Glow Plug Startup in Cold Weather

[RearViewMirrow]

I'm curious if anyone can help me with this question.

The last diesels that I owned were a 2003 and a 2005 Dodge Dually with a Cummins engine. Back then, there was a plug that ran out of the front grill that you could plug in when the temps outside were cold to keep the grid heater inside the engine warm (Cummins didn't use glow plugs back then). If you didn't have access to a plug to heat the grid heater, you just turned the key to "accessory" to activate the grid heater until the light went out then it was fine to start the engine.

The Sprinter obviously doesn't have a plug in the grill to plug in during cold weather. But since mine is a 2022 it comes with a push button start. So far it has only gotten down to the low 20's here but by the time that I "usually" start it up, the temps have usually raised up to the mid 30's. Since it's a push button start I've been doing the same thing that I did with my Cummins. I'll push the start button 2 times without my foot on the brake. I can see the glow plug indicator light up but it goes off within a few seconds. Then I just start the van and let it idle for a min or so. I've not tried to start the van (yet) when the temps are well below freezing.

What is the correct procedure for activating the glow plugs in very cold weather with a push button start? Am I doing it correctly by essentially putting it accessory mode and letting the glow plugs cycle until the light goes off? I haven't really had a chance to test this out since I haven't started the van in below freezing temps "yet". That will change soon.

 

[Homeless Junkie]

I live in the Adirondacks in northern New York State. I just push the start button. I assume the plugs heat up in the few seconds it takes to start cranking the motor. I haven’t had any starting problems.

There’s a YouTuber that went to the arctic circle with his Sprinter. Never heard he had any trouble either. I think it’s just modern diesels start in cold weather?

 

[Redrider469]

I’ve been familiarizing myself with this a bit as my last diesel was a 2006 Jetta. Lots of improvements since then, most notable one I’ve discovered being the superiority of modern day glow plugs. They heat up significantly faster and get to higher temperatures. That along with heated fuel filters, etc, and some of those common starting problems are an issue of the past. Seems many people have the HZ9 or H12 heater on their van too so the engine warms up faster.

 

[RearViewMirrow]

Thank you for the responses. I haven't started it (yet) in temps below freezing although it has been getting down into the low 20's here at night. But by the time I get ready to start it, it's been in the mid 30's during the day. I notice the glow plug light goes out within a few seconds so I assume that modern diesels are not like the ones that I had previously where it really mattered.

Thank you once again!

 

[vreihen]

...were a 2003 and a 2005 Dodge Dually with a Cummins engine. Back then, there was a plug that ran out of the front grill that you could plug in when the temps outside were cold to keep the grid heater inside the engine warm

That cord goes to a 120V factory freeze out plug block heater in the Ram/Cummins, and is used to keep the block/coolant/oil warm albeit without circulating it.

The 12V grid heater on a Ram/Cummins is located on the intake manifold under the throttle body, and is only engaged before trying to start a cold engine in the winter. It also occasionally cycles on/off right after a cold start, to keep emissions down until the engine gets warmer. You can tell when the grid heater switches on after starting because the lights dim and the volt meter drops to 10.5V because of the huge current draw. (The Cummins has no glow plugs, only the grid heater.)

Besides faster heating modern glow plugs, I have to give kudos to Mercedes for the electric cabin heater that probably sucks down as much electricity as the Cummins grid heater...but uses it to blow hot air in your face while the engine is still stone cold. There were near-zero (F) mornings when my Cummins' 1,300 pounds of American corn-fed cast iron didn't even move the radiator temperature gauge during my 12 mile commute. Having heat out of the dashboard vents before I get to the end of our street inf a diesel is amazing, and only something that I thought my EV could do.

I believe that Mercedes or the aftermarket sells an oil pan blanket heater if you really want to plug in. I also believe that there is a diesel-fired coolant heater option on the build sheets, which would save plugging in.....

 

[RearViewMirrow]

That cord goes to a 120V factory freeze out plug block heater in the Ram/Cummins, and is used to keep the block/coolant/oil warm albeit without circulating it.

The 12V grid heater on a Ram/Cummins is located on the intake manifold under the throttle body, and is only engaged before trying to start a cold engine in the winter. It also occasionally cycles on/off right after a cold start, to keep emissions down until the engine gets warmer. You can tell when the grid heater switches on after starting because the lights dim and the volt meter drops to 10.5V because of the huge current draw. (The Cummins has no glow plugs, only the grid heater.)

