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Starting an LMTV in the cold is like

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Ned81

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Awesomeness said:
You don't "need" to run it all night. If you turn it on even just 30-60 minutes before you start the truck, the truck will start quickly, but smoke for 15-30 seconds while everything gets going. I would just put it on an extension cord to the house, and step outside to plug it in, then go back in and get dressed/ready... by the time I was done it would start nicely.

If you plug it in for more than a few hours (e.g. on a timer that starts it at 3AM), it will start right up.

I calculated once that it costs about $2-3 to run it all night, if that's something you care about.
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Good info. Thanks!


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Ronmar

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Yea, What Awesomeness said. out in the cold, I figure the losses will equal the input after 30-45 minutes… would be pleasantly surprised to find it works with less, just havn’t had a chance to try mine yet…
 
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Ned81

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Update. 18 degrees this morning. Ran the block heater for 1 hour. Started up like it does when it’s 50 out. Not too much smoke and was running a little rough for about 5 sec then smoothed out. I left the block heater on while it idled for about 20 min. The air out of the defrost was just starting to get warm. I did bump the hand throttle a couple hundred rpms to increase the idle.


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Ronmar

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Ned81 said:
I had it going all night. I don’t having on tonight. Expecting a low of 21 tonight. I’m going to turn it on in the morning and see what happens. I’ll probably keep it on for a couple hours before I start it.


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Oh wow, no I was thinking 30 min, 45 min, maybe an hour… I wouldn't leave it on all night,
Ned81 said:
Update. 18 degrees this morning. Ran the block heater for 1 hour. Started up like it does when it’s 50 out. Not too much smoke and was running a little rough for about 5 sec then smoothed out. I left the block heater on while it idled for about 20 min. The air out of the defrost was just starting to get warm. I did bump the hand throttle a couple hundred rpms to increase the idle.


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The block heater will not help with warmup, only startup.

on the 3116 They diverted the bypass coolant from its normal Path back thru the engine where it can warm steadily to op temp, and sent it all to the trans heat exchanger. That is where all your warm coolant goes as soon as you start the truck.

Until the trans becomes a heat source that 1300# of steel and aluminum is a heat-sync and radiator.

If it is below about 65F outside the trans will absorb all the heat my engine can produce at idle. If I put mine in gear it takes about 14 min starting at 65f to just get the oil out of the trans to be warmer than the oil coming back from the heatex. To get to op temp/thermostat opening takes nearly 30 minutes from startup. Well at least tgat was how it used to work…

I re-engineered mine to put the coolant flow back to how cat intended and more like how the 3126 and C7 are plumbed. Warms up much nicer now but haven't had a chance to try it this cold since those changes…
 
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ramdough

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Ronmar said:
On the 3116 The press and release the throttle, then hold at 1/3 is for all starts, not just cold ones, but I don’t think I have ever started mine this way. Thats how I start my tractor though…

From 32F down to -25F, you press the starter button then press the ether button for 3 seconds on, 2 seconds off(on,2,3,off,2,on,2,3,off,2) to pulse the ether injection(60% duty cycle).

The 3126 and C7 are electronically controlled so cold start is pretty much automated. that and it uses the exhaust brake in a warmup mode to load the engine combined with a high idle control, all electronic…

How long did you run the electric heat for a good start at 28F? I installed one last fall but my dash is still out and havn’t had occasion to do a cold start with the heater yet:)
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So, before I start, I did not read the TM on cold starts yet or the ether system….. but your post brought up a question.

My 3126 has an ether switch on the dash. You make it sound like the electronics control the ether. So, how does the ether switch play into the automated electronic controls?

Mine is a 1999 1083A1 with a 2008 recertification.


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Ronmar

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ramdough said:
So, before I start, I did not read the TM on cold starts yet or the ether system….. but your post brought up a question.

My 3126 has an ether switch on the dash. You make it sound like the electronics control the ether. So, how does the ether switch play into the automated electronic controls?

Mine is a 1999 1083A1 with a 2008 recertification.


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I think on the early A1 it is not automated. I don’t think they did that until they started integrating both the intake heater and the ether. looking at the A1 drawing, the intake heater is controlled by the ECU, but the ether is still controlled manually. Does your truck have both intake heater and ether?
 
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GeneralDisorder

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Ronmar said:
Here is mine at 27F a few years ago:)

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That's all of 30 seconds of cranking. Reminds me of the 800 and 900 series trucks and the HMMWV's....... My C7 at similar temp is about 5-10 seconds of cranking at most. That's without Ether. I will take a video when the temp drops back down. I have some interesting footage I'm going to post on the voltage drop of the intake grid heater. It REALLY pulls down the 14v side of things till it shuts off.....
 
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ramdough

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Ronmar said:
I think on the early A1 it is not automated. I don’t think they did that until they started integrating both the intake heater and the ether. looking at the A1 drawing, the intake heater is controlled by the ECU, but the ether is still controlled manually. Does your truck have both intake heater and ether?
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I am not sure. When I flip the cab again, I will have to look. It would be right where the air enters the block, right?


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gslader

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Ronmar said:
I think on the early A1 it is not automated. I don’t think they did that until they started integrating both the intake heater and the ether. looking at the A1 drawing, the intake heater is controlled by the ECU, but the ether is still controlled manually. Does your truck have both intake heater and ether?
Click to expand...
Now that its getting cold here in the Sierra's I'm diving into the cold starts for my 2003 M1078a1. My truck has an air intake heater (which I believe goes off at 60 or 65 degrees) - at start-up on even mild mornings a green "Air Intake Heater" light comes on then goes off as the truck heats up. My truck also has an ether rocker switch on the instrument panel as well. I have tried to see if the ether system works (granted I tried on a warm day) and I thought I could hear what sounded like a solenoid engaging but didn't seem to be getting an ether into the air intake. Perhaps the switch is disabled above a certain ambient temperature?
 
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Ronmar

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gslader said:
Now that its getting cold here in the Sierra's I'm diving into the cold starts for my 2003 M1078a1. My truck has an air intake heater (which I believe goes off at 60 or 65 degrees) - at start-up on even mild mornings a green "Air Intake Heater" light comes on then goes off as the truck heats up. My truck also has an ether rocker switch on the instrument panel as well. I have tried to see if the ether system works (granted I tried on a warm day) and I thought I could hear what sounded like a solenoid engaging but didn't seem to be getting an ether into the air intake. Perhaps the switch is disabled above a certain ambient temperature?
Click to expand...
Yes on the earlier A1, it has a temp sensor to limit it above a certain temp. Not sure where it is located on the 3126. On my A0 it was a coolant sensor and opened the circuit above about 35F. Have seen conflicting temp ratings for the switch. If it is going clunk when you cycle the switch, perhaps the cylinder is empty. I thought mine was empty, but when I was disassembling the middle structure I found the cylinder full and the feedline crimped/crushed under an adjacent bracket… one of these days I will try it, but I have a block heater now, so 20-30 minutes of that and it starts great…
 
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