes down to the normal level, which is when I start to see the temp gauge coming off the bottom.

 

[Beast2B]

plug it in, I use a timer on the outlet so it comes on ~3 hours early. start it up and go, heat and defrost are working immediately.

 

[Milo Pig]

This plug in feature does my truck have one? If so where is it?



Thanks,

Sean

 

[TGibbs]

Mine is under the bumper on passenger side right at the end of the frame. Is it bad if it is left plugged in all night? I plug it in when I go to bed around 11 or so and usually its started by 7. Too long?

 

[Bob Wagner]

not bad but an energy drain 700W 120V

 

[Milo Pig]

Cool, I found it last night. I just need to get a timer now. looks like If I leave it plugged in all night the wife will notice a difference in the power bill



Thanks fellas,

Sean

 

[Turbo Tim 1]

700 watts would be . 7 kilowatt hour's each hour it's plugged in so lets say you plug it in at 8 pm and you unplug it at 6 am, that's ten hours X . 7 kwh for a total of 7 kwh times your local power price, let's just say 12 cents then it would cost you 84 cents to leave it plugged in for 10 hours. If you do it every day for a month it will cost you $25. 20

 

[TowPro]

Milo Pig, where do you live? Most people don't really need to plug them in, they do it because it starts a little nicer, but they will start when its cold without being plugged in.



I have seen -5F and it started without being plugged in. I worry more about the fuel gelling so I just keep White Powersystems in it during the winter.



I see you have an 02. It has High idle (and 3 cylender idle) built into it, you just need to get it turned on by the dealer (not 100% sure the manual trans has this feature). Turn the key on, let the "wait to start" light go out and crank it over. If it starts and stalls, do it again. If you have the high idle feature (and its in the upper 20's), within a minute the idle will go up to around 1200. If its cold enough the engine will then kick in this 3cyl idle (first time you hear it you will sware your truck is coming apart!).



Or you could get an exhaust brake. Turn it on during idle and the truck warms up real fast.

 

[Milo Pig]

I am in north central Texas. And for the past week+ it has been in the upper teens to mid twenties in the morning. This is my first winter with a diesel truck and want to make sure I am taking care of it. My wife says I have to keep it until 2014 I will call the local dealer and see if I can get the high idle turned on.



Thanks,

Sean

 

[Milo Pig]

700 watts would be . 7 kilowatt hour's each hour it's plugged in so lets say you plug it in at 8 pm and you unplug it at 6 am, that's ten hours X . 7 kwh for a total of 7 kwh times your local power price, let's just say 12 cents then it would cost you 84 cents to leave it plugged in for 10 hours. If you do it every day for a month it will cost you $25. 20

Not bad at all! Power bill goes down a bunch in the winter for us anyway. I handle that kind of increase. I guess you are a meter reader eh Tim?



Sean

 

[NWhitney]

My Truck gets pluged in every night that it is below 30. I just plug it in when I get home, normally around 10 then leave it until the next morning. I have the high idle and 3 cyl feature turned on, but I don't like to use it. It is nice if I am parked somewhere and I can't plug it in but I would rather everything be warm. The only reason that I leave it pluged in all night is because I am a volunteer fireman and you don't know when you are going to have a call in the middle of the night and have to leave quick. I just drape the cord over the mirror that way I remember it is pluged in.

 

[Don Bellamy]

The Espar is so nice! Don't worry about none of this.

Don

 

[JCyrbok]

I may get flamed for this but here it goes.



I live in Michigan and between where I live and "going up north" my truck has seen

-15deg, over night on several occasions. I think I have plugged my truck in acouple of times in the almost five years I have had it, pretty much to see what the difference is. Truck is quieter on start up and heater works quicker, but that is it. I have never had any starting problems, fires up everytime, first time.



My procedure is this 1) If I use my remote start, start truck aprox 5 minutes before getting in, if cold enough high idle kicks in. Get in and go after that 5 minutes, which is usually after changing at work to go home.



2) If not using remote, and it is the first start of the day, jump in, start after "wait to start" goes out. Let idle a few minutes, usually untill grids stop cycling on the start up pattern ( usually 3-4 minutes) then go.



Either way, I go easy ie: under 10psi of boost and light throttle, until the temp gauge starts to move, then I drive as usual.



If it is real cold (being from Michigan that is relative) I may cycle the heater twice, but that is like below zero. Again I have NEVER had any cold start problems.



Remember Cummins/Dodge build these Engines/Truck for the Average owner, who is not going to read the manual, not cool down/warm up and generally drive like it is a gasser, and definately not going to join TDR and know how to do it correctly. Last I checked TDR had roughly 13,000 Members ( I may be wrong), but there has been 1,000,000 Dodge ram/Cummins configurations that have rolled off the lines over the years!



Just my opinion, hope this helps,



J-

 

[TowPro]

Of course the last 2 winters mine has been parked in the heated garage .

 

[Turbo Tim 1]

I guess you are a meter reader eh Tim?



Sean

No I'm not but I did sleep at a Holiday Inn Express last night! :-laf

 

[Milo Pig]

No I'm not but I did sleep at a Holiday Inn Express last night! :-laf

Smart man! Just like saving 15% switching to Geico! :-laf

 

[Milo Pig]

The Espar is so nice! Don't worry about none of this.

Don

Do tell about this "The Espar" you speak of? Where can you get some light reading about it?



Sean

 

[obert]

I was just wandering what is the best way by method to start these little cummins diesels up.

I use the key... :-laf :-laf :-laf



Im with Cyrbog. Last winter I started the service truck with no plug in, no grid heater, at -5F. Thats also when I found out the previous driver had unhooked the heaters (WHY???). I had forgot to plug in the truck the night before, I'd been doing that for faster widshield clearing so I can hit the snooze button one more time.....

 

[CLamb]

I plug mine in only because I live close to my work(6 miles). When pluuged in it comes all the way up to operating temp for a mile or so at least. . which in my opinion is better for it. Plus the heater works much sooner. Due to rush hour traffic its faster for me to take the highway home so it gets warmer much faster.