Que up the old 33rpm record player and what did you find?
Some Dean Martin from the 1960s and “Baby It’s Cold Outside.” (Now try to get the jingle off your mind.)
While it has only just dropped below 32 degrees here in Georgia, we know the importance of a diesel engine block heater and block heater cable. Hey, we’ve got ‘em in stock for your Cummins engine – Block Heaters for ’89-’98, 5.9L and ‘98.5-’20, 5.9L & 6.7L trucks and Block Heater Cables for ’89-’20, 5.9L & 6.7L Cummins as well as the new Ram EcoDiesel trucks.
And, while we’re on the subject of cold weather we would like to do a little more than just sell product(s). Below we have some data from Cummins, Inc. that talks about winter operation of your diesel engine. You’ll be surprised to learn that a block heater is a “recommended “ item starting at 0 degrees, a “required” item starting at -20 degrees.
And here in Georgia we are worried about a little frost on the grass.
Finally, here are two other items you’ll want to consider for these upcoming Winter months: seat heater elements (they’re really easy to install) and winter fronts (Cummins recommends their use at temperatures below 30 degrees).
***************************************
The following article originally published
in Turbo Diesel Register Issue 83
February/March/April 2014
COLD WEATHER SUBJECTS
by Cummins Turbo Diesel Service Group
Winter Engine Operation
Your Cummins Turbo Diesel is available with a few key features to improve the cold weather operation of your engine. These features will help to protect your engine and improve your truck’s cold weather starting capabilities.
Engine Block Heater
The engine block heater is a resistance heater installed in the water jacket of the engine just above and behind the oil filter. It requires a 110- to 115-volt AC electrical outlet with a grounded, three-wire extension cord. The engine block heater is required only when ambient temperatures are below -20F (-29C), but recommended at temperatures below 0F (-18C). For full capability, once you turn on the engine block heater, it needs to run for one hour before you start your truck. Keep in mind that if you plug into a GFCI outlet, they can sometimes trip due to amperage draw.
Fuel Filter Heater
A 12-volt heater built into the fuel filter housings helps prevent fuel gelling. It is controlled by a built-in thermostat.
Fast Idle
If ambient temperatures are low, the engine idle speed will slowly increase to 1,000 rpm after two minutes of idle, if the following conditions are met: Do not depress the brake or throttle pedals, the automatic transmission must be in park, and the vehicle speed must be zero. To cancel the fast idle feature, apply the throttle. For more information on the fast idle feature, consult your ‘98.5-’19 Owner’s Manual.
Battery Blankets
A battery loses substantial cranking power as the battery temperature decreases to 0F (-18C). At 0F (-18C) as the engine requires twice as much power to crank at the same rpm. The use of 120-volt AC powered battery blankets will greatly increase starting capability at low temperatures.
Cold Weather Grille Cover
A winter front, or cold weather cover, is designed to be used in ambient temperatures below 30F; especially during extended idle conditions, to reduce condensation build-up within the engine crankcase. The cover will also drastically increase the warm rate inside the cab. Winter Fronts for your ’94-’12 Ram Cummins 2500/3500 and Ram 1500 EcoDiesel truck at available at Geno’s Garage.
Grid Heaters
Have you ever been asked to find the glow plugs in your Cummins Turbo Diesel? If so, someone is having fun with you. Since the first Cummins-powered Ram truck was produced in 1989, Cummins uses a grid heater, not a set of glow plugs, to heat the intake air.
Diesels need a cold-start aid, while gas engines don’t. Gas engines use a spark to ignite a highly flammable mixture of gasoline and air. The spark is the ignition source, and is much less affected by cold air and cylinder temperatures. Diesels, on the other hand, use only compression to ignite the diesel-and-air mixture. In severe cold weather, the intake charge and fuel can be cold enough that compression alone will not create the ignition needed for combustion. This is why virtually all diesels come with some type of aid for cold starting. The two most common types seen in today’s diesels are grid heaters and glow plugs. Both of these technologies serve a similar purpose, albeit with slightly different approaches.
The grid heater found in your Cummins Turbo Diesel is effectively an electrical element that sits in the entrance to the intake manifold. It is very similar in concept to what you’d find in a hair dryer, but stronger, hotter and more durable. When the engine is keyed on at cold temperatures, the “wait to start” lamp will be illuminated. During this time, the vehicle battery is being used to heat this electrical element. When the engine is cranked, air is drawn over this hot element, meaning that the air entering the cylinders is preheated, and hot enough that the diesel-and-air mix will ignite easily when compressed.
