I am looking to purchase a new diesel truck. I am new to diesel. Can someone explain why the Dodge truck have no glow plugs and the *Stroke and D'Max do?

 

Poor engineering maybe. Certainly 6 less things to break/replace.

 

We have a heater grid just before the intake manifold that heats the air. Same result as a glow plug, but as stated before 1 part, not 6 or 8.

 

and a fuel heater in the filter assembly

 

Because Cummins is a lot smarter then the other two

 

The glow plugs work to warm the air in each cylinder, to promote firing. The grid heaters on the Cummins warms the air in the intake manifold. I think there was a post on this board a few months ago with a picture of what happens when a glow plug falls apart. Destroyed the cylinder. I've had my truck in -30 degree weather and not been able to plug it in, and shes fired right up everytime. My friends with a f**d has trouble all winter getting his diesel to light off in the mornings.

 

Not sure if the heater grid is a cummins thing or not, I know just until recently the Case tractors don't have any type of intake or cylinder pre-heater in them, they start strictly off of compression. Just recently they have started putting them on the new tractors.

Ask anyone who has owned a diesel engine about glow plugs, my experience with them is that they only work when they are new, they are not very cheap to replace, they are a pain to change out, and if the tip burns off it can drop metal into your cylinder

Grid heater, very few problems, works great even when they are old.

I'm really surprised that other diesel engine makers (car/pickup) haven't woken up to this form of pre-heater.

 

Doesn't the dmax have a grid heater and glow plugs both? Should fire up nicely in cold weather.

 

And the grid heater really isnt even needed till around 20*s. Glow plugs are unreliable POS's.

 

I've owned all three trucks and the only one that starts in the coldest of weather, -25 or lower, and is driveable within a minute is the Dodge... the Ford 6.0 will start but will have about 50hp for the first 15 minutes and sound like a 4 cylinder with a bad wheeze (variable crap turbo). The duramax will start maybe but doubtful and if it does start it will fuel freeze when you get to the worst part of your trip. If I owned either one again the first thing I'd put on would be a Webasto with fuel heat. Grid heaters work the first time you turn the key on. The glowplugs have to typically be cycled several times....very low heat output from those tiny things compared to the two big elements in our grid heater. KS

 

The D-maxx glow plug control units are keeping the plugs on and melting the ends off and into the cylinders! My friend got a new head piston and plug at something like 5K miles. They had no fix for the problem, just replaced the parts, it took a little over a month.
I like the grid heater, less likley to break, no damage to the motor if it does!

 

Grid heaters are more reliable. The big rigs don't use glowplugs either. REAL diesels don't have glowplugs!

 

This is the reason you cannot use either. Grid heaters are pre-intake.

There is another thing Ferd & Chevy's have and Dodges don't........ tow trucks following them.

 

So how long do I to turn the key on before I start it. I know in my buddies ford he has to wait for the light to go off. Do we have any wait time?

 

same light, on new trucks it will only come on if you need it, it won't take as long as the Ford either.