Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) Wait to start engine light

[johnharris]

'Wait to start engine', light

Do I need to wait for the 'Wait to start engine light' goes off before I start my engine when it is warm?Oo.

 

[JR2]

Your wait to start light will not come on if the engine is over 70 degrees (I believe that is the corrrect temp). If it does come on this, yes you should wait. Although I have started mine plenty of times without waiting, sometime I forget to wait.





By the way, welcome to the TDR.

 

[RJOL]

During the summer months, I rarely wait for the light to go out, and it cranks immediately. Would like to know, from someone who fully understands these engines, what the negatives are, if any, of not waiting for the light to go out...

 

[EMDDIESEL]

Over 70 degrees is more then warm enough to start your engine without any hassle. Even in very cold months, you can start your truck imediatley provided its still warm.

 

[lizzyhermit]

it is almost ALWAYS over 70 degrees here and I have NEVER seen the WAIT TO START light not come on when I turn the key.

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

Mine always DOES come on, 10F or 110F. However I never wait for it, if it is over 40-50F.



I have had a couple brain farts in the winter and gasser-started it when it was in the 20s. It lit right off but was pretty noisy and a bit smokey but not that bad.



Vaughn

 

[Sky]

I always like for my lift pump to stop running before I start mine. Does that even matter?

 

[drag racer]

Mine also comes all the time, even when it's 110F out (very briefly). I think the duration of the light is supposed to correspond to the manifold grid heater "on" time, so the air going into the cylinders is warm enough to light off the fuel. Mine does stay on noticeably longer in the winter months (~ 10 seconds). I usually wait until it goes off, but have started plenty of times, hot and cold, without waiting, and never had a problem.

 

[Deezul1]

I believe the grid heaters wont cycle on above 59 deg. Watch your Voltmeter and if it cycles way low and back every 10-15 seconds or so the grid heaters are cycling if the meter stays at normal charge level and doesnt drop the heaters arnt needed and arnt working.

 

[klenger]

When the temps are warm, the light is illuminated during the instrument cluster lamp test cycle, but the grid heater is not turned on. I usually wait for it to go out, but it only takes a couple of seconds.

 

[Motorhead]

I hardly ever use the grid heaters even in the winter at 4:00am when I am going to work.

The 12valvers that we have in our UPS trucks don't even have any pre-heaters and they fire right off every time. The grid heaters are supposed to cut down on the smoke on fire up as I understand.

 

[Texas Diesel]

Ignore the EPA required wait to start light, it cycles the grid heaters to make an imaginary reduction in emissions.



I only time pay attention to the light when I need them to assist in cold starting, <40F.



Contact WeirCummin, he has a way to modify the grid heater controller by so that the grid heaters only come on PRE-START. This way they dont cycle endlessly AFTER the engine is running. A very cool mod.



The grid heaters help in really cold weather but are basically an emission control device in function and not needed unless it is really cold.

 

[zimman20]

Sky- Can't answer if it matters whether you wait for the LP to stop cycling before you start, but can tell you that one of the latest flashes for these engines (forget which one, but just had a reflash done while DC was replacing my LP) and the new flash keeps the LP cycling time to about 1 sec. On and off, much diff than prior to the flash. Other members report the same after reflash.



zman

 

[The Vetterfarm]

sometimes when we jump in the gas car I turn the key and wait, wife say's what are we waiting for and I say "O just forgot which vehicle we are in at the moment". . Chris

 

[PZicha]

Chris I do that all the time in the wifes Explorer , old habits die hard... ... .

 

[Motorhead]

Its opposite for me in that I'll get into my wifes MBZ 300 wagon and try to start it without glowing it. Chris

 

[Evan A. Beck]

Just because the WTS light somes on, does not mean the heaters are coming on. I put LED pilot lights on mine, and they rarely ever come on. When the truck is warming up in cold weather, you can watch them cycle. They alternate, and both are never on at the same time once the motor is started. They will continue to cycle until about 18 mph, or until the intake air temperature reaches a predetermined setting.

 

[MJawsman]

Don't confuse a "wait to start" condition with a bulb check. You'll notice more than just the wait to start light comes on when you turn the key, and I think it's more or less just a bulb check to verify that it's working.

 

[Pit Bull]

Thanks guys, you have saved me a couple of seconds a day with this information. How I need to figure out what I can do with that extra time :-laf