Glow plugs, on the other hand, are smaller, individual heaters that sit within each cylinder. They often look similar to an injector, with a tip that protrudes slightly into the chamber. During starting, a similar process occurs—while the “wait to start” lamp is illuminated, electrical energy from the batteries is used to heat the tips of these glow plugs. This heat is transferred directly into the combustion chamber while also creating a hot region in the combustion chamber from where the combustion itself can start.
The glow-plug system has its benefits: the smaller size means they are quicker to heat-up and they draw less amperage from the batteries. Drawbacks: the system is more complex and they are not as effective after the engine has started, meaning there is a potential for rough idle and smoke.
Grid heaters are a simple approach to heating the intake air that results in a more robust system that is less likely to fail, easier to service and leads to less complexity under the hood. The only real drawback to the grid heater is that it has a very large current draw – up to 200 amps. Furthermore, wait-to-start times can be up to 30 seconds when starting at extreme cold temperatures (-20°F), and potentially even longer if starting at high altitude and extreme cold. Grid heaters offer a secondary benefit in that they can be used after a start to help keep the intake charge warm, which reduces white smoke and gives better combustion.
Grid heaters do give our truck a unique characteristic. After start-up when the headlights are on, they blink, dim or flutter somewhat. This characteristic can be described as “normal.” Do not spend effort at the dealership to correct this normal truck characteristic. It is one that has been on-going since the first Turbo Diesel truck was subjected to cold weather back in 1989. The explanation:
After the engine has been started, the post-heat cycle takes over. If the temperature is below 59°, the heaters are cycled on and off depending on air temperature and how quickly the Cummins gets warm. You will notice the voltmeter acting like a windshield wiper as the heaters are cycled. They draw 120 amps! Thus, the lights flutter as the battery is working to supply current to all circuits.
Again, this condition is normal. It occurs on all trucks manufactured from ’89 to current (including the newer ’07.5 and up 6.7-liter engines.
Fact or Fiction: Cycling Grid Heaters Improves Cold Starting Capabilities
This is a fact. In extremely cold weather—below 0F (-18C)—it may be beneficial to cycle the manifold grid heaters twice before attempting to start the engine. The sequence you should follow is:
- Key on.
- Let the “Wait to Start” lamp turn off.
- Turn the ignition off for 5 seconds.
- Key back on.
- Let the “Wait to Start” lamp turn off.
- Start the engine.
Please remember that excessive cycling of the grid heaters will result in damage to the heater elements, and will reduce your battery voltage.
Starting Fluids
This should be self explanatory, with the previous discussion on grid heaters you would never want to pour fuel or other flammable liquids into the throttle body air inlet opening in an attempt to start the vehicle. This could result in serious personal injury and engine damage.
Temperature’s Effect on Diesel Fuel
It is important to think about the effect cold weather has on your truck’s fuel system. The most common issue—wax build up—has concerned diesel operators for years. Let’s review Cummins Service Bulletin 3379001, learn how cold climate can affect your fuel system, and then look at any differences driven by biodiesel fuels.
Cummins engines are designed, developed, rated and built to operate on commercially available diesel fuel. However, there are some options if you’re experiencing fuel gelling issues.
Wax Build-up
All middle, or intermediate, distillate fuels, such as jet fuels, heating fuels and diesel fuels, contain paraffin wax. Paraffin wax occurs naturally in the crude oil from which fuel oils are distilled. Generally, higher-boiling distillate fuels, such as Diesel #2 (2-D), have a higher concentration of paraffin wax than lower-boiling distillate fuels, such as jet fuel.
Because of the strong relationship between temperature and solubility of wax, wax separation is a problem in handling and using diesel fuel during cold weather.
To begin, let’s define several of the key terms:
- Cloud Point: The cloud point of fuel is the temperature at which crystals of paraffin wax first appear. The fuel cloud point should be a minimum of 11°F below the operating ambient temperature for proper flow through the fuel system.
- Cold Filter Plugging Point (CFPP): The temperature at which a certain fuel will become saturated with wax and causes fuel filter plugging problems per standard ASTM D6371.
- Pour Point: The temperature at which fuel will no longer flow per standard ASTM D97.
