RacerDude

Hello people, new CTD owner here. Last Monday I purchased a '97 2500 5-speed with 128,000 miles on it. First pickup and first diesel I've owned. Heard and read lots of good things about these motors. I don't have any immediate plans for any engine mods as just buying the thing drained me for a little while.

Anyway, I want to take care of this thing and make it last. I'd like to know what the warm up procedure should be in the mornings. Usually in the 20's here in the mornings, how long should I let it warm up before taking off (empty)? So far I just let it run for about a minute to get things flowing and then take it easy for a few miles. I get some white smoke if I give it very much throttle at all when it's cold, but I'm assuming that's normal diesel behavior. If I have a load should I let it warm up longer? Does it hurt it to just let it idle for a while when it's cold to warm it up? It's farily common at rest areas to hear trucks idling while the drivers are sleeping, would it damage this engine to let it idle like that for an hour or two? What should I consider to be a minimum rpm before it's considered lugging the engine. So far around town I sometimes accelerate from 1000 rpm, like when turning a corner in 3rd gear.

I will be making occasional (2-3 times a year) pulls with this truck, towing a 6x14 enclosed trailer weighing anywhere from 4500 to 8000 lbs. I have pulled this weight several time with my brother's '90 Ford with a 351 gas motor and am looking forward to using something built for the job. Any special considerations I should take? Will it stand up to uphill pulls in the 2500-rpm range?

I know, lot's of questions, but there seems to be a lot of experience present on this board and I thought I'd try to take advantage of it. Maybe sometime I'll gain enough experience to be able to return the favor.

Thanks in advance
RacerDude

Ramflasher

Let me try to answer a few of your questions...

I believe you are doing fine with your startup and warmup procedures. Start it up, let things get flowing, and take of slowly. I would not rev up a cold engine.

Idling for more than about 5 minutes is not a good idea. These Cummins in a dodge are capable of over-cooling, and can get to a point where there is not enough heat generated by an idling engine to efficiently burn your fuel. This could cause cylinder washdown, which causes premature wear. If you want to idle for longer periods, I would suggest and exhaust brake to put a slight load on the engine, or one of the many fast idle kits that are available. Your motor will probably not come off of the cold mark while idling unless you put a load on it or bring the rpms up a bit.

Lugging is a bit more difficult to quantify... if you hit the throttle and your truck starts to jump like a frog, you are lugging it. Just get into the habit of grabbing a lower gear as you go into a corner.

You should notice a world of difference in towing! Better mileage, too! Good Luck with your new toy!

MnTom

Sounds to me like you are doing O.K. with the warmup. The only thing I might add to it is try to keep the RPMs below 2000 until you see some movement on the temp gauge. As far as lugging it, If you are at 1500 RPM and have your foot to the floor and it won't pick up RPMs, then you are lugging it. If you are at 1000 RPM and you lightly step on the throttle and the RPMs come up easily, then you are not hurting it. Also, keep an eye on the pyrometer if your truck has one. If it does not, I strongly urge you to put one on.
Tom

Srigs

Sounds like the perfect truck for you. Towing won't be a problem with your rig.

Let her warm up a couple minutes at 1000 RPMs to help and plug in the truck for 1 to 2 hours in the morning to make it easier to get going in the morning.

Keep asking questions because that is how you learn and we are glad to help. Srigs

Dieseldude4x4

If you are in the 20's in the morning, I would also recommend you plug it in for the night or atleast for about two hours before you leave. I leave mine plugged all night but I don't worry about the electric bill either. If the bill is an issue, get a timer and set it to come on about two to three hours before you leave. Your truck will thank you.
Good luck and enjoy.

kandgo

Hey,racerdude,there are no dumb questions,ask away, congradulations on the new to you truck, I might add to change out all the fluids and filters, use fleetguard or dodge or you may be hung around here they are the best tho. Also be sure that the Killer dowel pin is secured, let us know if you need the info to repair it yourself it is a easy repair and will save you lots of moola if it ever falls. Goodluck, Rick

Dr. Evil

I second Ricks comments.....make SURE you repair the KDP ASAP....this is very important, especially on a 97 - they seem to be the worst offenders...

RacerDude

Well, this sucks, after a week the dealer/bank tried to raise the interest rate from the 9% that I agreed to to 19% (yes, that's 19), so I said no thanks and gave them the truck back.

Thanks for all the advice guys, I will definitely be looking for another one in the not-too-distant future.

RD

MnTom

Keep your eyes open and you will find what you want. Something that you should look into is getting "pre-qualified" for a loan. That way you know how much you have to work with so you don't get dissapointed when you find that dream truck. Then when you find the one you want you just write out the check and go sign the papers. My wife and I did that when we bought mine and it was a real nice way to go.
GOOD LUCK
Tom