This has just happened in the last couple of weeks. Temps. are in the 20's truck sits outside all night, next morning I try to start after "Wait to Start" light goes out and engine cranks over but won't start. Never has failed me before up to this point. After several trys of cycling the "Wait to Start" mode it will fire. But does so because I half throttle it and keep cranking {Don't want to wear starter out}. I tried "Infidels" sugesstion of recrimping the grid solenoids' wires but that didn't seem to help. The batterys are aprox. 36 months old could this be the problem, I will have them checked but with the multi-meter the batterys read 13.45 without truck running. . Truck will start with no problems after initial start up, no misses or fueling problems. Just cold mornings are tough. It will also do the same after being plugged into house current all night. Will the house current stop at the solenoids if solenoids are bad and not heat up the grids? If so maybe the solenoids are bad?
Thanks in advance, Ray

 

hey reelay

got a silly question for you

when you plug the truck in can you hear the block heater turn on
should make a "shhhhh" sound.

my truck did that to me and turn out that the cord went bad and also lost the solenoids to the grid heaters
had alot fun trying to get it started in the mts (hunting deer)

the grids are different than the block heater

when you plug it in, the block heater is turned on, there nothing between the blockheater and the wall outlet

when you start your truck and the "wait to start" light is on the grids heaters are on, and will suck electricity when its running (dimming lights) they run through the solenoids on the fender of the truck

 

Is the truck hard to start when it isn't cold, if so you may want to consider a leak in the fuel system that is allowing fuel to leak down overnight and cause you starting problems. Something like a bad seal around a fuel filter or line somewhere. May not be the problem, but I have seen this before in trucks that required a lot of cranking on to start.

 

I don't have any problems with the block heater making a shhh- sound or any fuel leaks. The truck runs fine after intial start up. Going to double check the batterys. Plugged in for tonight to try process of elimation.
Thanks for your input.l

 

Update, thanks for the inputs, had the truck plugged into the house current last night and truck started up perfectly this early morning. So I think I'm down to the batterys or solenoids. I'll have those batterys tested at my local "Les Schwaub" tire center where the batterys were purchased 36 months ago just to have piece of mind. Next will be the solenoids.--Thanks again--Ray

 

Does anyone have any pictures of the heater grids and locations in a 95 Cummins and how to check to see if they are working properly --Thanks

 

Your grid heaters are located below the intake "horn" , as the air enters the intake manifold. To test them , i would attach one probe of a volt meter to the power stud on the heater (just one of them at a time) and the other end to the negative post of the battery, then get in the truck and turn the key on , it should read battery voltage. Try that test and we can go from there.

You can see the 2 wires for the grids here in this picture , large wires to the left and down of the dipstick , going into the intake horn.

 

Thanks for your reply JKM, I will do this after the weekend is over, going out of town. Get back to you later with the results.--Regards

 

I am reading no voltage at all to the grid heater studs with positive probe, the key in the "wait to start" position with ground on the battery neg post. It is aprox. 56* outside now I started the truck early this morning after cranking it a few times, temp. then was 36* it had sat for two days prior to starting.--Thanks, Ray