Fuel Additives
Now that we know that, what can you do to protect your fuel system? There are a number of fuel additives available which reduce the pour point and CFPP of diesel fuel. These winter additives reduce the pour point by as much as 70F and the CFPP by as much as 30F. These additives alter the size and shape of wax crystals, allowing pumping of fuel at lower temperatures. Before purchasing such an additive to treat fuel, ask the fuel supplier whether the fuel already contains a winter additive. Depending on the amount and type of additive already in the fuel, additional additives may not be necessary.
Although certain additives can be very effective, they are not a cure all. Their performance varies depending on the paraffin type and content of the fuel treated. Although other additives are available that can provide some benefits, Cummins Filtration, Fleet-tech Winter Conditioner and Turbo Diesel All Season Fuel Additives are the only fuel additives recommended by Cummins to help prevent filter gelling in cold weather applications.
Low Temperature Biodiesel Performance
Given the greater availability of biodiesel, it is important to understand how this fuel differs from ultra low sulfur diesel (ULSD) and what effect it can have on your fuel system.
Biodiesel inherently has a greater risk of wax build-up and microbial growth than ULSD at cold temperatures. The fuel properties change at low temperatures and this can pose problems for both the storage of the fuel and the operation of your truck. If using biodiesel, precautions can be necessary at low ambient temperatures. They include storing the fuel in a heated storage tank or using cold-temperature additives. The additives that can be used to improve the cold weather effect on biodiesel are Cummins Filtration, Microbicide; Cummins Filtration, Asphaltene Conditioner Base; and Cummins Filtration, Biodiesel Winter Conditioner.
As a precaution, the fuel system for your Cummins Turbo Diesel includes heated fuel filter housings to protect your filters from clogging and to prolong the life of your filters. Cold-weather waxing can be minimized by monitoring your truck’s performance and watching for any electronic vehicle information center (EVIC) messages. For further information on fuel filter maintenance, consult your Ram truck Owners Manual or the Cummins Service Bulletin 3379001.
Cummins Turbo Diesel Service Group
Editor’s note: I reviewed the 52 page bulletin 3379001 with the latest revision being August 28, 2013. Specifically I was looking for data on fuel additives, a search that was prompted by TDR writer Scott Dalgleish’s discussion of products on page 95.
Actually, I was surprised to find an entire section on additives. Typically the wording on additives from Cummins goes something like this: “Cummins Inc. neither approves nor disapproves of the use of any fuel additive, fuel extender, fuel system modification, or the use of any device not manufactured or sold by Cummins Inc. or its subsidiaries. Engine damage, service issues, or performance problems that occur due to the use of these products are not considered a defect in workmanship or material as supplied by Cummins Inc. and cannot be compensated under the Cummins Inc. warranty.”
“It is not our policy to recommend additives.”
However, in the new bulletin it did list the aforementioned Cummins products (it is not a surprise to your editor that other brands are not tested/listed) that can be used in your engine.
I am having a problem with my 03 5.9 after the engine starts in cold weather. The truck has never failed to start in temps down to 0 F. It idles good but when the accelerator is pressed it has no effect at all. Like the pedal is not connected. After a couple of minutes you can hold it down and the rpms will start to go up but will go too high and then shut back down to idle. It’s almost like the engine is going to run away when I press the pedal to get the truck to move. After getting on the highway top speed is 50mph with the pedal on the floor. After about 10 miles it will start to run normally. Truck has 140,000 miles on it. It only does this when the temps or freezing or below.
When the tempertures here in Canada get down to minus 20 or more i use the heat from aa propane torch take the air intake off the turbo and have someone heat the intake with the torch well starting the engine works quite well in extreme cold the battery and start really like it.
You’re welcome Alexandra and we hope you find the other posts here helpful too.
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Just about everything that would cause an issue like this would set a check engine light, but could be setting a internal code with no CEL. So hook up a scanner and see what you find. We would also want to see what the rail pressure and throttle position, and turbo boost was doing in this situation.
If you haven’t already, we would suggest load testing both batteries individually and cleaning battery terminals and following all ground leads to where they are grounded on the engine and chassis. Because your truck is a 2005, you should still have the PDC (power distribution center) rather than the TIPM (total integrated power module). So check main relay and fuses in the PDC on drivers side under hood. Also try a code reader at the OBD port with ignition on. Last thing we can think of at this moment would possibly be a neutral or clutch safety switch keeping the truck from starting, but the no lights at dash sounds more like a bad relay or fuse.
