Volt meter delay?
Thread Starter
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Tuned
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 455
Likes: 2
Thanks for the input guys. I know that my truck has done this sinse I bought it. It is my first deisel and I am still learning. Glad to know that there is not a problem. Again, this webiste has saved me an unknown amount of money and time.
Posting Guru
Joined: Mar 2009
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hey i have an idea, how about you dont start and drive a cold diesel. do you realize how thick the block is and that it is compression based ignition, so sitting there for 20 seconds and driving it isnt sufficient enough like it would be for a gasser, just give your truck a good 5-10 minute warm up time and she may last a little longer and you wont have to tell us about a surge that can be very much avoided
Thread Starter
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Tuned
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 455
Likes: 2
hey i have an idea, how about you dont start and drive a cold diesel. do you realize how thick the block is and that it is compression based ignition, so sitting there for 20 seconds and driving it isnt sufficient enough like it would be for a gasser, just give your truck a good 5-10 minute warm up time and she may last a little longer and you wont have to tell us about a surge that can be very much avoided
Posting Guru
Joined: Mar 2009
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if you want smart *** remarks go over to powerstroke nation and be prepaired to feel like a dumba$$ but did you ever realize how incredibly long it takes for a diesel, expecially yours to warm up while driving? i have always warmed up what ever i have driven and owned no matter what it is, you have got to figure yours starting ice cold metals in the motor and there spinning so incredibly fast, and your putting a load on the motor, do you think the metals might wear slightly faster rather than have been brought to operating temperature. dont get me wrong, im a new diesel owner my self but i also care about what i own. i welcome you to our brotherhood over here at FTE and did not mean to attack you but sometimes things to me are more of a common sense. just watch learn and drive your truck, you will learn alot. please dont hesitate to ask anything, there is no such thing as a dumb question over here. us OBS guys are a tight knit bunch.
Posting Guru
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 2,158
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From: West Texas
Unless you are below zero it's not going to hurt anything starting and going. One of my diesels is nearing 1 million miles doing it. Another 500,000 and the last is almost 200,000. It's never hurt a thing and never will. I got in one of them this morning with 70,000 pounds behind it and started up and got right on the road.
ever since engines started being designed and made by computers this has just not been an issue.
You will actually do a lot more harm letting that diesel sit there idling than you ever will by just getting on the road. Low RPM idles aren't good for any diesel.
ever since engines started being designed and made by computers this has just not been an issue.
You will actually do a lot more harm letting that diesel sit there idling than you ever will by just getting on the road. Low RPM idles aren't good for any diesel.
Posting Guru
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,605
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From: Elkhorn, WI
i think it all depends on where you live. if it never gets below 40 then sure fire it up and taking off is fine but where i live it gets below zero alot in the winter and cold oil = thick oil and if i fire my truck up and leave right away in the winter the engine sounds like s#!t even if its in the 30 or 40's. i dont see any reason why warming it up and idleing for 5 or ten minutes can do any harm. and that goes for any engine. it all depends on how cold it is because the aluminum piston and cast iron block all warm up and expand at different rates and if you get on the throttle right away you will accelerate the expansion process. the piston heating up and expanding faster than the block creates more friction and with cold, thick oil not a good thing
Thread Starter
|
Tuned
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 455
Likes: 2
if you want smart *** remarks go over to powerstroke nation and be prepaired to feel like a dumba$$ but did you ever realize how incredibly long it takes for a diesel, expecially yours to warm up while driving? i have always warmed up what ever i have driven and owned no matter what it is, you have got to figure yours starting ice cold metals in the motor and there spinning so incredibly fast, and your putting a load on the motor, do you think the metals might wear slightly faster rather than have been brought to operating temperature. dont get me wrong, im a new diesel owner my self but i also care about what i own. i welcome you to our brotherhood over here at FTE and did not mean to attack you but sometimes things to me are more of a common sense. just watch learn and drive your truck, you will learn alot. please dont hesitate to ask anything, there is no such thing as a dumb question over here. us OBS guys are a tight knit bunch.
