I have a 2003 2500 Cummins and have experienced some cold starting issues this winter. I live in the midwest, so the temps do get down there in the winter. However, if I don't plug my truck in and the temp is below 45 degrees, it doesn't seem to matter how many times I cycle the grid heater, it doesn't want to start. If the truck has been plugged in, there are no starting issues, fires right up. I definitely feel that it is a fuel issue since I am no longer using the stock canister that contained the fuel heater. My truck has a new fuel filter, I'm religious about changing those because I don't trust the junk fuel that I buy around here. I replaced the grid heater in the early part of the winter because it had taken a dump, works fine now. A year ago, I replaced my junk lift pump with a FASS Platinum 150, great investment, the truck has never run better. Is there an after market heater that I can use with the FASS? I never had these issues before and maybe it was just a coincidence that it happened after I installed the FASS. I would appreciate any ideas/remedies on this issue or if someone has had the same experience, please share.

 

is your voltage cycling up and down with the the grid's

 

The voltage is cycling. The grid heater gets plenty hot. When I replaced the grid heater earlier this winter, I could hear the relays cycle and their was power on the trigger side, but no heat at the grid heater. That's been fixed now, which is why I think it may just be a cold flow issue with the fuel. When I installed the FASS, I ran my new fuel lines a little ways down the frame rail before running them up into the engine bay.

 

Clean your battery terminals.

Mine had this tiny tiny layer of a grey oxidation. Couldn't even see it until I started cleaning the terminals but it was enough that affected the connection enough that the starter couldn't crank the motor fast enough.

I was having the same issue you were and that cleared it right up.

 

Thanks, I'll give it a try and let everybody know how it works. Would yours still start right up if it was plugged in, but wouldn't start if it wasn't plugged in? I will be embarassed if that fixes the problem, but I will confess that in the nearly 8 years that I've owned the truck that I've never cleaned the battery terminals because I haven't seen the need.

 

Fixed it 100%.

It may sound like you're truck is cranking strong but likely it's not. For cold starts the starter has to maintain a farily high consistant RPM to get the truck fired. With dirty terminals it's almost impossbile to maintain those RPM's.

 

Well, I tried that with big hopes, but no result. I didn't use a terminal brush/cleaner, but I did use a couple different size wire brushes that I have. The terminals are definitely cleaner. For the most part, they were shining when I was done. I'll try it again with a terminal tool, but they are pretty clean, with no new result. My guess is that when you cleaned your terminals that you were still utilizing your original fuel filter canister with the fuel heater. I cycled the grid heater about 4 times before I tried starting it and nothing. I had to plug it in for a couple hours after that to get it to start. Again, it leads me to believe that there is a cold flow fuel issue since I have bypassed the original fuel heater. Any other thoughts?

 

I get the impression that your batteries might have a few years on them as well?? another thing you might want to try is leave it all night with a battery charger hooked up and don't plug the block heater in . I live in Canada and most winters are alot of -20 to -40 and batteries get weak when old in the cold this way if they are full charged for sure..or load test them if you have a tester...just a suggestion..

 

I'll put the battery charger on a trickle and leave it hooked up all night. I will say that I did hook up the charger this morning, set it to "Starting Boost", cycled the grid heater about 4 times, tried to start it, and nothing. I plugged it in, waited a couple of hours and then it started fine. I'm at a loss. Any other ideas?

 

The other thing with my 12valve in cold weather sometimes i have to very slightly use a little throttle to get it to fire then it will idle low for a couple of min so i just hold it @850 manually then it is fine.. I don't know with yours being a 24 valve if it might be the same or not just a suggestion .My 12V only does this when it is cold and i have not had it plugged in and try and start it cold..in temps above freezing it fires right away with no throttle and goes right to 850 other than when the heaters kick in...hope this helps