Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) Cold starting problem

[tabell]

I'm having problems getting my truck started in the cold. Anything under 40 degrees.



Plugged In

If I plug it in will start fine down to 20. Under 20 and above -10, it will sometimes start easy and sometime I have to go through 2 heat cycles (if the light will come on) Sometimes the I can't get it to start at all.



Under 20 I have to cycle the grid heater 3 times, then crank, I get some sputtering, repeat, same result, third time I can get it to light but sputters around 400 rpm for a couple minutes then lights off and runs fine. I have no problem starting it at any temp at lunch, but if I wait 9 hours or more. I don't know if I will be able to get it to start.



My set up is hot rod VP 44, stage 2 injectors, ats air horn, aurora 300 turbo, 201K miles



I've replace the batteries and that helped some.

I've replaced the startet (NAPA) did't really see any difference. it will crank the motor to 300-400 rpm.

I pulled out and tested the heater grid relays they work

I pulled out the heater grid, it works

I can hear the relay poping on and off with the wait to start light

No codes

 

[Bob Cochran]

To me it sounds like it is operating normally. As I recall Dodge recommends 3 heat cycles in extreme cold. When all that iron is cold it takes some time to get things heated up and after all that is what a diesel is a heat generator. The coldest I have started mine was -12 setting over night and was not able to plug in for block heat. 3 heat cycles and started and as you described terrible barely kept running but finally she got it together. There are ways to improve on this starting such as external heaters and such but unless we live in Alaska, Montana, Wyoming or someplace like that most don't bother with the extra cost to do that. Hope this helps you some.

 

[SSolderitch]

running synethic oil? cold start turned on in software? Even if I dont get the 3 cylinder run because it isn't cold enough, I still get the nice fast idle until you touch the brake.

 

[tabell]

Bob - I've been Colorado for 5 years and I have never had this much of a problem starting my truck. I'm not as worried about the getting it to light. My bigger issue is it sputtering at 400-500 rpm.



SSolderitch-I did switch it over to synethtic. I do have the 3 cylinder option turned on

 

[MarkMiller]

Commercial vehicles use a fuel heater that goes into the tank. Drill a hole in the top and insert it... This would work on your truck.

There is a factory fuel heater too I thought. It is part of the fuel filter assembly.

The coughing and sputtering at 400 rpm is nothing to worry about. That is typical Cummins in the cold. The larger Cummins motors do not have heaters and when my Kenworth with a Cummins 8. 3 liter is cold it idles low and rough and smokes white for a minute then it will cough and clear right up. Been doing it since it was new. Now 8 years and 200,000 later it still does it.

 

[Midnite]

2 heat cycles is pretty routine for mine down to about -20 F even when plugged in for a couple hours. How long do you have it plugged in for at those temps before you try to start it? If only and hour or so, you might try using a timer and setting it to turn on the heater 4 hours before you need to start it.

The fast idle and 3-cyl idle aren't relevant to his problem--you have to get the engine running before those come into play. Getting it to fire is his problem.

Mike

 

[Bob Cochran]

Bob - I've been Colorado for 5 years and I have never had this much of a problem starting my truck. I'm not as worried about the getting it to light. My bigger issue is it sputtering at 400-500 rpm.



SSolderitch-I did switch it over to synethtic. I do have the 3 cylinder option turned on

Then I guess you need to decide what is different now than over the last 5 years? Colder than normal, new lift pump, not being parked in garage and was, etc. From here you can decide waht you need to do though it sounds typical.

 

[tabell]

I can understand the 2-3 heater cycles. But having to do do three heat cycles then try to start it then having to do the heat cycles and starting 2 more times before it will start is a bit much and hard on the batteries.



I have had no changes in the truck since last winter. I plug the truck in over night and it is on a timer to turn on at 0300 and off at 0800. I usually leave for work between 0700 and 0730. My last change to the truck was in Dec 2007 new injectors and hot rod vp 44.



I've even hooked up a scanner and the IAT sensor was showing just a few degrees colder then the current temp outside just before I started it.

 

[Bob Cochran]

I can understand the 2-3 heater cycles. But having to do do three heat cycles then try to start it then having to do the heat cycles and starting 2 more times before it will start is a bit much and hard on the batteries.



I have had no changes in the truck since last winter. I plug the truck in over night and it is on a timer to turn on at 0300 and off at 0800. I usually leave for work between 0700 and 0730. My last change to the truck was in Dec 2007 new injectors and hot rod vp 44.



I've even hooked up a scanner and the IAT sensor was showing just a few degrees colder then the current temp outside just before I started it.

Well I have run out of thoughts hope somebody else can help.

 

[Darrenf]

I went through my battle with the the grid heater. My suggestion is to check and/or replace the ring lug at the battery going to the relays. Mine looked "reasonable enough" but a newly soldered ring lug solved the problem. Darn corrosion... . Good Luck!

 

[tabell]

I'm asuming you are talking about the lug on the positive battery cable.



I'll try that. Hopefully get to it this weekend. But I have a fun job that has to be done first "Replace the heater core"

 

[bromano676]

Have you checked the heater in the fuel filter. I'm not sure if the 99 had one, or where it is, but I am told that my 02 has quite a substantial donut heater in the filter canister.

 

[59Turbo]

Are you sure the heater grid solenoids are working? Even if the click they might not be sending enuff power to the grids to make them get hot. I've seen this happen on a couple powerstrokes, the relays were clicking on and off but not sending enuff power to the glowplugs. I havent seen it happen on our trucks but theres always a first time for everything.

 

[Beast2B]

out of left field, but has the fuel pressure climbed at all since last year? I remember seeing posts about too much fuel pressure causing hard starts. I run no heater grid anymore and my truck starts fine to 30 degrees. One crank, less than one-half second of cranking. Occasionally it will run rough for 30 seconds, but it always cranks and starts immediately. I did upgrade to group 31 batteries a few years ago by some trimming on the plastic ends of the battery trays...

 

[tabell]

We I just got done with the heater core replacement. No anti-freeze smell! Yeah! Its not a hard job if you are Gumby. Anyways, I found that the fuse was missing from the fuel heater. I think I took it out when I installed my FASS, but for got to put it back when I put the canister back in to get the fuel heater. I also replaced the lug for the solinode relays. I will find out tomorrow if it worked.

 

[Gene Heck]

block heater?

Just a thought. Are you sure that your block heater is working all the time? Check the connector where the cord attaches to the block heater and the cord itself. Something you said about the reading on the IAT being a few degrees colder than the outside air doesn't sound right if you have had the block heater plugged in for any length of time. The coolant as it is heated will convect up to the head raising the temp of the head and intake plenum where the IAT sensor is located. Most of the time mine will turn off the "wait to start" light as soon as the self test is over if I have it plugged in for about 2 hours or so. This is with the ambient temp around 20 to 25 deg. If you plug in the heater you should be drawing about 6-6 1/2 amps. Also your timer might have an intermittent (pitted) contact and it is not letting enough current go through during one use but be okay on another if the contacts seat right on that use. Even though I have a 12 valve now I've had 2-24 valves also and never had any issues with the cold start even down to 0 degs. which is with few exceptions as cold as it ever gets around here.



Gene

 

[tabell]

I checked the temp setting after I left the block heater unplugged overnight. I did this so I could check the read out of the IAT sensor.

 

[tabell]

Seems the problem was to much corosion on the wire from the battery to the solinods