2005 Dodge Ram Turbo Diesel Turbo, been plugging her up at night drove to work and two hrs later went to start and no power.to ignition, dash, headlights, dome light, nothing? Heater grid Solenoid ?
I have a 2007 dodge with the 6.7 engine. If I go 60 miles an hour my truck acts like it’s going into limp mode, power loss and doesn’t want to accelerate until I floor it. What would cause that?
[…] the heater grid? What all is involved in it? this page describes the grid heater pretty well: Ram Turbo Diesel Cold Weather Tips – Geno's Garage 2018 3500 Tradesman SRW 18TradesmanSRW is online now Quote Quick […]
James,
Since DEF is typically 32% urea and 68% deionized water, it will turn to slush at lower temperatures and freeze at 12° F. The Ram Turbo Diesel trucks have a built in heater to warm the fluid in the line. You don’t say what year your truck is, but 2013 and 2014 trucks did not have the chassis heaters turned on. A dealer can check this out.
If the DEF is frozen, it’s not a problem to drive the truck and the DEF will eventually thaw out.
Also, do not fill the DEF to the top in the winter months as the DEF will expand when it freezes and this can damage the tank.
You can give us a call at 770.886.2500 if you would like to talk to one of our techs.
Geno’s Garage
Unless you’re are driving in temperatures below 5F, you probably won’t need a winter front as your truck does have the active air shutters.
I have a 2019 Ram 5500. I was told I don’t need a winter grill because it has one that automatically compensates for temperature. Is this adequate for most winter conditions?
Thanks for this post Geno, how is the Cummins DEF system affected by cold weather. I live at 9000’ and below Zero frequently. TIA
Chris,
The problem may be either the air intake sensor or the A/C clutch.
If you can get your hand on an OBDII scanner, do a cold start with your truck and see what temperature it shows. it should match the ambient temperature outdoors. If it doesn’t, it points to a bad sensor.
With the A/C clutch, if it is bad it could be pulling too many amps and dimming the lights.
If you still want some tech help, you can give us a call.
In my 2004 Ram 2500 5.9 I notice the symptom of fluctuating headlight and interior light brightness and speed changes to the cab heater that you attribute to the the grid heater coming on and off as the engine warms up. But — I also notice this in the summer with the air conditioner fan and output on a 90 degree day. Lights and a/c fluctuate. Could the grid heater be operating when ambient air temps are that high?
I live in northern Alberta where its not unusual to experience extended periods of -40F in the winter . I have found that adding a oil pan heater along with my block heater makes cold morning starts a breeze . I also use battery blankets and a winter front that I purchased from Geno’s ( best winter front on the market in my opinion ) .
Thank You Very Much, I’ll look into that.
We’ve found that this is not an uncommon problem with Ram Turbo Diesel trucks and other diesel powered vehicles that operate at altitude. The problem seems to be hit or miss as similar vehicles may not have an issue with altitude. It might be that the barometric reading to the MAP sensor may not be correct and you may have to try another MAP sensor or find a local shop to help diagnose the problem.
2015 Ram2500 CC 4×4 Cummins 68RFE
What year is your truck?
Your truck engine will not warm up as it idles because the diesel engine is efficient enough that it will not generate a lot of heat until you are driving it. So, the answer is that there is no benefit to letting your truck warm up before you start driving it.
As far as your truck, it is unusual for the engine to drop in temperature once it is warmed up. This points to your truck possibly having a problem with the thermostat sticking open.
Hello, have question about injector clatter at high altitude and low temps. I normally have my truck at aprox. 700ft above sea level. I drove my truck to CO for a ski trip 5-9000ft above sea level and 5-45deg. F. and had horrible injector clatter from light throotle 1500rpm – aprox 2100rpm even with eng. fully warmed up. Below that and lugging, engine was quiet. Applying 60% throttle and up, it was quieter also. Idle was quiet and just off idle to 1400rpm was quiet. Ive had 3 diesels and never had one this loud like the injectors or valves were going to blow out the eng. Truck ran fine except for the noise. Returned back home a week later and truck is back to normal.
Doug – looks like Geno’s misinterpreted you as asking about the 110v block heater.
Yes, get a Webasto. Can’t beat it.