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Posting Guru
Joined: Mar 2009
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no such thing as a dumb question, OBS is Old Body Style, aka our trucks, the style is from 94.5-97 and then it changed to the Super Duty class/body style.
and we have all thoes mornings when we need to haul some ***! hah i dont see any harm in starting and going everyonce in a while, as long as its not subzero temperatures!
and we have all thoes mornings when we need to haul some ***! hah i dont see any harm in starting and going everyonce in a while, as long as its not subzero temperatures!
Junior User
Joined: Oct 2009
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I have a 97, bought in Feb. of this year, now has 170 K miles. My voltmeter will be a little lower than normal right after start up... then it will jump up. However as some have stated it not just the volt meter, the lights and everything will be dim and then after a bit it's like the alternator kicks in or either a load on the system suddenly disappears, the lights will brighten up and the voltmeter will jump up. I've always just assumed it was normal, but even after reading this thread I'm not understanding if it is something that is causing the alternator to delay or if it is the load of the GPs. I realize this is all controlled electronically.
Thread Starter
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Tuned
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 455
Likes: 2
Storm, as I was explained, the low voltage reading is due to the glow plugs cycling. They draw such a heavy load that it will draw the voltage way down, thus the dim lights. It takes longer than the WTS light shows. Once the WTS light goes off, the glow plugs are still cycling. If I am wrong, someone will jump in and let us know.
Postmaster
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 4,195
Likes: 6
From: Medford Oregon
Storm, as I was explained, the low voltage reading is due to the glow plugs cycling. They draw such a heavy load that it will draw the voltage way down, thus the dim lights. It takes longer than the WTS light shows. Once the WTS light goes off, the glow plugs are still cycling. If I am wrong, someone will jump in and let us know.
Cross-Country
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 96
Likes: 0
From: Washington, D.C.
Yeah, my truck does this, but I did not want to post until I get my other issue fixed.
I start the truck and the volt meter reads in the normal range, but on the very low end of it. After a minute or so it rises to the higher end, around the M in the word 'normal' written on the background.
But, not to hi-jack this
thread but I think the problem is related-
When I drive, pressing a little on the gas at about 800 rpm, the enginge sounds like its bogging down. If I give it more gas (i mean diesel) and raise the rpms over 1000 its fine. This only happens on acceleration from stop. If I go WOT this does not happen.
Lastly, I noticed a few days ago, that at idle the lights, interior and exterior, get dim and bright almost like they are flashing at me. While this is happening the Volt meter is bouncing a little bit back and forth until I take off. When the rpms go up and I get up to speed this stops.
What do I do?
I start the truck and the volt meter reads in the normal range, but on the very low end of it. After a minute or so it rises to the higher end, around the M in the word 'normal' written on the background.
But, not to hi-jack this
thread but I think the problem is related- When I drive, pressing a little on the gas at about 800 rpm, the enginge sounds like its bogging down. If I give it more gas (i mean diesel) and raise the rpms over 1000 its fine. This only happens on acceleration from stop. If I go WOT this does not happen.
Lastly, I noticed a few days ago, that at idle the lights, interior and exterior, get dim and bright almost like they are flashing at me. While this is happening the Volt meter is bouncing a little bit back and forth until I take off. When the rpms go up and I get up to speed this stops.
What do I do?
Posting Guru
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 1,729
Likes: 2
Odds are the alt isn't kicking in for whatever reason and your running off the batteries until it does. Thus the dim, bright change. I've had this happen to a couple diesels including my dump truck. With the large amp draw from the GP's running off the batts (esp if getting weak) does all kinds of wierd things.
IIRC one of my old IH busses would not charge below 800 rpm due to the internal regulator until the alt got warm then all was good
IIRC one of my old IH busses would not charge below 800 rpm due to the internal regulator until the alt got warm then all was good
