Keeping Diesel Engine Warm

[Picinisco]

My dodge dually Cummins engine is very hard to start when cold. At home or camping with hookups I can plug in the block heater but what can be done when boondocking.

[spoon059]

Its 39 degrees at my house right now. I had to move my truck so that I could stack some firewood in the carport for later in the week. Hopped in, turned the key and it started right up. 40 degrees does not require anything extra for a Cummins. I don't think anything is required until 0 if I remember correctly.

OP, I think its either your batteries or possibly the oiled air filter causing issues downstream. You should fire up immediately at those temps.

[fj12ryder]

I seriously doubt that a dead grill heater is going to stop the truck from starting in 40-50 degree weather. I never let mine warm up and the truck starts fine in much colder temps than 40 degrees. There are other issues at work.

My guess is what was mentioned earlier about the MAP sensor. Although I bought my 2001 Cummins with a K&N air filter, which has since been replaced, and had no starting issues. Since your Cummins is a common rail engine, you might check fuel pressure specs.

[donn0128]

Picinisco wrote:

donn0128 wrote:
Thats crazy! Throwing parts at a problem without doing any troubleshooting. Check batteries first. Check air filter remove and carefully clean grid heater.
BTW your not using one of those cruddy oiled filters are you?

Its got a K&N filter on it.

Thanks on the grid heater clean

And there is your problem. K&N is the absolute worst air filter there is. Even lightly over oiling it will kill your grid heater in a hurry. Not to mention loss of fuel economy and allowing more dirt into the motor. Your just asking for problems. Take it out, go buy a quality paper filter, clean the grid heater and see what happens.

[Grit_dog]

Picinisco wrote:

memtb wrote:
How cold is cold? As others have mentioned.....is your intake grid heater working at all or properly? We can and have “many” times started ours at -20 F. Until you get it checked-out....you may try “cycling” the grid-heater twice and then attempt a start.

rhagfo wrote:
Describe cold, 40, 30, 0 or colder.

You may be right. Im in southern AZ so cold is 40s and 50s.

Will replace the heater grid first.

Slow down there. Grid heater has nothing to do with it in those temps.
If it’s hard starting when “cold” or basically room temp in your case, 99% chance it’s injectors. Especially if it lights off fine warm or plugged in.

[ScottG]

Grid heater failures are extremely rare. You can do a simple resistance measurement across it without removing it to check. Expect a low reading - a bad heater will measure open. Grid heaters DO NOT require cleaning.
Az heat is hard on batts. They may be all that's wrong.

BTW, I would dump the K&N. They are notoriously bad on turbo diesels and may actually be the problem. The oil in them fouls the MAP sensor so I would get some sensor cleaner and spray said sensor down.

[Picinisco]

donn0128 wrote:
Thats crazy! Throwing parts at a problem without doing any troubleshooting. Check batteries first. Check air filter remove and carefully clean grid heater.
BTW your not using one of those cruddy oiled filters are you?

Its got a K&N filter on it.

Thanks on the grid heater clean

[donn0128]

Thats crazy! Throwing parts at a problem without doing any troubleshooting. Check batteries first. Check air filter remove and carefully clean grid heater.
BTW your not using one of those cruddy oiled filters are you?

[Beentherefixedt]

I agree with those who say you have a problem. My 2016 Ram TDSL started at well below -20 deg on the Alaska Highway without being plugged in overnight.

(all the plugs at the motel were taken)

[Picinisco]

memtb wrote:
How cold is cold? As others have mentioned.....is your intake grid heater working at all or properly? We can and have “many” times started ours at -20 F. Until you get it checked-out....you may try “cycling” the grid-heater twice and then attempt a start.

rhagfo wrote:
Describe cold, 40, 30, 0 or colder.

You may be right. Im in southern AZ so cold is 40s and 50s.

Will replace the heater grid first.

[Mark_Heisler]

2 things
How cold is it?
What weight of oil are you running?
Any thing after -5F you should be plug your truck in. if not the truck will knock like crazy running 15w40 oil that pretty thick for winter use if not plugging in

[memtb]

How cold is cold? As others have mentioned.....is your intake grid heater working at all or properly? We can and have “many” times started ours at -20 F. Until you get it checked-out....you may try “cycling” the grid-heater twice and then attempt a start.

As mentioned you may have a bad heater. One of the things that can/will shorten the grid-heater life expectancy, is to bring the engine rpms up (in excess of 1100 or 1200) until you see the amp/volt meter quit cycling. The drawing of excess “cold” air across the hot grid-heater, is pretty hard on it. The Dodge/Cummins manual used to warn about this!

[ScottG]

Something is very wrong. The Cummins will start fine even without grids at temps to -20F.
It may be getting close to needing a high pressure pump and/or injectors or something else. How old are your batteries? If the ECM doesn't see a minimum engine speed during cranking it will not fire the injectors.
Rather than do anything else, I would get it looked at.

[rhagfo]

Picinisco wrote:
My dodge dually Cummins engine is very hard to start when cold. At home or camping with hookups I can plug in the block heater but what can be done when boondocking.

Describe cold, 40, 30, 0 or colder. Many times I don’t even wait for the wait to start light to go out, just crank. With full heater grid cycle starts right up!
Check out your heater grid, also how many miles!

[Picinisco]

Ductape wrote:
Is your intake heater working properly? That engine should start fine in the cold. I had the same truck.

It seems to be but is it something that can deteriorate and still show that it is working?

[Ductape]

Is your intake heater working properly? That engine should start fine in the cold. I had the same truck.