[PolskieNY_Texan]

Hi y'all,

It's 32 degrees down here in South Texas and I just turned my truck on after sitting for a ten hour shift at work. I think I know the answer to this question but I wanted to ask seasoned vets since I am new and willing to learn.

I turned the key to on, waited for the grid heater light to turn off, and turned the truck on. After about 30 seconds (or less) it started doing a rough idle/loping, both verified by the shaking/noise of the truck and by the tach needle bouncing around 750 RPM. I held the pedal at 1,000 to 1,200 RPM since high idle doesn't work with my cruise controls apparently on a Laramie.

When I did this, the truck smoothed out. When I let off the pedal and the RPMs dropped to 750, it started the rough idle/loping again. The truck then kicked into high idle by itself. After about three minutes, I pressed the brake pedal to get out of high idle and then drove home with a light foot. When I got home, I checked for codes...nothing.

Is this just normal operation on a 2005 5.9 Cummins?

Truck has 275,850 miles with brand new OEM Bosch injectors (and all the other stuff to go with it) 6,900 miles ago at 268,980 miles. Wasn't able to tell if there was any white/blue smoke as it is dark out. I'm going to plug it in in the morning before my shift and let it sit like that for an hour or more before I leave for my shift at work. I'll also pay attention for smoke at start-up.

I'm pretty sure this is normal and perfectly fine. I just wanted to hear other's opinions.

 

[ssteve]

Normal for cold weather.

 

[sidewayzz69]

Mine acts the same. Normall.

 

[N of 60]

Cold Weather? LOL

 

[steelhead1]

Weak snot nosed batteries won't light up the grid heaters hot enough.
15w40 also slows down the crank rpms and the warm up.
If you have good strong load tested batteries and good clean cables?
Run the grid heat cycle 2 times before cranking it up.
Put a cardboard blockoff in front of the radiator stack, block the air. won't hurt anything empty.


Fill up with high quality 50 Cetane winter blend, less viscosity, pumps much easier, makes the fuel injection much more accurate, smoother running and easier starting in "winter" at a brand name quality station and add your favorite antigel.

Sure that FASS is up to snuff, cold crank no less than 5 psi at the CP3?

32d F in S. Texas. My god, that's when the poorly engineered and uninsulated electric generation power plants there freeze up and shut down till spring by governor's order?
Has the Gulf froze over yet.
Had an Army Vietnam buddy from Freeport. Went to work in the oil industry after Vietnam. Could not stand the crazy weather there, moved to Oklahoma, still there 50+ years later.

 

[PolskieNY_Texan]

Cold Weather? LOL

I'm originally from Buffalo, NY....TX made me weak!!!

Weak snot nosed batteries won't light up the grid heaters hot enough.
15w40 also slows down the crank rpms and the warm up.
If you have good strong load tested batteries and good clean cables?
Run the grid heat cycle 2 times before cranking it up.
Put a cardboard blockoff in front of the radiator stack, block the air. won't hurt anything empty.


Fill up with high quality 50 Cetane winter blend, less viscosity, pumps much easier, makes the fuel injection much more accurate, smoother running and easier starting in "winter" at a brand name quality station and add your favorite antigel.

Sure that FASS is up to snuff, cold crank no less than 5 psi at the CP3?

32d F in S. Texas. My god, that's when the poorly engineered and uninsulated electric generation power plants there freeze up and shut down till spring by governor's order?
Has the Gulf froze over yet.
Had an Army Vietnam buddy from Freeport. Went to work in the oil industry after Vietnam. Could not stand the crazy weather there, moved to Oklahoma, still there 50+ years later.

I run Schaeffer's 5W-40.

Batteries are from 2016 (CostCo). I'm thinking this "could" have been part of the issue. I've been delaying getting new ones because the truck always cranks right over. Suggestions on good batteries? Battery cables are brand spanking new (they're the really nice kit that Geno's Garage sells).

Winter blend fuel.....eh, I don't know if there is any down here in Texas? I really don't know.

And yes, the weather is stupid crazy here. It literally went from 82 degrees to 32 degrees within the span of less than a day. The Gulf just does these extreme temperature swings and I hate it. My thing is, is if it's cold there had better be 1' or more of snow on the ground so I can go snowmobiling- - I really miss those days.

Also, school was delayed by two hours the other day because it "was cold." Texans are a proud people, but when it comes to cold weather they become babies. It odd and hilarious at the same time.