# Cummins Heating Grid Relays



## MGardner (Nov 27, 2001)

I believe , if not mistaken , the heating grid relays on a 91 Ram with Cummins are exactly the same relays as the solenoid that is used on a Western Plow. I had to replace one recently and the Dodge dealer told me Dodge doesn`t carry those solenoids anymore and I needed to find a SALVAGE yard to replace one:realmad: I asked the guy again and he said " I TOLD you you would have to get one at a salvage yard. " Instead of bawlin him out for being so stupid, I hung up. Then parts stores seemed to not have it. I freaked. It was cold and would not crank it up without the heating grid! There sits the bread & butter, parked in the wind. So down to the junk yard and there was a 91. Pulled it off and bingo. Then my cohort exclaimed that the solenoid was exactly like the one on his Western plow. And it is. Amazing, these dealers. Thats like the fourth time different dealers have jacked me around in time of need. Need a good referal for Dodge truck factory parts or an outfit that will tell you if you can get it aftermarket.


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## John DiMartino (Jan 22, 2000)

Those heating grids pull 105 amps each,as you know there are 2 of them on the 94-newer Cummins,im not sure of yours,but should be similar.If it wont crank up without them,and your sure they are not working,you can pull the intake boot off,and stick a propane torch lit down the air horn for about 30 seconds,it should crank right up then.Mine has started without the grid heaters at 5 below zero.If you are 100% sure the grid heaters are inopperative you can give it a shot of ether,but if they are working (kaboom) in your intake,since ether flashes at 350 degrees,and the intake grid heaters can get to 900+ degrees.I would unhook the grid heaters before i shot it with ether.There should be a warning sticker on the air filter about not using ether,this is why.


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## MGardner (Nov 27, 2001)

Yeah there are two of them on the 91. It would crank and then draw down the bat real quick. Looked in there & one of those posts were fried. I`ll assume when you had to fire it with the torch ,it was an emergency start? I`ll have to examine it tommorow AM and figure out the place you heated it up. That`s valuable info in a fickle.


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## John DiMartino (Jan 22, 2000)

No emergency start,just something I learned from working on/ running heavy equipment that wont fire in the cold, we'd pull off the intake boot heat up the intake and 90% of the time it was enough to fire it up,if that didnt work out came the ether,but over time,on the detroit 2 stroke diesels ether will damage the motor/cyl liners.Your 5.9 Cummins is extremely HD,not likely to be damaged by ether,but non the less i should be used sparingly.I still am suprised you cant get it to fire without them,Dodge is one of the few applications with grid heaters,most others do not use them,and they fire right up. Dodge only used them to get the engine up to temp quicker,and for lower emissions on cold start up.The light vehicle weight and efficient direct injection combined to make for a engine that wont warm up if not driven a long time.


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## MGardner (Nov 27, 2001)

Also the bat post s were not getting a good ground and that could be why it failed that morning. We scraped the I D of the post`s and wham it lit up. Course after we had installed the new solenoid. I`ve never plugged it in and with it in the shed at 6 or 7 below it always lit up . So it`s possible that all along I could have just cranked it , even after being parked all night ?


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## Chris Stull (Oct 30, 2002)

MGardaner you have a 91 dodge diesel in the bone yard there....did it have a tranny cooler on? been looking and cant seem to find one in my area the tranny coolers are no onger avalible from dodge


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## MGardner (Nov 27, 2001)

My guess is no it didn`t, from the looks of this truck, it was stripped when it came from the factory. Ive been entertaining thoughts of slipping an auto in mine but there are probrably some electronics involved.


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