Cold Weather Start

[Papa Delta]

I was excited today when I woke up and saw 0 degrees on the thermometer. I couldn't wait to try to start my truck. I did not plug it in and just waited unitl the grid heater turned off and it fired right up. I was impressed. I thought I would have had to cycle the grid heater a couple of times. Obviously it sounded sick at first. The cold weather starting instructions on the driver side visor state to bring the rpm's up to 1000 and then let it fall back to normal. The natural idle when it's this cold is to go to 1000rpm. The instructions also indicate that an additional 30 seconds of idle are necessary in the coldest conditions before use. Does that mean I can start driving after start up, going to 1000 rpm and back down plus an additional 30 seconds. This would be less than 45 seconds after turnover. That can't be right. I let it warm up for 3-5 minutes when it's this cold and choose shift points under 2000 rpm until coolant temp starts to rise. Any opinions on this?

 

[swexlin]

I'm impressed also. I too, started mine up this morning at 9*F, after the trcuk had sat since Saturday afternoon. I live in a condo, and can't plug in. One cycle of the heater, cranked about 2 seconds, and she fired, idle and romped very rough up to 1000 rpm. After about 2 minutes, by the time I had scraped the windshield, she calmed down, and away I went.



This truck started MUCH easier in these temps than my '01 Powerstroke did, and with minimal white smoke.

 

[Iwant1]

Same thing, 5 degrees last night when I left for work. Fired right up 1 cycle. Ran rough for about 5 sec went to 1,000 and ran smooth. When I fired it up this morning to come home 1 degree on the over head, it fired up like it was 50 out. very pleased.

 

[joeyou]

I was excited today when I woke up and saw 0 degrees on the thermometer. I couldn't wait to try to start my truck. I did not plug it in and just waited unitl the grid heater turned off and it fired right up. I was impressed. I thought I would have had to cycle the grid heater a couple of times. Obviously it sounded sick at first. The cold weather starting instructions on the driver side visor state to bring the rpm's up to 1000 and then let it fall back to normal. The natural idle when it's this cold is to go to 1000rpm. The instructions also indicate that an additional 30 seconds of idle are necessary in the coldest conditions before use. Does that mean I can start driving after start up, going to 1000 rpm and back down plus an additional 30 seconds. This would be less than 45 seconds after turnover. That can't be right. I let it warm up for 3-5 minutes when it's this cold and choose shift points under 2000 rpm until coolant temp starts to rise. Any opinions on this?

These engines will not warm up by idling for extended periods in cold weather. Start it, wait until the idle smooth a bit, then go--drive it sanely until its warmed up. Extended idling will damage the engine.

 

[Turbo Kidd]

I was up in far Northern Wisconsin over the weekend snowmobiling and where I was staying..... I had no way to plug in! I figured, no problem, lows around 10 no big deal. Then Saturday night, it plunged down to -13 with a wind chill of about -25! The winds were howlin off of Lake Superior. Now, I'm scared my truck won't start. Sunday morning came, and I was the first one outside to start their truck and load up. I hit the glow plugs twice and she fired right up!!!! Now it took awhile before she was ready to roll of course. I had to let my truck run for almost 1/2 hr. before we left. I know that letting it idle that long is no good, but what could I do?

 

[KevinO]

Turbo Kidd Cummins doesn't have glow plugs it is a grid heater

 

[KennethS]

How about the heater? How long before the truck warm up. Lets here that?It takes my truck a long time to warm up. Glad I got heated seats. My 99 dodge diesel truck always started up with no problem. If the battery Is up the Dodge will start.

 

[Papa Delta]

joeyou

I was under the impression that they aren't suppose to idle more than 5 minutes. I try to turn the engine off after 3 or 4 minutes. I wonder what happens to these trucks in bumper to bumper traffic where they are basically at idle for an hour or more?

 

[TSpecht]

Mine's warmed up completely within about 8 miles. I let it idle for about a minute when I initially fire it up, and then just start driving. I try to keep it running around 2000 RPM's until the temperature hits 200, then I'll slip it into 6th, and enjoy a nicely warmed up truck. My theory is that higher RPM's won't hurt anything as long as you're not hitting it with large quantities of boost, i. e. slamming the fuel pedal down rather than easing into it.



The temperature guage moves off 140 after about 3-4 miles... There's enough heat for the defroster to be halfway effective after a couple miles.



Lowest I've experimented with it so far has been with temperatures between about -2 and +1 F.



The above conditions are with the truck not plugged in. I wish my place of employment would be kind to those of us with diesels but they seem to have no intention of doing so. I guess it's lucky the beast fires up in the cold as well as it does, although someday I think I want to upgrade to some 1000CCA batteries, just to help give it a little extra punch...



Using this method does seem to make fuel economy suffer a little bit I suspect... I believe I'll live with that...

 

[joeyou]

I was under the impression that they aren't suppose to idle more than 5 minutes. I try to turn the engine off after 3 or 4 minutes. I wonder what happens to these trucks in bumper to bumper traffic where they are basically at idle for an hour or more?

I would say that there is generally enough stop/go that the engine is not really just idling, and if you have an automatic there will always be some load on the engine in traffic. The main point I was attempting to make is that extended idling is not effective, nor recommened, as a way to warm up the engine. Usually when I'm stuck in a traffic jam, the engine is already at operating temperature.

 

[CJEliassen]

I have not been impressed. I went out on a 15 degree morning, and it would not start. It fired a few times, but then died. I cycled the grid twice and it still would not idle without giving it throttle and died after about 10 seconds. I did it again and managed to get it to run, but I had tons of white smoke and you could tell I was onl running on a few cylinders. Took about 2 minutes before all cylinders were firing. I am at 9,000 feet, so I am sure that plays a part. Anyone else at altitude have similar problems?

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

My '03 started OK at -19F last winter. I wasn't able to plug it in. It missed on a couple cylinders for about 3-5 seconds then smoothed right out. I drove it very gently after warming for about a minute. I was surprised at the seeming lack of smoke, mostly steam.



Vaughn