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01-31-2008, 09:32 AM
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#1
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Senior Member
Alpine Owners Club
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Oregon
Posts: 348
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After starting the cold engine I get a heavy voltage draw for about 1 second, three or four times about 30 seconds apart. I can hear the engine noise change as it puts a load on the alternator. Any ideas what or why??
Brad
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05 Alpine 36MDDS, 09 Subaru Forester, no animals.
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01-31-2008, 09:32 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Alpine Owners Club
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Oregon
Posts: 348
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After starting the cold engine I get a heavy voltage draw for about 1 second, three or four times about 30 seconds apart. I can hear the engine noise change as it puts a load on the alternator. Any ideas what or why??
Brad
__________________
05 Alpine 36MDDS, 09 Subaru Forester, no animals.
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01-31-2008, 09:39 AM
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#3
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Administrator in Memoriam
Newmar Owners Club Retired Fire Service RVer's Spartan Chassis
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Newark, DE
Posts: 25,898
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If you have a Cummins, it's the air intake grid heater cycling to warm the incoming air for a starting aid when it's cold.
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Adios, Dirk - '84 Real Lite Truck Camper, '86 Wilderness Cimarron TT, previously 4 years as a fulltimer in a '07 DSDP
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01-31-2008, 10:18 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: South Carolina
Posts: 770
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<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by two sailors:
After starting the cold engine I get a heavy voltage draw for about 1 second, three or four times about 30 seconds apart. I can hear the engine noise change as it puts a load on the alternator. Any ideas what or why??
Brad </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Dirk has it right - I'd just add you may be able to hear the heater cycling even before you start engine as you wait on WAIT dash light to extingish for same reason i.e. the heater is cycling on and off to preheat air in intake.
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Ecker
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01-31-2008, 10:34 AM
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#5
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Senior Member
Alpine Owners Club
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Oregon
Posts: 348
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That's a relief!! Thank you very much. It is sure nice to have access to so much experience.
Brad
__________________
05 Alpine 36MDDS, 09 Subaru Forester, no animals.
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01-31-2008, 03:30 PM
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#6
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Member
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Long Island
Posts: 30
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Observed the same thing afew days ago for the first time when I was starting up the coach in preparation to takeing it out for a winter run.
Thanks for the information as to why the voltage varies during start-up.
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01-31-2008, 04:08 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Rochester NY
Posts: 2,706
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My prior coach w/ Cummins ISB did the same thing. Would cycle 2-4X after starting. You could watch the voltmeter moving during this process.
Dirk has it nailed (as usual).
__________________
Don
'07 Winnebago Journey 34H - CAT C7, Koni's, MCU's, SS Bell Crank, Safe-T-Plus
'07 HHR Toad, SMI AFO, Blue OX
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01-31-2008, 04:42 PM
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#8
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Administrator in Memoriam
Newmar Owners Club Retired Fire Service RVer's Spartan Chassis
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Newark, DE
Posts: 25,898
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<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Dirk has it nailed (as usual). </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Only because it happened to me last year, and I had to ask. 
__________________
Adios, Dirk - '84 Real Lite Truck Camper, '86 Wilderness Cimarron TT, previously 4 years as a fulltimer in a '07 DSDP
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01-31-2008, 05:57 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Tiffin Owners Club
Join Date: Sep 2002
Posts: 1,524
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Hey Dirk, I have a related question. I have a internal 120 volt engine block heater to use in cold weather. Would that prevent the heater grids from cycling if I preheated with the 120 volt system first?
Oh, and does the light go off in the refridgerator when I close the door? 
Sarge
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Marty and Diane, Fulltiming!
2017 Tiffin Allegro Bus 40 SP
2018 Jeep Wrangler Sahara
mytripjournal.com/rvnchick2021
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01-31-2008, 07:21 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: North America somewhere
Posts: 30,903
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Sarge, no it does not. My old 1996 Dodge CTD would cycle the intake heater just the same. Reason? The incoming air must be warm enough to support, then sustain, auto-ignition.
FWIW- never use starting fluid with a grid heater equipped engine! 
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2000 Winnebago Ultimate Freedom USQ40JD , ISC 8.3 Cummins 350, Spartan MM Chassis. USA IN 1SG 11B5MX,Infantry retired;Good Sam Life member,FMCA. " My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country. John F. Kennedy
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02-01-2008, 02:23 AM
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#11
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Administrator in Memoriam
Newmar Owners Club Retired Fire Service RVer's Spartan Chassis
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Newark, DE
Posts: 25,898
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I've never been anywhere cold enough to use the block heater, and don't intend to!
However, I agree with Ray's post.
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Adios, Dirk - '84 Real Lite Truck Camper, '86 Wilderness Cimarron TT, previously 4 years as a fulltimer in a '07 DSDP
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02-01-2008, 06:07 AM
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#12
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Senior Member
Tiffin Owners Club
Join Date: Sep 2002
Posts: 1,524
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Yeah, me too. I have had the rig almost 2 years and haven't turned on the heater switch yet....
I have had something diesel for about 10 years so I was well aware of the no starting fluid rule. I had a 97 Dodge diesel that could wake the neighborhood on a cold morning.
__________________
Marty and Diane, Fulltiming!
2017 Tiffin Allegro Bus 40 SP
2018 Jeep Wrangler Sahara
mytripjournal.com/rvnchick2021
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02-01-2008, 06:21 AM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: South Carolina
Posts: 770
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<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Route 66:
I've never been anywhere cold enough to use the block heater, and don't intend to!
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>
It an urban legend that a block heater doesn't need to be used in warmer climates. The use of the block heater to prevent "cold" start and subsequent possible piston scuffing is desirable. In fact, emergency standby generators often are setup to have block heater on 100% of time and it's non-operation ranks around #6 on top 10 reasons for failures of emergency gensets. #10 is run out of fuel.
__________________
Ecker
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02-01-2008, 06:28 AM
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#14
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Administrator in Memoriam
Newmar Owners Club Retired Fire Service RVer's Spartan Chassis
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Newark, DE
Posts: 25,898
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I don't know about an urban legend, but if that's the case, Cummins doesn't make it very well known. 
__________________
Adios, Dirk - '84 Real Lite Truck Camper, '86 Wilderness Cimarron TT, previously 4 years as a fulltimer in a '07 DSDP
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