How many have disconnected the grid heater circuit.

[Phil Stuart]

Inquiring minds want to know,



I Replaced the battery cables and battery yesterday with one that's got 1250 CA and about 860 CCA. The cables were size 2/0 so I went with 3/0 and had stud ends put on the cables. The old battery lasted about 3 years and some hard use (is this normal?). The weather is not terribly cold here in Va. and I think the heaters are just for really cold temps as a starting aid. These older trucks that don't have two batt's seem to take a beating when the heater kicks in. I thought by disconnecting them it can save on battery life. Do we really need the heaters? Any input folks?



Phil S

 

[tugboatphil]

Phil,



Greenleaf has removed his grids to make for better airflow... DOH! I gave away another secret!!



I have considered it. We rarely have temps below 20 for very long. Do you keep yours inside??

 

[Greenleaf]

PHIL!! Dag-Gum boy!



BTW, What's a grid heat?

 

[GHarman]

BTW, What's a grid heat?

Sir, do you store your rig inside? I know you get some pretty chilly weather in Ohio. I live at 9000' elevation in Colorado. Do you think it is a practical idea to remove the grid heater in my case? Sounds like a supply of starting fluid would be necessary. Thanks for your input and time. GregH

 

[JLEONARD]

I experimentally disconnected mine last winter and ran a week that way.

All was fine until we had a day at about - 2 deg F when I got out of work.

The engine started... . but I won't do that again on purpose. It was not pretty.

When I got home I hooked it back up again.

But down to about + 10 F is not a real problem without the heater.

 

[Greenleaf]

What Jay said.



I don't drive the diesels full time. I plug my trucks in at home or even while at work if it's cold.



The many engines we have here at the school w/out pre-heat are parked in doors or plugged in any time it's 30° or below.

 

[tshort]

Well it gone to 10 here last night, didn't start the truck until about 1130 this morning, started right up. I keep it plugged in of course. No heaters for about 2 mths now. Started it one time without plugging it in when it got down to around 20, it started but it didn't really like it.

Ryan

 

[Phil Stuart]

Phil,



Greenleaf has removed his grids to make for better airflow... DOH! I gave away another secret!!



I have considered it. We rarely have temps below 20 for very long. Do you keep yours inside??

Phil,

Not so much concerned with airflow as I am about current draw on the battery. No I don't park it inside, the garage is for the wife's vehicle :{

I'm going to try it unhooked for a bit and if all seems OK, I'll remove the wiring and relays.

I remember some really cold days in the past when she started up even with pre-heat, it sounded rough. But after a couple minutes it smoothed out.



Phil S

 

[DThibault]

Up here in New England we couldn't be without them. I seldom plug my truck in. Two reasons, one I'm not always near a plug (the wife and kids have parking preference) and two, I found my electric cord down the road one time when someone just drove off without checking. You could always hook your grid heaters up like the guy with the glow plugs did in another post.

 

[Phil Stuart]

You could always hook your grid heaters up like the guy with the glow plugs did in another post.

You mean that Chevy mechanic? :-laf



Phil S

 

[bgilbert]

To disable the grid heater, unplug the four little push-on connectors at the grid heater relay on the fender liner. This way it's easy to plug them back in if you need them.

 

[DonTX]

The motorhome 5. 9 cummins has no grid heater, was not even an option. It DID however come with a block heater, and a generator that would run the block heater in the event you were too dense to head south when winter came.

 

[JLEONARD]

To disable the grid heater, unplug the four little push-on connectors

An easier way is to disconnect the plug to the thermostat (intake manifold aft of the intake horn) and jump the connector that comes from the truck harness. I used telephone wire for the jumper. This makes the truck think the manifold is warm.

Jay

 

[DieselTweaker]

No grid heater here and it will start, But can give the battery and starter a work out, and that's with some timing too.



Zach

 

[tugboatphil]

I found my electric cord down the road one time when someone just drove off without checking.

Whenever I'm plugged in (November through Early April) I always run the cord over the Ram's head on the hood, or over the mirror on my side. No way to not notice it.

 

[PToombs]

Whenever I'm plugged in (November through Early April) I always run the cord over the Ram's head on the hood, or over the mirror on my side. No way to not notice it.

I do the same thing! When you are smart enough to realize you do these things,( ruin stuff ) you take precautions so you don't forget!

 

[cojhl2]

These older trucks that don't have two batt's seem to take a beating when the heater kicks in

I'm not sure about that. . The old timers used to say before starting a vehicle in real cold weather, "Turn on the headlights for a few minutes to warm the batterys".



If that was good engineering,(I have no proof that it was/is) then the heaters would serve that purpose.

 

[Phil Stuart]

Well I unhooked them and...

she didn't really want to start when it was about 16 deg. the other morning!

Talk about some serious smoke coming out of her. Sounded like it was running on only 4 or 5 cylinders there for a bit. I wanted to try it and find out for myself to see how it would start. This is just the beginning of winter here and I have a feeling it hasn't gotten cold yet



Phil S

 

[deanhinton]

how much for the motor home?

 

[Skydiver]

I only use the grids when below 25 F. It taxes the alternator too much. I think the grids are for smoke control also.