Besides faster heating modern glow plugs, I have to give kudos to Mercedes for the electric cabin heater that probably sucks down as much electricity as the Cummins grid heater...but uses it to blow hot air in your face while the engine is still stone cold. There were near-zero (F) mornings when my Cummins' 1,300 pounds of American corn-fed cast iron didn't even move the radiator temperature gauge during my 12 mile commute. Having heat out of the dashboard vents before I get to the end of our street inf a diesel is amazing, and only something that I thought my EV could do.

I believe that Mercedes or the aftermarket sells an oil pan blanket heater if you really want to plug in. I also believe that there is a diesel-fired coolant heater option on the build sheets, which would save plugging in.....

Yeah, both of my Cummins did exactly what you said. Of course this was back in 2003-2005 when I had them. I'd plug it in overnight either at my house or while at the fire station to keep the block warm. Otherwise it would do exactly what you said and you would notice the headlights dim slightly when the grid heater was activated.

And you are correct... It is amazing that you can get warm air pretty much instantaneously with the way the system is set up in the Sprinter. I haven't yet had the chance / need to start it in colder than freezing temps (yet) though that will change soon. I was just curious if there was a startup procedure like there was in older model diesels such as the Cummins that I owned previously since this engine uses glow plugs instead of the grid heater that was installed in the Cummins. I realize that modern diesels are so much different than the ones that I have owned in the past.

 

[vreihen]

I did my first cold start yesterday morning, at about 28 F. I turned the key (NCV3 generation) to run, and was looking at the instrument cluster trying to find the glow plug light out of habit from all of my years of Cummins ownership. The glow plug light turned off with all of the other lights after the instrument cluster's startup bulb check, and the OM651 engine fired on the first revolution when I turned the key to start.

Later that day, my DW took me for a drive to Home Depot in the Sprinter. She asked me about the glow plug wait as she was putting the key into the ignition, so I'm glad that I wasn't the only one expecting the light to stay on for more than a few seconds.....

 

[RearViewMirrow]

I did my first cold start yesterday morning, at about 28 F. I turned the key (NCV3 generation) to run, and was looking at the instrument cluster trying to find the glow plug light out of habit from all of my years of Cummins ownership. The glow plug light turned off with all of the other lights after the instrument cluster's startup bulb check, and the OM651 engine fired on the first revolution when I turned the key to start.

Later that day, my DW took me for a drive to Home Depot in the Sprinter. She asked me about the glow plug wait as she was putting the key into the ignition, so I'm glad that I wasn't the only one expecting the light to stay on for more than a few seconds.....

I've noticed the same thing. Glow plug light pretty much goes out with the rest of the instrument lights. Hit the button and (so far) it fires right up.

 

[RVBarry]

Hi, I don't think 28℉ is very cold.

 

[RearViewMirrow]

Hi, I don't think 28℉ is very cold.

Depends on where you live I suppose?

We'll be taking the van all over the West starting next year. We'll be spending most of our time in Colorado until my daughter gets used to college life. Then we'll be going up through Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Northern California, Nevada, Utah, and back into Colorado for our first long trip after leaving this state. We'll be in some pretty cold weather so I'm curious about how the van handles the cold since we'll be living in it full time. But it's built out our specifications so I'm looking forward to seeing how it will do.

 

[RVBarry]

Depends on where you live I suppose?

I mean no engine should have any trouble starting in that weather, unless maybe you don't have winter fuel.

 

[aksotar]

28F is cold… ?
the coldest I’ve started mine has been -43.5F…
an oil pan heater will only heat that spot and can cause faults due to the temp differences from various engine sensor locations, a circulating block heater circulates warm water thru the entire coolant system…
yes, let the plugs cycle and lights go out then crank…
you want #1 diesel in your tank or add anti gel to your fuel BEFORE you get into freezing conditions so it’s mixed throughout your fuel system…
if you’re going to be living in it and in cold conditions, INSULATE it well and get an Espar S2D2L and an aux battery… also insulated window covers and a roof fan.. turn the fan on low to help with condensation..
there are no heater pads or freeze plug heaters from MB for the Sprinter, only aftermarket (Kats circulating heater is what I have) but there is a preheater option with a timer for the engine..

 

[RearViewMirrow]

28F is cold… ?
the coldest I’ve started mine has been -43.5F…
an oil pan heater will only heat that spot and can cause faults due to the temp differences from various engine sensor locations, a circulating block heater circulates warm water thru the entire coolant system…
yes, let the plugs cycle and lights go out then crank…
you want #1 diesel in your tank or add anti gel to your fuel BEFORE you get into freezing conditions so it’s mixed throughout your fuel system…
if you’re going to be living in it and in cold conditions, INSULATE it well and get an Espar S2D2L and an aux battery… also insulated window covers and a roof fan.. turn the fan on low to help with condensation..

