glow time

[CKimball]

mornin all... hey... my new truck (670 miles and diggin it. . except for the trans!) would take a good minute to glow up in the am (southern calif so it aint cold 50 degrees) but it could sit all day while earning the cabbage to pay for it and when I leave for home... 3 seconds tops... then this morning 43 degrees same thing 3 seconds... my question is... why??... it almost seems that they programmed something in the pcm that after x miles it doesnt need to glow up as long??... anyone else had this???. .

Cameron

 

[rbattelle]

According to the service manual, the maximum cycle time for the heater grids before startup is 30 seconds (this occurs only in super-cold conditions). If yours is taking a full minute, something's amiss.

 

[Big MAK]

Welcome aboard! New terminology -- note rbattelle's response re: "grid heater". No glow plugs in a Cummins engine. Cummins uses a grid heater to pre-heat air which is a way better technology then preheating every individual combustion chamber like the other guys do!

 

[Mathew Clausen]

I have never waited that long to see. At 50 degrees just turn the key and start it. Even at 30 it will start easy without waiting for heater. The grid heater cycles on and off for a while after you start anyway (you can see the lights dim when it is on). They really only become required for much colder temps from what I have seen.



Mathew

 

[mr plow]

i keep mine plugged in always...

as soon as it gets below 32 f, always plug it in, and light only stays on for a max 3-5 secs, when plugged in, even in 0 deg f.



once i forgot to plug my baby in, and it sat outside on 20-25 deg f weather overnight, and still started up after only going on for about 15-20 secs no problem.



i love this truck.



plow.

 

[jlevesque]

-40F AND LOWER 30SEC

-40F T0 -15F 30SEC

-15F T0 0F 30SEC

0F TO 15F 15SEC

15F TO 30F 10SEC

30F TO 66F 10SEC

66F AND UP 0SEC OFF

CONTINUOUS DUTY CYCLE BOTH HEATERS



HOPE THIS HELPS



jAMES

 

[Dean Upson]

James,



That is good information to know, thanks.



Dean

 

[chessie-system]

I never waited for the heater grids in my 95' and it started just fine without them (little smoky in real cold temps). I also am not waiting for the 03' grids and it started just fine without being plugged in at 5 degrees. You can't do this with the ford trucks or the older Chevy (pre duramax) engines. The heater grids are mainly for emissions so you get a nice smoke free start. Computer controlled diesel engines are really clean and easy to fire in the winter as long as you are running decent fuel.

Jeff