02Oilburner
SDD Power Hungry
My truck smokes like crazy when I start it and it is cold outside. It stops after a min or 2. Is this normal?
Smokey Cold starts
- Thread starter 02Oilburner
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02Oilburner
SDD Power Hungry
It is a light blue color. I run glow plug cycle 2 or 3 times when cold and she is very grumpy when first started. I was thinking of getting the stancor relay. Would this help with starts. I do have AIH deleted. Does that make it harder to start also. Its only 35 degrees for lows here in Raleigh, NC but the old girl hates starts colder than the 40's.
JRJ04
Senior Member
If you've got a good, strong glowplug system, you shouldnt need to cycle them 2-3 times at those temps. My guess is you've got a bad plug or 2 (or on their way out).
The stancor relay will certainly help, but if youve got bad plugs...its not going to fix your problem.
The stancor relay will certainly help, but if youve got bad plugs...its not going to fix your problem.
rammertide07
Full Access Member
I'd say its normal, how many miles on those injectors? I've started plugging my truck up...even though its getting down into the 40s-low 30's. Even though I got a good glow plug system, I like having the block warm so I dont have to wait 15 min for it to get good and warm.
02Oilburner
SDD Power Hungry
I have 15,000 miles on the injectors. Plugging it in definitely helps but runs my power bill through the roof! Im not sure if the glow plugs have ever been changed. Is it a pain in the rear?
rammertide07
Full Access Member
Curious to the answer to this question myself. I've always took my truck somewhere to have it done.
I have considered putting the plug-in for the block heater on a timer.....making it come on like an hour before I'm ready to leave in the morning. I just havn't found a timer that appealed to the user friendly settings. How much increase in power bill have you seen?
02Oilburner
SDD Power Hungry
I have a timer that I might try also. If i left it plugged in all night it was somewhere around 30 to 45 dollars more per month.
JRJ04
Senior Member
Theoritically speaking...no, its not a hard job. You pull the valve covers, disconnect the harness to each glow plug, then unscrew them and install new ones, reconnect the harness and you're up and running.
Where you can run into trouble is the tips of them have been known to break off from time to time because of being old/brittle OR not being oem. All in all...pretty easy job...should be able to knock it out in 1.5 hr's max.
Yul need at [least] a 15 amp timer.. 20 is better (Home Depot/Lowes), and at least a 12 gauge extension cord, to safely & effeciently handle the wattage/amps. At overnight temps in the 20's, to say 40*, 2~3 hours is all you need.. to warm the block a bit. Colder than that (?).. another couple hours.. Maybe.
And as always ? For the newer PSD owners ? The Block Heater Does Not/Will Not.. heat the block to Op Temp.
When you climb in..(after you unplug it
) if the temp gauge jumps up, off the Cold peg, Just A Bit (?) yer good to go.Joe
Over the course of the Winter, depending on block heater usage.. ? We may need to add some coolant too. The block heater can tend to.. "Cook", some of the H2O, out of the Glycol.
Not To Worry.. if you need to add some coolant ?
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