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Call or Text (352) 722-5295The grid heater on the 2019-2024 Ram 6.7L Cummins
From 2007 through 2024 the 6.7L Cummins starts cold with an intake grid heater instead of glow plugs. It is a resistive matrix in the upper intake manifold that draws roughly 200 A during wait-to-start, and the engine also runs it briefly after start to cut emissions and reduce cylinder washing. On 2019-2024 trucks it sits in the cast elbow, or horn, where the cold-side charge pipe meets the manifold. That elbow is the tightest point in the system: Banks measured the stock piece at 38.6 lb/min on its flow bench. Ram's block-heater guidance recommends plugging in below 0 F and calls for it below -20 F. For 2025 Ram dropped the grid heater and went to glow plugs.
What fails and why
The relay is the documented problem on this generation. Ram recalled the grid heater relay for electrical shorts and fire risk: 21V-163 for 2021 builds, 21V-798 for 2021-2022, and 23V-060 for 2021-2023 (FCA code 13A), which superseded 21V-798 and carried a park-outside advisory. The dealer replaces the relay.
The other known failure is the grid heater bolt. On 6.7L engines the stud or bolt can loosen and drop into the manifold, usually on engines that see a lot of heat cycles. That pattern is strongest on 2007.5-2018 engines and very rare on 2019+, but shops still check it, because a dropped bolt can cause catastrophic damage to the number 6 cylinder. Warning signs are heater codes P2609 or P0542 and a loose terminal plate.
Stock replacement vs. upgrade
If the factory heater works and the recall is done, a stock truck can leave it alone. If you're after airflow, the elbow is the place to look. The Banks Monster-Ram replaces the factory grid-heater elbow with a cast high-flow plate and a 750 W coil heater, so you keep a cold-start aid. Banks offers optional 1,500 W billet heaters that take its Triple Heater setup to 2,250 W. On Banks' bench it flows 72.7 lb/min, 88.3% more than stock, it reuses the stock mounting points, and Banks lists it as 50-state emissions compliant under EO D-161-170. Buy the elbow and heater together as Banks' matched kit rather than mixing parts. BD Diesel's Killer Grid Heater Upgrade Kit is the route for owners who want to rework the heater hardware itself.
What we carry
Banks Power Monster-Ram intake and grid heater upgrades: 42799 for 2019-2024 Ram 2500 and 3500 pickups and 42805 for 2019-2024 chassis cab. BD Diesel 1041520 Killer Grid Heater Upgrade Kit, listed for 2007.5-2024 Cummins. S&B 76-1012 intake elbow for 2019-2024 6.7L Cummins. If you're replacing the elbow, check the listing for which heater comes with it so you keep a cold-start aid.
Fitment notes
Pickup and chassis-cab Monster-Ram kits are different part numbers, so order the one that matches your truck. The BD kit covers a wide year range; confirm your year in the fitment checker. None of these parts are listed for 2025+ Rams, which use glow plugs and a different intake manifold. Check each product page for its emissions listing; the Banks Monster-Ram is listed 50-state compliant. Know whether your truck is a 2500, a 3500 pickup or a chassis cab, and verify by VIN.
Frequently asked questions
What does the grid heater do on a 2019-2024 Cummins?
It heats incoming air so the engine starts in the cold. The 200 A element sits in the upper intake manifold, works during wait-to-start, and runs for a short time after the engine fires to cut emissions and cylinder washing. Trucks from 2025 on use glow plugs instead.
Is my grid heater relay part of a recall?
If you own a 2021, 2022 or 2023, it may be. The current campaign is 23V-060 (FCA 13A), which covers 2021-2023 trucks for relay shorts and fire risk and superseded 21V-798. Earlier, 21V-163 covered 2021 builds. A dealer replaces the relay, so run your VIN through a recall lookup.
Do I lose cold-start help with the Banks Monster-Ram?
No. It replaces the factory elbow with a cast high-flow plate and a 750 W coil heater, and Banks offers optional 1,500 W billet heaters for up to 2,250 W total. Banks ran its cold-start testing following Ram's block-heater guidance. Buy the elbow and heater as Banks' matched kit.
Is the grid heater bolt failure a risk on my 2019+ truck?
It's very rare on 2019+ engines; the pattern is strongest on 2007.5-2018. Shops still look at it when the elbow is off, because a bolt that drops into the manifold can wreck the number 6 cylinder. Codes P2609 or P0542 are a reason to check.
Not sure what fits? Call the shop at the number in the header, or use the fitment checker on any product page. We install everything we sell.