So last week we got our first below freezing morning, so i go out to start the truck, and it wont start, been a couple of weeks, but never had any problems out of it. So i cycle the grid heaters twice and try again, and it tries but won't fire, now the batts are low so i throw the charger on them, give it a few and try again, once again twice on the heater, then crank....well it fires but its really ugly, white grey smoke just belching out the stacks, and only running on a couple of cylinders, as the truck sounds like it has a huge cam in it and its shaking the truck really bad!! After a couple of minutes all the sudden it clears up and smooths out, so off i go hunting, no more issues till the next day, when its down to 30 and it starts the same way, not as bad but not on all cylinders, then clears up and is fine, i did check the mileage and it has dropped buy about 5mpg. Ive got 150 sticks in it, and was thinking about dropping back to 100's or even 75's, (got it where i want it and not doing the dyno thing anymore) this is my workhorse as i tow and 30ft 5th wheel with a 26ft scarab boat behind that, and it pulls awesome!! So just wondering if i've got a bad injector or 's.. no codes are showing on the reader. Never had a stick go bad so not really forsure what it does!! Thanks for any info...

 

Capnram,
I may be totally off base here but I wonder if the white smoke is unburnt fuel because your grid heaters aren't running enough. I am grasping at straws here but I am just thinking that maybe your batteries are dying and not able to heat your grids properly.

 

I would lean more towards a fuel leak letting it get air in the syst. while it sits.

 

sounds like a grid heater issue which as stated before could be weak batteries or charging system. If it was a air issue it would do it everytime. White smoke is unburnt fuel not a air leak

 

Batteries are new yellow top optimas, charging system is good, and only when its gettin cold? No fuel leaks, and when its warm it cranks right up??

 

So here is a crazy question, do you know your grid heaters are actually working? I keep coming back to that because of the symptoms relationship to the outside weather.

 

I do not yet, been sick the last 2 days on the couch, so been doing alot of surfing on grid heaters, its 32 out right now, and i'm feeling better, heading out now to see if the heaters are even gettin the 12 volts, if not then i'll start doing the full check out on relays, grounds, grid heaters ect ect... i'll keep ya posted!! Thanks for the info...

 

...............get ur valves adjusted..............kim..........

 

So finally got out to check the grid heaters, and i have no voltage at the 2 post on the grid heater...so now where do i start lookin to see whats goin on?? thanks for any info..its gettin cold here in MT and hes not liking it!!!

 

Here you go........

http://dodgeram.org/tech/dsl/trouble...niford_htr.htm

 

We have a winner!

Check for fuel tank pressure (does it hiss through the vent?)

Check for air leakage on the supply side.

The truck is losing prime because air is coming into the system through a small leak.


This can be a bad injector copper sealing washer, or a nick in the HPC o-ring. Basically, the entire drain system for the fuel needs to be airtight.


I've produced this exact behavior in my truck.


If you want to demonstrate to yourself if it's drain system related, park the truck nose down (downhill) and watch the hard starting disappear. If it doesn't, the air leak is elsewhere.

 

Grid heaters help starting but will NOT cause rough running.

I've started my truck in 20F temps with no grid heater cycle at all. Did it yesterday actually.

 

Ok so spent the afternoon, trouble shooting, and it ended up being the grid heater relays, replaced that and good to go, susposed to be down to 0 this weekend so we'll see what happens!! Thanks for all the info, now i'll see if the rough starting persist!!