Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) NO HEAT,,,,,,,, (Brrrrrrrrrrr)

[DODGEDADDIE]

I'm freezing my BUTT off, I have to drive about 20 miles before the gauge comes up to the first mark?

YES I plug it in and changed the STAT With a Cummins an YES the Radiator is full. and the cover over it, (in fact is now completely covered) an when it does come up to TEMP. (ONLY ABOUT 160??)

Any ideas ,,,,,,, PLEASE AS IT HAS BEEN 0 to -10 for the last week an more to come they say.



THANKS for any info

Mike in Maine (98 2500 4x4)

 

[illflem]

Take it from someone who lives in the cold, remove the fan and run a winter front for the winter. Use the Recirc position when possible. Defrost runs the A/C, pull the relay under the hood.

 

[WDaniels]

What year is your truck? If you have a 12v go and get a Stant thermostat, 532090. It is a wide flange thermo that will fit those trucks. For the 24v, I don't know if Cummins changed the thermostat housing. You guys that have the knowledge on the thermostat housings on the 12v and the 24v. Is the housing the same?

WD

 

[BNH4221]

Hey Mike,

Yep, its been a little nipply lately here in N. E. Here are two things that work for me. OK, Three things.



1. Plug in at least three hours before I use it. When I am at work, plug in all day. Its their juice so why not??



2. I have a hole in my winter front directly in front of the fan. Cold air hits the fan clutch and it should not run. I have heard that if there is no hole, the fan clutch will sense the engine heat and engage the fan thus cooling the engine.



3. I crank 'er up before I leave work and let it run for about 10 minutes while I am changing up. The key here is to use a fast idle device also known as a stick. I cut a broom stick to a length that I jam between the seat and go pedal to keep the mighty Cummins at 1000 RPM. THIS IS IMPORTANT. If you are not at 1000 the engine doesn't really develop heat for reasons someone with technical assistance can explain. By the way, it's been 2 years and the janitor still hasn't figured out the broom is missing.



Within about 3 miles I am getting heat. Give it a shot before spending $ on fancy thermostats, high idlers and the like.



Best of luck

Steve

98 QC 12V 4x4 130,000 miles

Bone Stock. I save all my money for booze

 

[athompson]

You could move here.

It's 70 as I write this and it only got down to 45 last night.

 

[JohnE]

Mike;

Not meaning to be nasty, but it gets a lot colder here in northern MN than Maine. I drive a much shorter distance to work and still get heat by a few simple things.



Use a cold front.

Remove the fan.

If the truck stands outside at night, plug it in for at least:

3 hours at 10 °

4 hours at 0°

5 hours at -10°

6 hours at -20°



If your 98 is a 24 valve you MUST run fast idle or load it with an exhaust brake or auto trany trick.



I'm colder than normal, too. Espar quit due to a faulty flame sensor. That gets replaced on Saturday and then back to a very warm truck in the morning.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

I can also give you a bit of cold weather advice. NEVER let your truck idle with the heater on high or full blast. This is one of the most common mistakes people make. Fire up their trucks and crank the heater. I always put my heater on the second mark which is quite low, but the engine warms up alot quicker. When you have your heater on full blast it is just like another radiator, robbing your engine of the precious little heat it makes. High idle it up to 13-1500 rpm with your heater on the second mark, you can run the temp controller in the hottest position though. I have this down to a science, seens how 1/2 the year I drive in cold temps... . My dad is the worst for cranking his heater full blast when it is cold, and it absolutely drives me nuts because he won't listen! The actual tempnature is way hotter on position 2 although you are not putting out as much of a volume of air. I have had my truck with the air full blast about 2 or 3 times in its life. Way over rated.



If you are bored one day and ever leave your truck idling for even a couple of minutes... ... ... ... leave your truck idling with the heater on full blast and come back and look at your temp gauge. Down to stone cold eh! Then try it on position 1 or 2, I bet it will still be in operating tempnature range with enough heat that it may be uncomfortable to hold your hand against the vent. As you can tell this is a sore spot with me that I am exremely anal about.



Two guys that I work with have duramax diesels... ... and always leave thier trucks idling all night with the heaters cranked. Tempnature gauge totally bottomed out with rich smoke billowing. They probably have clean cylinder walls with all the washing going on. I have not enlightened them on how to warm up a diesel. But when I have to drive one of the clunkers I rev em up and put the heater on low.



Give it a shot. What have you got to loose besides your fingertips and toes from frostbite!

 

[DODGEDADDIE]

Thanks I'll give that a try,,,,, tried MOST every thing else,,,, but not much good.



Mike in Maine

 

[DODGEDADDIE]

WDaniels

What good will that STAT do for me,,,seeing as it does EVER EVEN get up high enough to open it????



Mike In Maine

 

[DODGEDADDIE]

Swamp Donkey

Thanks... .....

We'll give that a try.





Mike In Maine

 

[DODGEDADDIE]

JohnE

Thanks for INFO:

But in my POST I said that I have done most of what you offered for info.

Except remove the fan,,Is that I big deal to do??

And Is that a right hand turning fan or left turn???

And at what Out side temp should I put it back on??

And just what is this FLAME SENSOR you speak of?? What does it do for us and where is it??



THANKS AGAIN.....



Mike In Maine

 

[illflem]

My coolant temp has never gone over 190° fanless even when it's 85° outside. All you need to remove is the fan, it comes out the top without removing anything else even though it doesn't look like it. Looking at it from the truck front, hit the large fan nut with a long drift and hammer on the right side of the nut flat, put a 1-7/16" or 1-1/2" wrench on the nut and hit it to the right. It is a left hand thread. Once it breaks loose you can unscrew it by hand and pull it out the top while pushing the upper radiator hose out of the way. If the pulley wants to turn you can hold it with a large pair of Channel-Locs on the non belt part or use a 3/8" breaker bar on the belt tensioner to tighten the belt. Store the fan upright so the oil doesn't come out. Do this when the engine is cool.

 

[JohnE]

Mike;



Thanks for the feedback. You didn't say how long you plug it in. At 750 watts it must be plugged in for many hours especially at sub zero temps.

Is it a 12 valve or 24 valve? Each have winter advantages.



Bill (illflem) covered most of the rules for going fanless. The only exception is that I think one should install it once overnight temps stay mostly at freezing or above. By that time the fanstat will release the fan and not drag the engine.



The flame sensor is a piece on an Espar Very optional piece of equipment. I really really miss it.

 

[bighammer]

BTW, a cheap winter front for the grille is neatly trimmed duct tape. Takes about 5 minutes and costs almost nothing. I run 2 strips over each section (keeping the edge flush to the opening)and trim the ends with an Xacto knife.