Cold weather starting

[Bandit1]

this is my first really cold winter with my CTD and i have a quick ? for anyone out there. when i dont plug my truck in and try to start it after sitting over night i will turn it on let the grid heater cycle at least once then push down on the throttle 1/4" and it turns over runs for a second or two and then dies, it will sometimes do this multiple times or until i pump the throttle a few times while it is begining to run. i was jsut wondering one of my friends said that is just what a diesel does and another says that it shouldnt die like that. i have just done some searching and found that this could just be a cummins characteristic or a bad connection on a battery or the air temp sensor, so i will check them tom and see if that helps.

 

[illflem]

There are two grid heaters one on top of the other, could be only one is working.

 

[Dennis Garrett]

I noticed my 97 doing this lately. It's finally dropped into the teens & single digits here. It's more annoying than anything else so far, and it always starts, but not as easy. It fires a few times then quits. When it does start, it misses for a while & farts out a cloud of white smoke, which it never did last year on a cold start. It has 145k on it now, & I'm wondering if I might have a weak injector. I use fuel additive, and good fuel. The grid heaters seem to be working if the amp. needle is any indication. It fluctuates with the best of them.

 

[R.E. Miller]

It sounds to me that something is not right. I am not familiar with the p-pump, but here is my what happened to me last year. My air temp sensor went that advances the injector pump timing for cold starting and warm-up on my rotary pumped engine. It would start like normal, but would blow out tons of white smoke until it warmed up to operating temperature. The Cummins is direct injected and should start without problems in the cold. My truck starts down to 10* without being plugged in. I only know that because I am too lazy to get the block heater fixed, and that is the coldest it has been since I bought my truck .

Good Luck,

Russell

 

[JJW_ND]

If should start fine down to -10!

We have had some weather down to -15 and a few daytimes only upto -2. My 96 5sp still (and always has) started on the first half a crank.



Here is what I use and how my truck is setup. Idle is at or above 900. I always run premium fuel (mostly Cenex Roadmaster) and when temps below zero I will add Stanadyne. I also have Synthetic 5W30 oil in which really helps cranking speed.



I never add any additional throttle to start. When temps below -5 I will cyle grid heaters twice.



Lower Idle speed really effects starting. You can comensate by stepping on the foot throttle but I think stepping to far also has a negative affect.



It is pretty easy to set the idle speed. Set it to 900 or more and try it.



THe grid heaters are easy to see it their working by watching the voltmeter. Mine goes below 14 when BOTH heaters are energized.



I get lots of white smoke when air temps much below -5 even with heaters cycling.



BTW..... My work truck is a 2001 6sp. Sat for the last week and tried to start it in the AM at -12. Not plugged in, running 15W40 dino. After cycling twice, the turned over about 5 revolutions and then quit. Need thinner oil, or bigger batteries.



jjw

ND

 

[Cooker]

I have the same problem. It starts to act up ~20 degrees.



My idle is 900 RPM, I use a fuel additive every tank, and the truck runs excellent. My grid heaters are functioning properly and my batteries are 1 year old and they seem to support the draw of the heaters just fine. Also my fuel pressure is within specs.







I changed my injectors this year from my OEM 180's to Bosch 215's and I now have a 4" exhaust.



Maybe my timing (and others with this problem) has slipped? As I understand these trucks won't quite start as easily if the timing slips.



Any input would be much appreciated.



Thanks,

Ryan

 

[Dennis Garrett]

Cooker, I went over to Topeka this afternoon & talked to a mechanic at Injection & Turbo. We talked about timeing. He told me most Dodge 12v trucks are retarted from the factory. He has an easy test he does to decide. He went out to my truck which was hot & idling just in of the hiway. He put it in "N" & stomped the throttle wide open to the gov. max. It went to 3,000 RPM and stayed there for 5-10 seconds. It ran smooth as glass & had a light grey haze at the exhaust. "This truck has been advanced or is better than correct" He said most of the time they will crap out at gov. max and pour out white smoke, at factory or retarted settings. He told me the truck has to be completely warmed up as in just off the highway for this to work. (Mine has never been tampered with, but has always run strong) He thinks the easiest thing to try would be to replace the return line hose, it might be starting to leak air. (Mine's original with 145k on it) Next would be the delivery valve on the pump. The air temp sensor only changes the cold pump timing on the older trucks with rotary pumps.

 

[shendren]

CHECK YOUR GRID HEATER SOLENOID BOLTS!!

this was the first thing that jessup did with me at my tune-up..... all of the bolts were loose. mine are on the port side and just below the battery on the fender well under a platic cover. my grids were not heating hardly at all... ...

 

[shendren]

P. S. where is my block heater plug in at? i usually don't need it, nor hardly ever wait for the heater lite except on frosty mornings here in florida... . but i go to indiana to check on my business once per month and would like to use the block heater while there. thanks. scott.

 

[rrl989]

I have a 98. 499999. Mine always runs when I crank it with my foot on the throttle, I usually maintain a little RPM until the oil pressure gauge wakes up. On a real cold day, I have needed a restart. I find that if I take my foot off the pedal too fast it will stall. Without a few minute warm up, it will always die if I let go of the pedal to fast. That's a PITA when I lose my steering and I'm rolling along. On real cold days I would say your condition is normal, but if you need several restarts at 1/4 pedal could be a problem. If all is well when using the block heater, then I would not worry.



RonL