After I get out of school my truck acts like it doesn't wanna start. I know these trucks hate the cold And should be plugged up but could it be a possibility my grid heater is going out of my truck or maybe a relay?? Just doesn't seem to be doing it's job. Thanks for response

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Cranks forever and sometimes my battery dies before it starts

 

my truck started the other day @ 8* not being plugged in. got a air leak in the fuel system maybe? that will cause a intermittent hard start. do you have an electric pump?

 

Is the pump timing bumped?

 

yeah if you have added timing they can be a bit of a rat to start in the AM when cold ... and if you have added fuel or anything like that ...

 

you can always disconnect your grid heater and go straight to the battery not sure if its safe but I've done it before if you get sparks when you put the connections on, then it should be good if not, replace it. I used to have the same prob in hs with my Detroit diesel 7hrs in cold unplugged unhappy truck...

 

You really shouldnt have a problem regardless if the grid heaters worked or not or if you had it plugged in, which is only going to warm the oil. Best thing i can suggest if its really cold, im talking less than 15*, get yourself a bottle of winter fuel treatment. it makes a difference.

 

Plugging it in doesn't heat the oil, it heats the coolant. The grid heater preheats the combustion chambers, both would make a significant difference.

 

Maybe the 12v are different, im not a guru on them. But the grid heaters on the 24v have nothing to do with the cylinders themselves. It pre heats the air thats in the intake horn/mani. If the incoming air is less than 40° it will cycle. Regardless it should fire over ok even being close to 0°, unless theres some things that have been played with

 

No, that's true. Perhaps I should have said it heats the air for the combustion chambers, since my point was that that's where it needs to be warm. And before the engine has turned over four times while cranking it, all that toasty air from the horn is already long gone out the other side of the head, so...