When I start my 05 5.9L and let it run for any amount of time, the temp gauge remains unmoved. In addition, whenever I’ve brought my truck up to operating temps and stop, the gauge begins to drop immediately. I’m assuming both of these are normal as the trucks been well taken care of and doesn’t act like its having any issues in starting or running. What’s the point of letting the truck sit there to “warm up” at idle if its not seeming to get any warmer? Obviously I’m taking it easy until it gets up to operating temp, but is there any benefit to letting it sit there for 10 minutes when after that time it still acts cold?
If the temperature gets below zero, a block heater almost becomes a necessity to get the truck started.
I was wondering what your thoughts are on a Webasto Coolant Heater for my 2017 Ram diesel – is it overkill? I live in Alberta where can get cold weather for a couple weeks each winter.
If the “Wait to Start” light doesn’t come on, but your truck starts just fine, there is no problem. The engine block heater is probably making the engine warm enough that the light doesn’t come on. Your truck does not have glow plugs.
If there is a delay and your truck won’t start, there might be a problem with the ECM. It doesn’t sound like you’re having this problem.
I bought a 2006 diesle 3500 Dodge ram . The glow plug light came on all the time..Now that winter has arrived I have pluged it in over night..But now when I turn it on the glow plug light will not come on…
The engine block heater draws 750 watts.
I have a 2017 2500 6.7 diesel. Can you tell me how many watts the engine block heater draws? Was wondering if my 1000 watt gen set would be able to preheat the engine when left for extended periods in remote conditions.
I visit each day a few blogs and websites to read articles or reviews, except this blog provides quality based articles.
Follow up:
We have confirmed that the heating element has a thermostat that will turn the element off automatically when the desired temperature is reached. The install is very easy with their fuse tap setup. The ECM does control the factory fuel heater based off the temperature it is reading. So you could wire the FASS harness into the factory fuel heater element power supply and therefore would only be powered to operate when the ECM says so. We cannot not verify if this would allow the element to be powered more or less than if he would wire it as per FASS’s instructions.
Vinny,
We’re working on getting an answer to your question. We have some questions of our own about how the system is designed to work.
Regards,
Geno’s Garage
On my 2011 6.7 is the fuel filter heater controlled by the ECM or is the plug going into the housing just a power source? Reason Im asking is I plan on running a Fass with there heater and deleting my stock fuel filter. I would like if possible to run fass’s heater off the stock fuel heater plug instead of running there harness to the battery a relay and then tryin to find a key on and off in the breaker box.
It can be the batteries that can cause this, but with this problem it is likely it is the fuel injectors that are the issue. Using starting fluid typically doesn’t cause harm to the engine, but the danger is using it if the grid heater is on causing it to ignite in the intake system and damaging something.
03 Ram 5.9 will not start when colder than 40′ or so. ‘Used to plug in for an hour or so and it would start. Then once I left it plugged in all night and now it doesn’t work at all; will not start after being plugged in for an hour or more. ‘Been using starter spray (in little red plug in air filter) forever as the only way to start in cold weather. Am I hurting the engine using the spray? If so why is the red plug in the air filter? I had the air heater examined and was told it was fine but still will not start without spray. After running awhile it starts fine all day long no matter how long it”s been off.
Hello Eloy,
All sorts of opinions on this, but generally folks let their truck warm up for maybe ten minutes or so and drive them. It will take longer for your truck to warm up with it idling than driving it easy to warm up.
Hello Hector,
I won’t be a problem to leave your truck plugged in overnight, but it does pull about 1200 watts and could run up your electrical bill. What some people do is plug into a timer that starts heating up the engine a couple of hours before you need it.
Regards,
Geno’s Garage
Just bought my 1st diesel a 2008 Dodge Ram 2500 with a 6.7 diesel .Just wondering how long of a warm up should I do in 20 to 30 degree weather?
Originally from the warmer Austin, TX, I have a 2005 Ram 3500, I moved to Denver, CO for a new career, I’m not quite familiar with the cold start or let me say about “plugging it in”. My neighbor also has a Ram 2500 who leaves his truck plugged in around 8-9 pm and still is plugged in by the time I leave home for work at 6:15 am. Will it has any effect on my 3500 if I just leave it plugged all night or should I limit it to 2 hours or so? When I wake up at 5 am, it’s around 5 degree and I go right outside to plug it in before starting my coffee and shower. I have read the owner’s manual, but it said nothing about not leaving it all night. Please advise.
It sounds like it might be either injectors or more likely a problem with the batteries. If either one or both of the batteries are not putting out the required amps, your truck will have starting problems.
