6.7 Cummins Grid Heater Bolt Failure: What to Do Before Winter
The factory grid heater on the 6.7L Cummins has a small fastener that can work loose and drop into the engine. Here is how the failure happens, how to spot it, and how your three options compare before cold weather arrives.
Quick answer
- Affected trucks: 2007.5–2024 Ram 2500/3500 with the 6.7L Cummins.
- The risk: the fastener on the grid heater's high-amp terminal can loosen, fall into the intake and damage a piston, valve or head.
- No recall covers the grid heater bolt as of early 2026.
- Best fix for most owners: replace the factory grid heater with an upgrade kit that keeps a cold-start heater, rather than deleting it.
What Actually Fails on the Factory Grid Heater
The 6.7L Cummins uses an electric grid heater in the intake to warm incoming air for cold starts. It draws a lot of current, up to about 200 amps according to Banks Power, and its electrical connection is held by a small bolt or nut inside the intake path.
Heat cycles, vibration and corrosion can loosen that fastener over time. When it lets go, it can fall into the intake and be pulled into a cylinder. Banks Power notes it can end up in cylinder #6 and damage the piston, a valve or the cylinder head.
Owners have discussed the problem for years. A law firm is investigating a possible class action, and owners have started a petition asking for a recall. According to Banks Power, Stellantis did recall 2021–2022 trucks for grid heater relays (recall Y08/Y76), but that campaign did not address the bolt itself.
Warning Signs to Watch For
Owners and repair shops have reported these symptoms before or during a failure:
- A new rattle, tick or knock, especially right after start-up
- Check engine light with codes such as P2609 (intake air heater system performance) or P0542 (intake air heater circuit high)
- Hard starting in cold weather or a "Wait to Start" light that behaves differently than usual
- Rough running, misfire or sudden loss of power
If you hear a new knock or rattle, stop driving and have it inspected. Running the engine with loose metal in a cylinder is how a small repair becomes an engine replacement.
Your Three Options
| Option | What it involves | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keep stock and inspect | Pull the intake horn periodically and check the heater fastener | Lowest cost | The failure point is still there; checking means repeated labor |
| Delete the grid heater | Remove the heater and install a blank spacer plate | Removes the fastener; inexpensive | Loses the cold-start aid; may set codes; can raise emissions and compliance questions depending on your state |
| Upgrade kit | Replace the factory horn and grid heater with a new horn, heater plate and coil-style heater | Removes the factory grid and its fastener while keeping intake air heating | Higher upfront cost; a few hours of work |
For a truck that sees cold mornings, the delete solves one problem by creating another. The grid heater exists to help a high-compression diesel start and clean up white smoke in the cold. That is why the aftermarket has moved toward replacement heaters instead of blank plates.
Why Deal With It Before Winter
- Cold starts are when the heater works hardest. More heater cycles mean more heat and current through the connection.
- You need the heater to work in winter. Finding out in January that the heater is failing, or that you deleted it, is the worst time.
- Fall weather is easier to work in. Doing the job before it gets cold means less time under the hood in freezing temperatures.
How the Haytalras Upgrade Kit Works
Our kit replaces the factory intake horn and grid heater with a cast-aluminum intake horn, a heater plate and a 700-watt coil-style heater. We validated cold starts down to 23°F with the kit installed.
Factory Grid Heater vs. Haytalras Coil Heater
| Factory grid heater | Haytalras coil heater | |
|---|---|---|
| Job | Warms intake air for cold starts | Warms intake air for cold starts |
| Design | Flat heating grids across the intake opening | 700 W coil heater that extends into the horn |
| How it's held | Small screws and nuts inside the intake path | Threaded body screws in from outside the horn |
| Electrical terminal | Inside the intake | On top of the horn, outside the airstream, ceramic insulated |
| What sits in the airflow | Heater grids and their fasteners | The coil element only; no loose screws or nuts |
Both heaters do the same job. The difference is where the hardware lives. With our kit, the factory plate and its grids come out, an open plate takes their place, and the coil heater does the warming from a mount outside the air path.
Here is how the coil heater mounts on the horn. Its threaded body screws in from the outside and seals with a copper washer, and the electrical terminal sits on top with a ceramic insulator, away from the airstream.
| Spec | Haytalras kit |
|---|---|
| Fits | 2007.5–2012, 2013–2018 and 2019–2024 Ram 2500/3500 pickups with the 6.7L Cummins (not Cab & Chassis) |
| Heater | 700 W coil-style heater |
| Cold-start validation | Down to 23°F |
| Intake horn | Cast aluminum, made in our own factory |
| Finishes | Red or Black |
| Not included | EGR valve heat shield (reuse your existing one) |
| Price | $419.99, free US shipping |
Live somewhere colder than 23°F? Plug in your truck's block heater on the coldest nights, as most diesel owners already do. It takes load off the intake heater and the starter.
Shop the 6.7L Cummins Upgrade Kit
Installation Overview
Install time depends on your experience and tools, so we don't quote a number. These are the steps that matter most:
- Read the supplied instructions all the way through first.
- Disconnect both negative battery cables.
- Pick the fuel-line and harness parts for your model year. The kit is the same for every year range, so some parts won't be used on your truck.
- Follow the heater terminal assembly and torque steps exactly, and keep the required clearance from surrounding metal.
- Route wiring away from hot or moving parts.
- Prime the fuel system the way Ram specifies. Don't crank continuously to build fuel pressure.
- Check every fuel connection for leaks before driving.
If you aren't comfortable working on the fuel system, have a diesel shop install it. For more on fitment and planning, read our 6.7L Cummins intake manifold upgrade guide.
FAQ
Which 6.7L Cummins trucks have the grid heater bolt problem?
The grid heater design is used on 2007.5 through 2024 6.7L Cummins trucks. Banks Power reports that Ram moved away from the grid heater for the 2025 model year.
Is there a recall for the grid heater bolt?
No. As of early 2026, there is no recall for the grid heater bolt. The 2021–2022 recall covered the grid heater relay, not the bolt.
Is deleting the grid heater a good idea?
It removes the fastener, but it also removes the cold-start aid. Expect harder starts and more white smoke in cold weather, and possibly trouble codes. Depending on where you live, it may also raise emissions compliance questions. An upgrade kit removes the factory fastener and keeps intake air heating.
Does the Haytalras kit fit a Cab & Chassis truck?
No. It fits 2007.5–2024 Ram 2500 and 3500 pickups with the 6.7L Cummins only.
Are the three model-year options different kits?
No. Every option ships the same complete kit. The instructions tell you which supporting parts to use for your year.
Not sure it fits your truck?
Send us your year, model and VIN through Fitment Support and we'll confirm before you order. Returns and warranty details are on our Returns & Warranty page.
Bottom Line
The grid heater fastener is a known weak point on 6.7L Cummins trucks, and there is no recall fix for it. If your truck sees cold mornings, replace the factory grid heater before winter instead of deleting it. That way the fastener is gone and you still have a heater for cold starts.
Fix it before winter: Haytalras 6.7L Cummins intake horn & grid heater upgrade kit
Compare all 6.7L Cummins Intake Manifolds →
