Starting Procedure

[MaxDiesel]

In the morning after the 3-5 seconds you wait for the glow plug light to go off, I turn the key without touching anything else and the Dmax immediatly starts.

However, during the day when I'm getting in and out of the truck, the starts are not so easy. I usually have to lay on the starter for about 2-3 seconds or give the gas pedal a pump and then start the truck.

Does anyone have a procedure or thoughts on how to have the truck start or catch as quickly as it does in the first morning start?

Thanks

Jim

[Jim Cobler]

When I shut down my truck, I make a point of turning off the electrical items like A/C and radio. In addition, I also always set the footbrake. Besides just being a good idea, in my opinion, it will not allow the headlights to come on before starting. This my not make a big difference but I just don't like the idea of running these items on low voltage when starting the engine. To me, it just makes sense to reduce the electric load on a diesel during starting.

Saying that, my truck has always just started almost immediately hot or cold.

[Kennedy]

Just crank till it fires. No need to touch the go pedal. May take a second or two more when warm, but no big deal. They will start decent down to 30

[rmlm]

MaxDiesel

My experience has been the same. Seemed like a long time cranking when warm. I have a pair of the 5.9 Cummins in my boat (no glow plugs, no heated air, just basic engine - two valve heads) and they start in about 1/2 second when warm - just the slightest tap on the start button and they're running. (Cold is another story.) I've wondered about the Dmax but not really worried. It almost seems like it has to "boot" all the electronics before it's ready to start ;) ;)

Mentioned it to the dealer when in for updateing the ECM/TCM and the tech did some time checks - said it fit the "profile". Don't know about that but still definitely slower than I expected.

On the other hand - just as fast as most of the gassers I've owned so I'm not losing any sleep over it smile.gif smile.gif

[MaxDiesel]

Thanks for the pointers. I guess that fact that I have had only gassers in the past and they alsways started cold or warm with just a tap of the key is what made me concerned with the 2 or 3 times it sometimes take to start the dmax when it was warm.

After the 2nd time I would pump the go pedal and cramk a little bit longer and it fires. I just don't want to wait. It a fast food kind of thing!

[TBC]

Pressing the accelerator pedal during start does nothing more than exercise your leg. The fuel for start is controlled by the computer and the accelerator only becomes active after start. The acclerator controls a rheostat (basically) which makes electrical inputs to the throttle position sensor.

What you are describing is seems to be normal starting. When the engine is hot the fuel vaporizes and it is not always the correct temp to provide the best fuel/air mixture for start therefore it takes a tad more fuel added by a slightly longer crank cycle to have the right combustion mixture.

Tom