Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) High idle at cold startup?

[Dieselnut59]

On mine, hitting the clutch, brake or accelerator pedal will "cancel" the high idle. Parking brake does not change it. I would love to hear the 3-cylinder feature, especially since none of my trucks (personal or work) have the grid heater enabled.

 

[SnoKing]

On mine, hitting the clutch, brake or accelerator pedal will "cancel" the high idle. Parking brake does not change it. I would love to hear the 3-cylinder feature, especially since none of my trucks (personal or work) have the grid heater enabled.

You will never hear it. If it is cold enough for 3 cylinder, you will not get it started without the grid heaters or being plugged in. SNOKING

 

[Dezilplow]

I wonder why some trucks got this and some didnt. Im with JKinny on this one, I went to the dealer to get it enabled because it obviously wasnt working and they said that they would have to get the download from somewhere else and Dodge wouldnt let them do it unless the truck would barely start. Even then they wanted to charge me, so I blew it off. Sounds like they were screwing with me.

 

[Dieselnut59]

My '03 fires right off, down to the low 10'sF (the coldest it generally gets at night in Georgia). I have never had the grid heaters working on ANY of my trucks. I know this is in the VP pump equipped forum, which I have no personal ownership of, but the 12 valve rotory pump and inline pump engines start right up in the 10's-20'sF, although with a little racket and smoke. My '03 starts right up with no racket and very little smoke, then goes into high idle after around a minute. I like the feature because on the non-computerized engines, I have to scotch a stick on the accelerator pedal to keep it revved up around 1200 rpm.

BTW, I have never had any problem with not having grid heaters. The medium truck and industrial 5. 9's do not even have them. Grid heaters are HELL on a charging/electrical system. I can see where they help in very cold clamates, but just are not necessary in Georgia. I can easily re connect them, as all I did was disconnect the two fusible links at the driver side battery on the '03 and disconnected one wire on each solenoidon the other trucks.

 

[SnoKing]

I wonder why some trucks got this and some didnt. Im with JKinny on this one, I went to the dealer to get it enabled because it obviously wasnt working and they said that they would have to get the download from somewhere else and Dodge wouldnt let them do it unless the truck would barely start. Even then they wanted to charge me, so I blew it off. Sounds like they were screwing with me.

try someone's Smarty and when you set it back to stock, you will have it enabled I believe. SNOKING

 

[JKinney]

I wonder why some trucks got this and some didnt. Im with JKinny on this one, I went to the dealer to get it enabled because it obviously wasnt working and they said that they would have to get the download from somewhere else and Dodge wouldnt let them do it unless the truck would barely start. Even then they wanted to charge me, so I blew it off. Sounds like they were screwing with me.

The dealer just had to do the reflash, It is my understanding from this website that when the dealer does the flash they need to enable it by following directions on the screen during the flash, and this is where some dealers have had trouble doing the install. However thanks to marco where just

 

[Dezilplow]

Hmmm, thanks guys. Where theres a will theres a way, love this place. Off to find a Smarty

 

[JBAndersen]

I have a smarty, currently running fuelsaver. High idle does not work.



98. 5 CC, 2500, auto

 

[SnoKing]

I have a smarty, currently running fuelsaver. High idle does not work.



98. 5 CC, 2500, auto

How cold is it? Are you plugged in, if so it will not work. Truck needs a good over night heat soak to get cold enough to kick it in. Takes about 30-45 second to kick in after starting.



SNOKING

 

[Nate]

Same here. I have a Smarty, and it doesn't work. I downloaded and installed the cold idle program too.



Like this morning it was 10*. Truck wasn't plugged in or anything. I fired it up and it was running for about 10 mins before I left. Idled at the normal ~850rpm the whole time.

 

[SnoKing]

Bob or Marco??? SNOKING

 

[onestackdram]

well yesterday was the first time mine ever kicked in. Last winter never got it but didnt have the smarty yet. Yesterday when the temp was around 16-18* and wind chill around 5-10* (or less) the truck sat unplugged for about 7 hours and it kicked on in about a min of running and then ran up to 1100-1150rpms heck when the water temp hit 140 (my commander is really acurate) i tapped the accel. and it kicked off but only ran for a another min and came back on and ran until water temp was 185*. Now I have never heard of our trucks coming with that option stock in our area, so I am assuming that mine only kicked on because of the smarty. I'm just wondering if I can get a slight reflash for the smarty where it will kick it on at 30* instead of 15*. I still haven't gotten the 3cyl to kick on.



Russell

 

[16919]

I would like mine to kick in earlier as well. What do you think Marco???

 

[Cummins Pilot]

Install a venier hand throttle. I can spool mine to above 3,000 if I wanted to. At -40 and colder if I idle mine I'll spool it to about 1800-2000 to keep 300 pre turbo EGTs.

 

[JBAndersen]

Snoking



Was 5 deg (C) below freezing here one day, not plugged in, checked that I didn't cancel high idle with, brakes, acc pedal etc. still no high idle. I did send a PM to Bob but got no reply. Will wait for the winter to really kick and try several times before I start nagging more on Bob or Marco. Will normally be plugged in at night and thus no high idle in the morning though.

 

[chazj]

I was just re-reading my 02 Owner's Manual looking for a reference to the "3 cyl. idle feature" that is used in cold weather. I know I've read it "somewhere" (perhaps in the TDR magazine) but could have sworn it was noted in the Dodge manual.



If anyone knows where this information is listed, please let me know.

I don't want to persue it with the dealer if what I am looking for doesn't exist...

 

[SnoKing]

It is a TSB. SNOKING

 

[chazj]

Thanks SNORKING!



Am glad I am not totally losing my mind... Oo.



I read the TSB and the one thing I don't generally do is to start the truck with my manual transmission in Neutral (which is one of the noted requirements for the fast idle/3cylinder operation to work). Most of the time I just start it in First gear & (when the oil pressure rises) start out slowly & let everything warm up gradually.



Will give this new found information a whirl tomorrow...

 

[SnoKing]

Thanks SNORKING!



Am glad I am not totally losing my mind... Oo.



I read the TSB and the one thing I don't generally do is to start the truck with my manual transmission in Neutral (which is one of the noted requirements for the fast idle/3cylinder operation to work). Most of the time I just start it in First gear & (when the oil pressure rises) start out slowly & let everything warm up gradually.



Will give this new found information a whirl tomorrow...

I do not think how you start the truck will effect it. It is effected by how you leave it setting. I can start mine in cold weather, get high idle and then drive across the street to a service station to fuel the snowmobiles and it will go back into high idle again.



BTW mine has been turned on for about 4 years. The first winter, they flashed it, and it did not work. Took it to another dealer the second winter along with the TSB in hand, walked around behind the service bays and found the tech and truck. I sat in the cab with him and the DRB, and we got it turned on.



SNOKING

 

[chazj]

You're right... it made NO difference. Just thought I'd give it a try.



Going to contact my local Dodge dealership and see what they have to say about making this feature work.