My wait to start light does not stay on very long

[fx4wannabe]

I just checked my glow plugs today and had 4 bad so ordered a set.

 

[ron kruysman]

I do what ever I can not to use any glow plugs at all. The compression in these engine must not be very high because my other diesels don't even have glow plugs.

 

[79jasper]

Lol. These engines have the highest compression vs other diesels, next to the GM idi engines.
Your other engines are probably direct injected and/or have grid heaters.
Unless you're talking old big rig, it's a mystery to me how they start so easy without any start aids.
+1 on just a manual glowplug setup.

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[ron kruysman]

Yes they are direct inject, one is a john deer/Lull fork lift, the other is an Iveco/Duitz which has one glow plug in the intake manifold that shoots raw fuel through it. The fuel ignites and is drawn into the cylinders burning it is controlled by a toggle switch on the dash. It really works great.

 

[madpogue]

On that Iveco, if the fuel ignites before going into the combustion chamber, the energy release wouldn't push the pistons to turn the engine. What you're describing is probably just an air heater, that provides hot air into the chambers. Extremely common with small diesels.

Let's not forget that glow plugs provide HEAT, not ignition. HEAT ignites diesel fuel, but only under COMPRESSION.

 

[fx4wannabe]

My cummins was the easiest starting diesel I have ever owned. I took the grid heater out of it and it would still start first lick on a 20 degree morning. Never had a Duramax but seems like they start pretty easy as well.

 

[franklin2]

The little voltage drop that it takes to hold the solinod on is negligible . If you plug in the block heater, you never have to use the glow plugs plus you have instant heat in the cab.

Do you have a timer on your block heater? I bet a block heater makes a noticeable difference in your electric bill. I don't use it.

 

[ron kruysman]

I have a remote switch that I can activate from inside the house about an hour before starting.

 

[fx4wannabe]

I just plug mine in 2-3 hrs before I leave in the am.

 

[79jasper]

Most duramaxs do start easy, but with any engine, I've seem some that were ridiculous.
I think most cummins crank a lot faster than other diesels. At least seems like it.
Someone calculated what the electric cost of the block heater is, it wasn't that much.


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[fx4wannabe]

Cummins do spin a lot faster. 2 less cylinders, and inline motor so less friction, and lower compression would lead to that. If I had to roll it off I only needed about 10 feet that's how easy it started. If it had been paid for when I closed my company I would have kept it. It was a sweet truck with everything I had done to it.