just made the switch
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just made the switch
This is my first,dodge diesel,2006 3500srw with the auto,hope i didnt make a mistake on the auto.just traded my 2006 f250 cause of the turbo farts ford wouldnt fix.on ? i got for now is where is the glow plug light,and what kind of mpg's can i expect?
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Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 4,569
Likes: 40
From: League City, TX
Welcome to DTR and congrats on your new purchase.
No glow plugs in our Cummins engines, Cummins uses what is called a grid heater. They are located in the intake tract just before it enters the manifold. The grid heater is a much better setup than glow plugs, because with glow plugs you may not know if you have any dead ones until your engine won't start or is very hard to start in cold weather. With grid heaters you will know if they are dead or not as they draw 90 amps apiece (we have 2 heaters, one right on top of the other), and you will notice if they don't turn on.
Quick rundown of thier operation:
At AAT (ambient air temperature) above 60°F the grids do not turn on since hte air is warm enough to start the engine. (I believe the engine will start at -10°F without them or the block heater).
At 59° and below, the grids will warm up for 10 seconds prior to starting the engine, and will cycle on and off as the engine runs to aid warmup. The cycling will stop when truck speed goes over 25 MPH or when coolant temp reaches 140°F. It is normal to see the lights dim and volt voltmeter drop slightly when the grids are turned on (best indication to know that they work).
At 32°F and below the grids stay on for 30 seconds prior to startup, and will cycle in the same fashion as above after startup.
As far as MPGs go they are decent for full size trucks, mine (a 2nd gen 1994-2002) gets 18-19 MPG city and mid 20s highway. I also have 3.54 gears in the rear end which helps with the mileage. Since you have the 3rd gen (2003-present) your only option for rear end ratios are 3.73's and 4.10's. Not knowing your rear end ratio and driving style I am going to guess that your mileage will be around 15-20 MPG.
Once again welcome to DTR
!!!
No glow plugs in our Cummins engines, Cummins uses what is called a grid heater. They are located in the intake tract just before it enters the manifold. The grid heater is a much better setup than glow plugs, because with glow plugs you may not know if you have any dead ones until your engine won't start or is very hard to start in cold weather. With grid heaters you will know if they are dead or not as they draw 90 amps apiece (we have 2 heaters, one right on top of the other), and you will notice if they don't turn on.
Quick rundown of thier operation:
At AAT (ambient air temperature) above 60°F the grids do not turn on since hte air is warm enough to start the engine. (I believe the engine will start at -10°F without them or the block heater).
At 59° and below, the grids will warm up for 10 seconds prior to starting the engine, and will cycle on and off as the engine runs to aid warmup. The cycling will stop when truck speed goes over 25 MPH or when coolant temp reaches 140°F. It is normal to see the lights dim and volt voltmeter drop slightly when the grids are turned on (best indication to know that they work).
At 32°F and below the grids stay on for 30 seconds prior to startup, and will cycle in the same fashion as above after startup.
As far as MPGs go they are decent for full size trucks, mine (a 2nd gen 1994-2002) gets 18-19 MPG city and mid 20s highway. I also have 3.54 gears in the rear end which helps with the mileage. Since you have the 3rd gen (2003-present) your only option for rear end ratios are 3.73's and 4.10's. Not knowing your rear end ratio and driving style I am going to guess that your mileage will be around 15-20 MPG.
Once again welcome to DTR
!!!
Administrator / Scooter Bum
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 9,086
Likes: 49
From: Central VA
Welcome to DTR.
And congrats on the new ride.
No Glow Plug light on a Cummins.
You'll notice the "Wait To Start" light will take longer to turn off when the night-time temps start turning cooler.
That's the Grid Heaters warming things up.
And congrats on the new ride.
No Glow Plug light on a Cummins.
You'll notice the "Wait To Start" light will take longer to turn off when the night-time temps start turning cooler.
That's the Grid Heaters warming things up.
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