Do you "wait to start" in the summer?

[Radshooter]

Was wondering if I need to wait for the grid heaters to cycle in the summer. I am sure the engine is warm enough because sometimes it is 100+ degrees when I go to work in the afternoon. Once I think my pyro was up off the peg before I even started the engine.

Am I hurting anything by not waiting for the dash light to go out?



I will be glad when this contract is done and get out of here. Definately not used to the heat, and they tell me it is not even hot here yet



Thanks... .

Steve

 

[Bouncy]

I spoke to the dealer about my autostarter and the timer delay.



He said "You CAN start the motor before the light goes out but let the truck idle for 3-5 minutes before driving it to get the oil flowing through the motor. And let the truck cool the turbo for 1-3 minutes before shutdown. "



Hope that helps.



With the CAN bus on these trucks, the heater light is not easy to connect to as a trigger to the autostarter. Therefore, they install an analog timer set for 20 seconds... Here in Michigan. During the summer, I turn it down to 5 seconds of delay.



I really wish the autostarter could just be hooked to the light as a trigger so this guessing game isn't such a pain.

 

[DOUGMartin]

I dont know if they difer that much im sure they do. But I have remote start on my 99 and it is wired in to start after the light goes out. Im not sure if the light or computer is the triger (I didnt instal it). In the winter it often waits more than 20 sec. to start.

 

[curatchko]

You don't have to wait to start, and unless it's below 30 you sure don't need to let it sit there idling for more than 10-15 seconds. Oil flow is INSTANTANEOUS... .

 

[Dean Upson]

Crank and go in warm weather.



Dean

 

[DHayden]

It's good to let any engine build some heat before driving, especially before really getting on it. Oil PRESSURE may be instantaneous, but oil COATING in the engine is not. I'm sure the added wear of starting and driving isnt dramatic but it definately is more wear and possible breakage if getting on it while cold with higher HP.



To each his own, a minute is a long time in today's "gotta be there yesterday" world.

 

[John - K5AWO]

Originally posted by Radshooter

Was wondering if I need to wait for the grid heaters to cycle in the summer. Steve

Hi Steve,



The bad news first. The temps here in Mesa/Phoenix/Yuma have not reached 117-118 like the last two summers. So, no it isn't hot yet.



I turn the key on, buckle up my seat belt, and start the engine. I have made that a habit to enforce the "training wheel mentality". It don't hurt, and if the engine temps are above 'forgot what', the grids don't come on anyway.



The first start of the day, I just let it idle out to the street corner from my house ( a couple hundred feet), turn out onto the main drag and just lazily increase speed up to about 40 mph. There is a RED light a 1/2 mile down the road that I must always inspect to see if it is working. When that puppy turns green, I am off to normal driving.



After that, I just click it, keep the rpm below 1200-1300 for the next 15 seconds and then I drive normal.



Took a whole lot longer to explain than to do. Just a matter of habit training.



Cool down: from the Cummins manual,

normal slow city driving - 1 minute

hard city driving - 2 minutes

off the freeway - 3 minutes or more.



Me? I just wait until the "tinkle tinkle" of the exhaust cooling has almost stopped, then I shut it down. Probably about matches what Cummins says.

 

[Radshooter]

Thanks everyone. I have to idle out of the RV park, then it is a 7 mile trip through town to work. I always start the truck, then idle while I put away the window screen, so that should take care of the oil problem.



John... . when does it REALLY get hot down here??? We are planning on being out of here late June or early July. I would really be dissapointed if I missed the "summer" down here..... NOT!!!!!!



Thanks again everyone.

 

[klenger]

You know it's starting to get hot in AZ when your truck has been sitting outside all day, you start it up, the the temp gauge is already off the peg.



My warm-up and cool-down (driving local empty) amounts to about 4 blocks of very easy driving in and out of my community.

 

[bighammer]

I try to make sure the water in fuel light goes out before I crank. I don't wait for the heater grid unless it's really cold.

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

I disconnected my grid heater almost 3 months ago so I don't have anything to wait for



Radshooter if it's too hot in John's country you can come up here. 112 is the worst we've had

 

[John - K5AWO]

Originally posted by Radshooter

John... . when does it REALLY get hot down here???

Think it was late July or maybe into August. Stays hot thru September.



I remember the summer of 1993, it got over 110 in early June. By July it was staying above 105 all night. There was about 4 or 5 weeks straight that the temps were 111 at 5:00 a. m. when I got up for the day. I almost fainted, it was my first full summer here. I got broke in right.



Now, after the hot spell is done and it starts to cool down to 104, my knees start aching. Weird how we humans can get acclimated.



And I second the comment on the temp guage is above the bottom. That quite often happens to my truck. Get to work at 6:00 a. m. , go home at 5:00 p. m. and the guage is reading about 1/4" above the bottom line!!!

 

[gonzo2]

I've caught myself waiting for the light to go out in my wife's minivan. I guess I've got the diseasal!