Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) Cold Weather fast Idle

[b_monty1]

Does anyone know anything about the cold weather fast idle on the cummins engine. I resently visited my local dealer and tried to explain this to them and how it must be enabled. They told me that when they flash the computer it would automatically be enabled. Has anyone ever had this done??

 

[2broke2smoke]

mine definitely was NOT enabled ... i had to take it back and enable it myself ... they handed me the diagnostic tool and sat back and watched as i showed 'em where it was ... make sure and cycle the key also

 

[Big_Daddy_T]

I live in alaska and I swear my local dealer was the last to catch on. Well enough people had asked for it by this summer so I had it done late in the summer. It didnt work for the longest time. Had to be pretty cold for it to work. Like below 10 degrees. Today it finally decided it was cold enough for the 3 cylinder run. Actually suprised me quite a bit. It didnt wait to ramp up the rpm. Did it immediately after if fired. The only other time it worked. It waited almost a minute then ramped up to 1200 but no 3 cylinder.

 

[KatDiesel]

Its disabled by default. After they perform the reflash they have to go back in using the DRBIII tool and "enable" it.



Just insist on it. If they argue..... tell'em it takes 30 secs to verify its enabled. 30 seconds is worth some customer satisfaction isn't it? The service manager at the dealership where I had mine done had to drive 30 miles one way the next day to enable mine when it didn't work, even tho I tried, and tried to explain it.

 

[CCOLLAR]

I had the fast idle/3-cylinder feature enabled; or at least I paid for it to be enabled, but it has never worked. Here is another, better, option. Visit http://www.psdieselproducts.com and check out their high-idle kit. $199. Took me about 15 minutes to install, works like a charm, you can adjust the idle to 1550 rpm, and there is no guessing involved. Just be sure to turn it off completely before you use the accelerator.



One added benefit -- if I am hunting, or just driving on a forest service road, and am not in a hurry, I just increase the idle, and the truck goes and goes. Or, if I had a PTO application, you have your idle control.



So, in short: great folks, great product, and best of all, you control it, not some flakey software.



Craig

 

[KatDiesel]

Originally posted by CCOLLAR

I had the fast idle/3-cylinder feature enabled; or at least I paid for it to be enabled, but it has never worked. Here is another, better, option. Visit http://www.psdieselproducts.com and check out their high-idle kit. $199. Took me about 15 minutes to install, works like a charm, you can adjust the idle to 1550 rpm, and there is no guessing involved. Just be sure to turn it off completely before you use the accelerator.



One added benefit -- if I am hunting, or just driving on a forest service road, and am not in a hurry, I just increase the idle, and the truck goes and goes. Or, if I had a PTO application, you have your idle control.



So, in short: great folks, great product, and best of all, you control it, not some flakey software.



Craig

I have it to and I still opted for the reflash.

 

[b_monty1]

Thanks for the info

 

[Weidner]

Insist on watching

Get the step by step directions from the tsb at www.dodgeram.org and bring it with you and ask to watch. I went to one dealer 3 times, another dealer twice before I had a Nissan technician in my family borrow a DRBIII from a friend at a Chrysler dealer. I did it my self in the parking lot. Took 2 minutes tops, very easy. When you look at the DRBIII sometime during the process you need to access a menu item that is on page 2 or continued on the menu and you need to page down or scroll to get to that item, that I think stumps those factory trained techs. I live in Minnesota, its cold, this feature is there and it does work.



I wanted to video the process and sell it back to the dealer. Instead I called the 800 customer number and told them the story about how on the third visit the service manager told me there is no such thing. Does Jeff Hopkins still manage the service dept at Walser Dodge? I would not know, I have not been back!!!

 

[RDWomack]

Seems more dealers don't know how to turn this on than do, what else are they screwing up????



Was 10 to 15 degrees for a week at the end of last month and still no high idle (Winter #3 of trying this). What a waste of time. 2 trips to one dealer, 1 to another - neither had any idea what I was talking about. The 1st did the reflash originally and forgot to enable it and still had no idea what I was talking about when I went back. Took a sit-down in the service manager's office before they realized they had done the work originally... .

 

[hareboy]

Hi Idle 3/Cyl

posting

Im new to posting but I have a 2001 ETH I had the hi idle 3/cyl shutdown enabled 3 times(3rd times a charm) it works great!! when its cold 20 0r below about 10-15 seconds after startup it ramps up to 1200 rpm below 15 or so it shuts down the cylinders(If you thought your cummins was noisey before wait till you hear this!!) idleing in my drivewaw its hot in about 5 min. Mike

 

[ntillm01]

What if you're plugged in?

I am interested in getting this high idle feature working/tested in mine, now that it getting colder. I'm wondering if it will ever kick in if the block heater has been plugged in though. If I remember, the TSB(?) on this said intake air had to be colder than 15-20 degrees AND engine temp cold too, before the feature would kick in.

 

[hareboy]

It wont work after the block heater has been plugged in, interestingly my truck heats up faster w/o being plugged in, using the high idle.

Mike

 

[DLausche]

If plugged in...

That's right. It will not work if plugged in. If I leave mine plugged in for a couple hours beforehand, then it will not high-idle or kick into 3 cyl mode.



You may want to warn your neighbors about the 3 cyl idle feature. The first time mine did it was right when the two neighbors were walking up the driveway, just next to the truck. They were so startled that they jumped/fell into the snowbank.



It is quite loud but worth it because it does warm up a lot faster.



Mine took 2 trips to the dealer. First time they flashed it, second time I went had to convince them to go in and enable it with the DRB.



-Deon

 

[ntillm01]

Thanks for the details!

 

[diesel4power]

Can the fast idle feature be enable with one of those $200 or so scan tools?

 

[KatDiesel]

Originally posted by diesel4power

Can the fast idle feature be enable with one of those $200 or so scan tools?

No it can not. Have to use the DRBIII tool.