Download The Perfect Collection and go to page 144 for more explanation.
https://s3.amazonaws.com/cdn.genosgarage.com/downloads/TechPDF/ThePerfectCollection2018.pdf
What a about not starting at 30 degrees or so? It’s a 2003 3500 and it use to star when in the teens – though it did better when plugged in, now it will not start unless it is plugged in even in the 30’s
You’re welcome and glad they are helpful. Not sure how much of the winter tips you’re going to need down in the Keys. 🙂
I like the efforts you have put in this, thank you for all
the great posts.
Hello Calvin,
If you’ve found that Power Service additives are approved for Cummins diesel engines, there’s no problem using a product other than what we recommended in our article. It’s sometimes difficult to cover all of the products available.
Regards,
Geno’s Garage
Power Service additives hace a cummins endorsement , are they not safe to use ?
You don’t need to freak out. The truck will be fine being driven after a few minutes as long as it isn’t abused.
Geno’s
Certain people like to jump in my truck, start it and leave after about 2-3 minute warm up. It averages about 25_30 at night here. It is a 2017 2500 Cummins…. Should I continue to freak out and get upset with them it is it really not that bad. ……….I have the freaking remote start, and I think that is why it pisses me off even more.
John,
The reason for no-start could be any number of things, but a common problem is with the fuel START/RUN solenoid. Here’s a tip you can try:
Should the fuel START/RUN solenoid fail to energize (come up) and/or hold in the “UP” position, do not let its malfunction leave you stranded. Have an assistant attempt to start your truck while you move the solenoid’s plunger up to the “RUN” position. If it starts and the solenoid holds in the “RUN” position, drive it to your destination for further troubleshooting as time permits. If the solenoid fails to hold in the “RUN” position, tie-wrap it in the “RUN” position, and drive it to your destination. Cut the wrap, and the engine will stop.
So, we presented a tip to get you to a desired location. Does the problem lie with the solenoid, the relay to the solenoid, the fuseable link that feeds the solenoid or a fuse?
Do a voltage check at the solenoid’s three-wire connector. Negative goes to the Black/Red trace wire. On “START”, positive 12-volts will be at the Red/Black trace wire.
If voltage is present for “START” the solenoid is likely the problem.
No voltage for “START”? Chances are that the solenoid is okay. Check the relay, fuseable link or fuse #9 as the source of the electrical malfunction.
I have 5.9 in rv cannot get it started ,should i deptress tgrottle a little,as i read this trick some ehere ,john
Hank,
This is normal. This is the grid heaters turning on and off. It will do this until the engine warms up completely.
Regards,
Geno’s Garage
Hello Ernie,
Your best bet is going to be to check with your local dealer to see if there is a transmission flash update or if your truck has some electronic gremlins in the valve body.
Regards,
Geno’s Garage
I have a 2017 Ram Cummins 6.7 with an automatic transmission. I enjoy the truck very much as this is my first diesel. My question is this; when driving, especially when starting from stop the transmission seems to upshift through the gears faster than would seem normal and seems slow to downshift when starting up mild grades. the result is lugging. Is this a problem? I have recently started using the manual selector when driving on local roads to prevent lugging. Should I rely on the trans computer to determine shifting times or continue manual shifting?
I just bought a 2017 2500 dodge diesel , it has 25,000
Miles This being my first winter with it , after start up and letting it idle for at least 5 to 10 min, I put the truck in gear and nearly touching the gas pedal the rpm’s fluctuate couple hundred , when I accelerate it’s fine .
It only does this when it’s below 50 deg,and the truck runs fine when it warms up
Cody,
Whether the heated fuel filter housing is controlled by a sensor or thermostat, they come on at a certain temperature.
Geno’s
So do the heated fuel filter housings come on automatically at a certain temp while the truck is off or is it just meaning that they are on any time the truck is running?
Terry,
When you plug the block heater in it is always on.
Geno’s
Is the Cummins block heater always on when it is plugged in or does it have a thermostat to turn it on when it reaches a certain temperature, 2017 ram
Glad the tips were able to help you out and save you some money. Give us a call if you have a tech question you need solved.
Ahhh. This explains so much! I’m a new diesel owner and did not know about the voltmeter dance or the other tips! I thought something was wrong with my truck. I stumbled on this site researching how to stop the occasional “click, no start” problem. Still haven’t solved that, but you’ve just saved me the cost of ANOTHER pair of brand new batteries and cables! Thanks!
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A lot of good knowledge, thank you