It "generally" doesn't get any colder than the low teens here. The coldest it's ever been here is -3 and that is EXTREMELY rare.

Our van is well insulated, diesel heater installed, fitted insulated window coverings for all the windows, etc... I hope I'm never in a spot where it is -43 degrees. If I am, it means I did something wrong and didn't check the weather properly. We'll be chasing weather throughout our journeys. Don't plan on staying in the middle of the desert during the middle of the summer or the dead of winter in Alaska. But there will be times that we hit some weather that we didn't plan on. We will spend quite a bit of time in Colorado since that is where our daughter is going to college. And we plan on getting a lot of skiing in during that time. But in the milder seasons... Fly fishing in the mountains and just exploring the towns we haven't been to yet.

 

[CJPJ]

28F is cold… ? the coldest I’ve started mine has been -43.5F…
an oil pan heater will only heat that spot and can cause faults due to the temp differences from various engine sensor locations, a circulating block heater circulates warm water thru the entire coolant system…
yes, let the plugs cycle and lights go out then crank…
you want #1 diesel in your tank or add anti gel to your fuel BEFORE you get into freezing conditions so it’s mixed throughout your fuel system…
if you’re going to be living in it and in cold conditions, INSULATE it well and get an Espar S2D2L and an aux battery… also insulated window covers and a roof fan.. turn the fan on low to help with condensation..
there are no heater pads or freeze plug heaters from MB for the Sprinter, only aftermarket (Kats circulating heater is what I have) but there is a preheater option with a timer for the engine..

Number one diesel in your tank, is so wrong on so many levels. Number 1/kerosene is too dry/doesn’t lubricate. It is extremely bad for the modern high pressure, fuel pumps and injectors.

 

[Kajtek1]

...

What is the correct procedure for activating the glow plugs in very cold weather with a push button start? ..

MB calls the feature "keyless go"
I wonder about it as well, but living in hot climates had no chance for years to test it, but lately we purchased cabin in UT and last week I was there in negative temperatures.
So at -5F when I press the start button, the display comes to live, but the engine won't crank for additional 2-3 seconds.
This is preglowing start on OM651, who fires on 1st cylinder when cranking.
I also had D2 in the tank, with no problem, but I noticed that my SUV tends to hold warmer temperatures overnight. Daily sun was warming it enough to melt the snow on it, even afternoon temperatures did not go above + 5F

 

[vreihen]

Hi, I don't think 28℉ is very cold.

It isn't for people. The Ram/Cummins uses its grid heater on cold starts even in the mid-40's F to assist with the start, and also as an emissions-reduction until the engine warms up a bit. I was just using it as a reference temperature between two former Cummins owners who were both apparently expecting similar behavior from their Sprinters.

Cummins owners know that summer is over when they see the grid heater light on for the first time in the fall, and the first cold snap results in dozens of "why are my lights dimming every 10 seconds" posts on owners' forums. Audi/BMW owners have a similar seasonal observation when the temperature falls below 40 F and their instrument cluster thermometer displays turn on the snowflake icon for the first time of the season as an alert for possible icy conditions.....

 

[Roamers]

Number one diesel in your tank, is so wrong on so many levels. Number 1/kerosene is too dry/doesn’t lubricate. It is extremely bad for the modern high pressure, fuel pumps and injectors.

As I recall, the OM cautions against straight #1. Mixed with #2 = winter diesel.

 

[ScottGreer]

There were near-zero (F) mornings when my Cummins' 1,300 pounds of American corn-fed cast iron didn't even move the radiator temperature gauge during my 12 mile commute.

Same in my 7.3 F250. If you forgot to plug it in the night before, it was a COLD 20 mile drive to work.

 

[4wheeldog]

Same in my 7.3 F250. If you forgot to plug it in the night before, it was a COLD 20 mile drive to work.

Mother Benz has a different solution. An electric heater in the HVAC that supplies heat to the passenger compartment before the heater core warms up.
I live on top of a mountain. It can take quite a few miles running downhill for the cooling system to come up to temperature.

 

[aksotar]

As I recall, the OM cautions against straight #1. Mixed with #2 = winter diesel.

good luck finding both in real Winter areas and mixing it when you need it (besides, what is the “mix” ratio to get a fuel that won’t gell ?) #2 would gell in the fuel station system just like in your vehicle…

MB also has a heater booster option to speed up interior heating, basically an espar that only works below a factory set temp and when the engine is on…