I am in Alberta, using or not using my block heater makes no difference in
the way it starts. We have been experiencing -30 and colder temps at night
and the truck just starts. Most of the time, I forget to plug it in. I run
full sythetic oils thru out the truck, not sure if it makes big difference,
but the truck starts fine every morning
Jeff Trithart
Y2K 4.7/5spd loaded CC 4by
Y2K+1 RC R/T loaded into my garage in pieces
homesteadworkshop@shaw.ca
----- Original Message -----
From: "Will Coughlin" <willcoughlin2@hotmail.com>
To: <dakota-truck@buffnet.net>
Sent: Thursday, December 13, 2001 10:50 PM
Subject: Re: DML: Block Heater question
> Jay, I can't tell you for sure that this is what is happening, but: I
think
> that what you might have happening is that the block and and internals are
> getting warm, while the air outside is still cold. As you know, a cold
> engine requires more fuel to start and run than does a warm engine. If you
> have a warm engine, and the PCM sees a cold air temp(IAT sensor) and a
> cool/cold coolant temp(Coolant Temp sensor), the PCM won't know the engine
> internals are warm. Therefore, when you crank it up, the PCM immediately
> throws more fuel into the mix(kind of like a "choke" function) because of
> the "cold start" condition it's seeing from the sensor input it has. The
> engine internals are warm and do not require as much fuel to run properly
> and are being fed too much fuel. When the engine stumbles or misses
because
> of an overfuel condition, the PCM picks up on it and backs the fuel off
> accordingly. What you could do to correct or help this condition is to
> acquire on of Bernd's IAT adjusters. You could then: turn the key on and
let
> the PCM take a second or two to analyze the sensors and you could use the
> IAT adjuster to make the PCM see an IAT input that is higher than the
> corresponding outside ambient temp. So say it is 10* outside when this
> conditon occurs one day. The next day, try adjusting your IAT adjuster up
to
> 30* or so and see how it affects it. If it makes the condition better, but
> doesn't cure it, continue moving up the temp scale on the adjuster the
next
> morning. If you get to a point where the truck takes longer to start or
> won't start, you've gone too far and you need to come back some.It
wouldn't
> take you long to figure out how to adjust it according to the outside
temp.
> HTH,
>
> Will Coughlin willcoughlin@hotmail.com
> '00 Reg. cab 2wd, 4.7L/NV3500HD/9.25" 3.92 sure-grip
>
> ----Original Message Follows----
> From: "jay & dana" <jay&dana@telus.net>
> Subject: DML: Block Heater question
> Date: Thu, 13 Dec 2001 16:20:54 -0800
>
> For those of you that live in colder climates and use a block heater, I
> wonder if I can ask you a question. On the mornings when I don't use my
> block heater the truck starts and fast idles fine. But some times I will
> put my block heater on a timer to start 2 hours before I go to work in the
> morning. When I do this the truck starts fine but will spit and sputter
for
> aprox. 2 seconds, then run fine. I'm just wondering why the block heater
> being plugged in would make the engine sputter like this for a very short
> time, while without the block heater there is no hesitations. (and don't
say
> "then don't use the block heater") :-) This has happened like this for
a
> few years now in winter and has just got me curious. BTW, this is on a
97,
> 318 and it's getting cold here in BC, Canada. Thanks for any responses,
> Jay
>
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