Takes forever to warm

[moparmikeJ]

I have a foam board blocking most of the radiator, and drive 15 miles to work. The truck isn't up to temp and I'm at work already. Normal? Or is my thermostat stuck open?
Mike

 

[Wiredawg]

When I had a 2nd Gen, plugged it on at night AND made a cover of cardboard with aluminum foil bonded (glued) to it. My flaps only opened about 6"x6." Warmed up pretty fast. Is the 15 miles interstate, city, rural...? Have you had the truck long?

Cheers, Ron

 

[moparmikeJ]

Have had the truck since '05, my route is rural, and it drops in elevation pretty much the whole way. Going home, it warms up decently. (Uphill) I've been plugging it in every night.

 

[Cummins12V98]

24V's heat up FAST compared to the 12V. I used to place a pc of carpet in front of the entire radiator with a 8" diameter hole centered on the fan.

What are your commute temps?

 

[DavidC]

Are you sure your block heater is working ?. I ask because we were in Colorado and I plugged the truck in all night at 17 degrees. I opened the hood the next morning to sto the cord and felt the hoses that were warm. Started the truck and nice and toasty. The truck was warm when the block heater was plugged in.

 

[moparmikeJ]

Block heater works! WTS light goes out within seconds.
When I arrive at work, temp is a little over the 165 line on the gauge. (2nd line up from stone cold)

 

[BigPapa]

Mine is the same way, Mike. My coolant temp gets to @ 150*-160* in @ 10 miles, if I don't run the blower on high. It's 30 miles to work, 12 miles of 2-lane to the interstate, and if it's in the 20's the thermostat MIGHT open before I get to work. It does warm up much quicker if I have it on recirculate, I have my compressor on a manual switch, but it fogs up inside pretty quickly, too.

 

[moparmikeJ]

Looks like something I'll have to live with! Thanks for the replies, everyone!

 

[Chief USA]

I had the same issue and after about 16 years of putting up with it, I had the original OEM thermostat that came in the truck when I purchased it new replaced with a Stant 190 degree thermostat. (figured I would give the cheap t-stat a try) Immediately, the engine would warm up to 190 and hold it very accurately. On cold starts in cold weather, before the change, I could barely get the temp gauge to register. After replacing the t-stat, the temp would slowly rise on cold days to maybe 150, but if I engaged the exhaust brake to build some egt, the engine would reach and hold 190 degrees in a reasonable amount of time just idling. (15 -20 minutes when really cold outside faster on mild days). I also run the Winter front closures that go in the grill openings that I purchased YEARS AGO from EricBu12 to help conserve engine compartment heat which helps. I tried to find his link to Basement Enterprises but I guess he may not be making those any longer.

 

[Cummins12V98]

Block heater works! WTS light goes out within seconds.
When I arrive at work, temp is a little over the 165 line on the gauge. (2nd line up from stone cold)

I will be more clear. What are the outside temps?

 

[brucejohnson]

Most of the time when my 02 is plugged in the wait to start comes on as part of the bulb check sequence. Then it immediately comes on for a brief time. It senses the heat from being plugged in so it doesn't last long unless it is real cold outside. Usually starts right up. The only time it hesitated upon startup is when the batteries were beginning to weaken.
AND ^^^^^ what Cummins12V98 said...what are the outside temps...
From your symptoms I would start by checking fluid level in the radiator and then look at replacing the thermostat.

 

[Ozymandias]

Have had the truck since '05, my route is rural, and it drops in elevation pretty much the whole way. Going home, it warms up decently. (Uphill) I've been plugging it in every night.

If you are going mostly downhill then its normal, the Cummins needs for ever to get up to temperature even with the winter front closed. I had it more then once that when i entered a long downhill section with engine at operating temperature that it cooled out to 50% till the bottom.

 

[KATOOM]

I have a foam board blocking most of the radiator, and drive 15 miles to work. The truck isn't up to temp and I'm at work already. Normal? Or is my thermostat stuck open?
Mike

Yes, replace the thermostat. 190*

 

[moparmikeJ]

I will be more clear. What are the outside temps?

Ah, yes. Outside temps have been between 20 and 35 or so.
Also have an exhaust brake too.

 

[GAmes]

I think your t-stat is stuck open, or partly open. We go through this heat thing every winter. If the heater isn't working it is either a t-stat failure, a clogged heater core or an air flow restriction from a really dirty AC evaporator. Joe (Seabee) can testify to how cold it was the day I dropped off an instrument cluster in IL. There was snow on the ground and ice in the parking lot. I could see the freeway from my motel window, maybe a quarter mile away. The motel did not have an electric outlet where I was parked so no block heater. By the time I hit the on ramp I had heat coming from the vents. Within 5 miles the engine was up to normal operating temp. I've never used a winter front, even when the temps were below zero in my travels to the great white north. I've never used anything except OE Cummins 180 degree t-stats.

 

[Ozymandias]

Did one of you read that he said he is idling downhill the whole ride? That he isn't working the engine at all? That the heat is working fine on his way home after work?

But, oh well, a thermostat is cheap and why not.

 

[GAmes]

Did one of you read that he said he is idling downhill the whole ride?

I didn't. I read " 15 miles to work" and "my route is rural, and it drops in elevation pretty much the whole way."

 

[Ozymandias]

I didn't. I read " 15 miles to work" and "my route is rural, and it drops in elevation pretty much the whole way."

Yep, thats what i read to, and if i think doin the same with my truck it would behave the same at that outside temperature.
Like i mentioned, mine cooled out more then once from nice 190F operating temperature down to 100F while driving with 50mph. That block is so huge, just the cold air flowing around it takes the heat out together with the air that is pumped through the engine. Exhaust temps are also way down then.

If he would say 15 miles on flat rural roads then i would also say something is wrong, but goin downhill all the way..

 

[Cummins12V98]

"I think your t-stat is stuck open, or partly open."

I agree! Personally I would spend the $$$ and buy a 190* Genuine CUMMINS Stat.

 

[GAmes]

I sleep in my truck when the temps are between 20 and 80f, engine off. Otherwise I get a motel. On a few occasions I have been forced to abandon that model and sleep with the engine running. The last time was near Prince George, BC in a truck stop where the parking lot was packed snow and ice. The temp was in the lower teens. After idling all night my temp gauge was still in the arc. My gauge starts at 140 and I believe the arc starts at 160f. If yours falls to 100 (and how did you measure that?) driving 50 mph it isn't working as designed.