Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) Cold High idle TSB questions.

[Udaloy]

Well, I'm off to get this done for the second time. I've been patient, waiting until it was 8 degrees last night, and still no high idle...

 

[Sixpack]

Did you wait long enough after starting

Mine takes all of 60 seconds before it will start ramping up.

 

[obert]

Here in OH I found that most of the time if i let the heater time out the idle wont work. If its above 20 i just crank it. some times it wont go on the first try, but then just heat it a little.



Last year it did hit -20, i couldnt heat it enough( should have plugged in... ) and it still went off to 3 cyl idle.



jm$. 02

 

[Max Wedge]

Mine finally has worked. I found out by mistake, I started the truck normally (heater grid light goes out) and went back into the house to gather up gifts to deliver Christmas Day, and what to wondering surprise when I opened the door to go back outside, the truck was screaming at 1200 RPM--So you must let idle for quite a while--it has worked several times since--just let it idle normally for 2 or 3 minutes, then the High Idle will kick in.



Life is finally GOOD.



Max Wedge

 

[David_VT]

Good news!

Mine does indeed work in both modes. The sub 32F degree high idle ramps after about 60 seconds. After a short drive to the diesel pump I noticed the high idle ramped back up once I stopped.

The sub 0F 3 cyl worked today at -10F. Real noisy clacking and I could see the computer seemed to turn it off and on as maybe it wasn't sure the engine could stay running on just 3 cyl...



It is nice to know the truck will try to protect itself from the cold. This is something I've feared since doing alot of accident scene idling in cold weather.



David

 

[ben_ak]

My high idle and three cylinder idle work flawlessly. The reflash was done 5/13/02 at Anchorge Chrysler Dodge and has worked flawlessly since then. The high idle comes on just like it supposed to, it doesn't even have to be turned off after driving to come on. Last winter, I started the truck at home, it went into fast idle to nearly full operating temp, drove the eight miles to work, parked the truck and left it running, and in about half an hour, it went back into fast idle (it was close to -25). I started it in -18 last weekend (not plugged in), and even jump started my mother-in-law's F-150 gas motor that wouldn't start.

 

[Intelman34]

I went to the dealer to ask about the high idle. All he could tell me was that I didn't want it and it wouldn't work if I plugged the truck in.



He told me it would be $90 to have it done.



Sure seems like it would be nice after the truck has been sitting out for a day in zero degree temps, but I am not sure if it is worth $90.



I talked to the Cummins service writer and he and another guy had absolutely no clue what I was talking about.

 

[Max Wedge]

Can't wait until it gets below "0" here in southeast Ohio so's that I can hear it clatter--@ 9 above the 3 cylinder function did not come on.



Engine Temp was almost 180 after running about 15 minutes with fast idle only--that was great.



Nope, it won't work if you plug it in--Now is the time for the remote start function--Warm in the Winter--Cool in the Summer



Max

 

[SnoKing]

Mine work this Winter

Mine is working this winter after another trip to the dealer last spring. It seems that if you drive a very short distance it will come back on. I started at a motel in Cle Elum, Wa last week end and it also went into 3 cycle idle, drove across the street and fueled the snowmobiles and it came on again including 3 cylinder. Drove back across the street to the motel and this time it would not go back to high idle.



I have noticed that if the temp gauge starts moving up on the dial, then it will not come back on. Mine takes a minute or two of idling before it ramps up. Also trust me the rest of the people in that side of the motel did not need to put in a wake up call at the desk when it went into three cylinder idle.



Also truck can set out at a cold snow park all day and it will not activate when I return from riding, the message here is that it has to be really cold for a lot of hours to activate the feature. It would appear that DC put this feature in the computer for only extreme conditions. One should consider an aftermarket idler if you want more universal faster idle. I think I am going to install an old carb solenoid on mine as others have done.



SNOKING

 

[JCyrbok]

Which Sensor for temp?

I assume that the computer uses the IAT to sense the temp? as this is what I gather from the TSB. Or does it use the Ambienant air temp under the driver battery?



It has been extremely cold here that past few days. single digits over night and low teens day time highs. I let truck idle for 5 minutes after sitting over night and it did not ramp up. I had a digital thermo just in case and the air temp was 8deg F.



The TSB has been done twice, by two different dealers, with a Copy of the TSB that I brought and HIGHLIGHTED for the section on Enabling the update after it is loaded.



I'm begining to think that a sensor could be off on its reading? and not telling the computer that it is cold enough?



Any ideas? I wolud like for this to work so I can get a remote starter, hit the start at the end of my shift, change my cloths and go out to lot to a "warm" truck that is not washing the cylinders with fuel.



Thanks

J-

 

[Billy Diesel]

JCyrbok-



I remember someone posting about this on a different thread. They changed the sensor under the battery and it cleared up his problem. I think the heater grids cycling might thow off the IAT too much to get it to work.



Another idea is what I am going to do this weekend. A home-made high idle. Flip a switch to ativate a solenoid. Of coure, this will mean that Gertrude will have to start in high idle mode. Only problem with this is if it gets really cold, you won't get 3-cylinder, so I am trying to figure out a way to use the trunk release on my remote start to activate it.