Crappy crappy cold start!

The solenoid for the grid heater on a 5.9 vs 6.7 is irrelevant. All the solenoid does is complete the circuit. There's no difference in solenoids from 05-09. 03-05 have two because they are smaller amperage but do the same thing.

What is the amperage draw from a 5.9 vs 6.7 grid heater? Any way we can find that out?
 
Grid Heater cycling at startup - Whats Normal?

Found this. Seems pretty neat. Basically a switch that opens when water temps are over 75* and prevents the solenoid from engaging the grid heater.

Not really what you need but would help after the intitial start up.

The company that makes that product has gone out if business AFAIK.


Edit: Found a source on the Internet. Not sure how valid it is but a guy measured his 6.7 grid amp draw at or near 250 Amps. Out 5.9's have 190/220 amp alternators right?

Also found a source saying 5.9 grid heaters draw 100 amps. Not sure how valid that is tho. Acura TSX Club : Acura TSX Forum - View Single Post - Diesel Tuning..... Anybody?
 
Last edited:
Hook a toggle switch to the solonoid for the grid heater, turn it on to run the grid , then off before you crank the motor, works real well my 6.7 starts without the grid till about 10 degrees defore you need the grid .Dane
 
Another update, it's been single digits here in the am and truck will start. Is really really not happy about it. Cough chug cough cough. Smokes like crazy (un burnt fuel). Grid heater unplugged btw.

It smooths out and a min or so then cleans up and runs fine.

Today I completely removed the factory grid heater and replaced everything with the Glacier Diesel Performance intake.
I also installed their grid heater that's now in the cold boost pipe.

Fired it up and same thing, cough chug cough cough smoke out the wazoo (yed that's a word).

SO, I thought well what if the alternator is just not up to the task of running the grid heater as well as the rest of the stuff on start up?
15 volts with no load at 1600rpm should be enough but what if?
So I replaced it with a brand new one.

Same problem same voltage.

Unhooked the 12v lead at the heater and no problems so I know they're isn't a short in the relay or to the heater.

I can touch the lead to the heater when the relay clicks on and it runs like ass.

I'm about to find some tracks to park it on.

sent from my mobile thingy while picking my nose.
 
zukgod1 said:
Another update, it's been single digits here in the am and truck will start. Is really really not happy about it. Cough chug cough cough. Smokes like crazy (un burnt fuel). Grid heater unplugged btw.

It smooths out and a min or so then cleans up and runs fine.

Today I completely removed the factory grid heater and replaced everything with the Glacier Diesel Performance intake.
I also installed their grid heater that's now in the cold boost pipe.

Fired it up and same thing, cough chug cough cough smoke out the wazoo (yed that's a word).

SO, I thought well what if the alternator is just not up to the task of running the grid heater as well as the rest of the stuff on start up?
15 volts with no load at 1600rpm should be enough but what if?
So I replaced it with a brand new one.

Same problem same voltage.

Unhooked the 12v lead at the heater and no problems so I know they're isn't a short in the relay or to the heater.

I can touch the lead to the heater when the relay clicks on and it runs like ass.

I'm about to find some tracks to park it on.

sent from my mobile thingy while picking my nose.
Click to expand...


So a brand new alternator can't keep up with it? Maybe dual alternators at in your future.
 
Unhook the trigger wire from the solenoid, and trigger it with a jumper to the battery. If it runs fine, its a harness/ecm issue. If it does the same thing I don't know what to say, other than dual/ larger alternators won't help it, the alternator wouldn't support that current on any truck, that's what the battery is there for.
 
I'm beginning to wonder if I have a ECM issue here.
The ECM runs the alternator and if it's not commanding the alternator to go (more) then there ya go.
I mean brand new batteries brand new

I really don't want to add a toggle switch, its a 2007 for hells sake not a 69.
However I've been tempted on more then one occasion.

sent from my mobile thingy while picking my nose.
 
The more I think about this the more I think there are 2 separate issues.

The crappy start is two fold, even with the grid heater unplugged it coughs and Smokes for a few seconds pretty much every time. It's just horribly worse with the heater plugged in.

So I'm thinking I probably have a dripping injector?
Makes sense no? Unburnt fuel sitting inthe pistonbowl is causing a rough smoky start.

I would hazard a guess that the grid heater would be a non issue.

Crap, that means I need to pull them AGAIN and have them checked.

sent from my mobile thingy while picking my nose.
 
Try capping the injectors one by one before you start cold every day. Maybe that will narrow down the faulty injector if that is the problem. I would cap the line the night prior then crank next morning and see how the smoke show compares to the previous morning.
 
The problem is the 5.9 ECM with 6.7 injectors. The timing at start up is retarded to much and I am assuming that it runs very ruff with lots of white smoke? I have a 6.7 Cummins in my Ford and I swapped the 6.7 ECM with a 07 5.9 ECM and tuned it with EFI Live and the engine ran like crap in cold weather. Got tired of trying to get it to run right so I put the 6.7 ECM back in and it starts and runs so nice with no smoke and a very smooth idle (last week it was 15 degrees and it started right up with no grid heater, block heater, or heated fuel.
Many people will say that the 5.9 ECM will run 6.7 injectors just fine, but I can assure you they don't.
 
I guess we'll see.

Funny that out of all the swaps it there we are the only 2 with this issue?

I don't have a 6.7 ecm or harness so I'll be doing some more research before I go changing the computer.

sent from my mobile thingy while picking my nose.
 
Last edited:
Do you know if the 6.7 has the same pinouts as the 5.9?
As I don't have a 6.7 harness I would have to use the 5.9.

sent from my mobile thingy while picking my nose.
 
Well you will NEVER guess what finally fixed my problem.











EVERY freaking valve was too tight.


I'm guessing when the new HG and ARP's were installed the valves were not ever re-adjusted.


The list of things I did (and told my wife I needed to do) to fix this is long.




Well let this be a lesson to us all. Check the easy stuff first.




The 5.9 ECM runs the 6.7 Injectors just fine.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top