Need Winter Advice

[KMSCD]

Man, those relays from Stancor are pretty cheap. I may do that just for the heck of it too! Thanks GHarman!



PToombs, no prob, usually a natural assumption when it comes to vehicles, I do it too.







Okay, instead of starting another thread, here's some instrument cluster questions... my husband seems to have lost my owner's manual and the service manual I have doesn't help when it comes to diesels.



Should I have 'wait to start' light on my instrument cluster? If so, where? I wait at least 3 seconds before starting or more (take my time hook up my Creative MP3 player and situate myself and all my crap in the truck).



Where in the instrument panel are there supposed to be lights? I have one light at illuminates the right side of my speedo but other than that, I have no lights. I'm going to need them when the dark hours hit up here.

 

[GHarman]

Okay, instead of starting another thread, here's some instrument cluster questions... my husband seems to have lost my owner's manual and the service manual I have doesn't help when it comes to diesels.



Should I have 'wait to start' light on my instrument cluster? If so, where? I wait at least 3 seconds before starting or more (take my time hook up my Creative MP3 player and situate myself and all my crap in the truck).



Where in the instrument panel are there supposed to be lights? I have one light at illuminates the right side of my speedo but other than that, I have no lights. I'm going to need them when the dark hours hit up here.

KMSCD, On my 91. 5 Dodge the instrument lights are center of dash. A verticle column of rectangles on the right side of the CUMMINS logo. The 'wait to start light" is the 3rd one down from the top. Check the electrical continuity in the intake heating grid. Then check your relays. I believe there is also a temperature sensing unit. I have not identified that as yet. If it is below freezing a minimum of 10 seconds is my preference for start-up. If everything is working correctly you wont have to worry about counting seconds. GregH

 

[KMSCD]

Where in the instrument panel are there supposed to be lights? I have one light at illuminates the right side of my speedo but other than that, I have no lights. I'm going to need them when the dark hours hit up here.

Oops, probably should have asked where are the light bulbs located in the instrument panel.

 

[Ol'TrailDog]

Just say NO :-laf



Sort of depends on where you live in Alaska. If Anchorage or other coastal place I'd say you would do fine with synthetics and a block heater. It gets colder here in WY than coastal AK and I do fine with fake synthetics and block heater.



If you are talking Frozebanks or other interior place, I think I'd look into the espar along with the synthetics. Oh yeah, and a garage

 

[NIsaacs]

Unless you are in a hunting camp or somewhere without electricity, I don't like to subject the Cummins to cold starts below zero. If you have power in your building, I would at least run a drop cord from the inside to the outside. Better yet, would be to invest in an outdoor plug install.





"NICK'

 

[KMSCD]

It does have a plug coming out but the guy I bought it from said it doesn't have a block heater. I'll get around to figuring out where its coming from eventually.



I found my "wait to start" light does work. I haven't seen it come on yet when I turn the key to "on" but when I crank the engine it comes on for a second along with the "water in fuel" light. My ABS and brake lights are always on but my brakes and fluids are good. I do have a paper from a local shop that says they could not get the light to go off. Doesn't bother me as long as my brakes work!



I should be able to park it in the garage shortly and when I move the end of September/beginning of October, one of my two requirements will be a garage.

 

[Moab4x4]

Brake and ABS lights

Do a search on ABS for the 1st Gens and you will find two major differences of opinion. 1. fix it, 2. permanently disable it.

The quick fix for the ABS and Brake light is to unplug the ABS controller behind the Glovebox. If you are going to do the #2 route, then it would be a good idea to remove the ABS soleniod above the driver's side rear axle housing. It's mounted to the frame. The popular fix is to replace the solenoids with fittings from NAPA or wherever.

 

[KMSCD]

Out of curiosity, is there any reason why my wait to start light would work when the engine is cranked but not when it is turned to the on position? Its in the 40s in the mornings and my light doesn't come on until I actually crank the engine. The diesels I've had have always had the light come on for at least a few seconds no matter what the temp is outside.



And, I have plug coming out the front of my truck that I would assume is for a block heater but the guy I bought it from said it wasn't. I haven't looked yet (raining... still... ) but what else could it be for if not a block heater?