Cold Weather Starting Tips?
- Thread starter w6ada
- Start date
In cold weather (below freezing) I will turn on and let the glow plug light go out, and then turn off, wait 5 seconds and turn on and let the glow plug light go out a 2nd time. Then I start as normal. I never move the throttle to full ever. I keep it in the same place for both warm and cold weather as far as starting goes.
Yep, they are both right. If you do have to advance the throttle, you want to get it back down as soon as possible after starting to keep the thick oil from blowing the seals out or blowing the engine itself for a whole number of reasons! Even when everything is working good, it never hurts to get the voltage up or even warm the battery up with a big charger or jumper cables from a running engine. Everything and everybody is happier with a quick start.
Or you could just cheat ( like I do a lot ) and use either and risk messing the pistons up!NEVER USE EITHER WITH THE GLOW PLUGS!!!!
Or you could just cheat ( like I do a lot ) and use either and risk messing the pistons up!NEVER USE EITHER WITH THE GLOW PLUGS!!!!MailManToo
New member
Block heaters are the surest way to get a cold diesel engine to start in cold weather. Plug it in for a couple of hours or put a timer on it to come on for a while before needed.
The Yanmar manuals have about the same instructions for a cold weather start.
1) First crank with the compression released and zero throttle, long enough to get oil pressure.
2) 10-15 seconds of manifold heater. ('glow plug').
3) Then start the engine at full throttle.
4)When it fires immediately pull back to 1500 rpm for five minutes warmup without load.
This sure runs contrary to my instinct. For a cold start I set 7/8 throttle where it seems to have the correct fuel/air ratio, not full throttle, then get the throttle back immediately before it exceeds 1500. Even 1500 sounds way too fast, it sounds like it's going to grenade. There's an example in the sound file referenced from my sig, below.
But the engine has good oil pressure after 30 years so they seem to know what they are talking about.
1) First crank with the compression released and zero throttle, long enough to get oil pressure.
2) 10-15 seconds of manifold heater. ('glow plug').
3) Then start the engine at full throttle.
4)When it fires immediately pull back to 1500 rpm for five minutes warmup without load.
This sure runs contrary to my instinct. For a cold start I set 7/8 throttle where it seems to have the correct fuel/air ratio, not full throttle, then get the throttle back immediately before it exceeds 1500. Even 1500 sounds way too fast, it sounds like it's going to grenade. There's an example in the sound file referenced from my sig, below.
But the engine has good oil pressure after 30 years so they seem to know what they are talking about.
My solution to the starting problem is for you guys to move to Texas. It never usually gets cold enough here to worry about it too much. OK, it does a little bit but not often enough to be a major problem. What I do is to run through the glow plug cycle twice, set it to 1/2 throttle and crank her up ... starts no problem. As soon as she's running, I bring it back down to idle and let it run for 5 minutes before taking off.
We did have an old Massey 275 at the farm that was an absolute bugger to start at any temperature below about 40 degrees. The answer to that problem was a magnetic block heater that you had to stick on there the night before you wanted to use it. It was amazing the difference that little thing made in starting that tractor.
We did have an old Massey 275 at the farm that was an absolute bugger to start at any temperature below about 40 degrees. The answer to that problem was a magnetic block heater that you had to stick on there the night before you wanted to use it. It was amazing the difference that little thing made in starting that tractor.
Frank offers a good suggestion, but even here it takes a little glowing, manifold heating or if the tractor has niether, starter fluid spraying to get them started in the dead of Winter.
IMPORTANT point for all diesel owners to be aware of. DO NOT use starter fluid on an engine with glow plugs or a manifold heater UNLESS these items are FOR SURE disconnected. You can blow the thing to kingdom come.
My old Ford 3000 has no such devices, so starting fluid is kept handy in the Winter. My new tractor, a JD 5045D, I had to get out the owners manual a few days ago. I found that to actuate the glow plugs or manifold heater, whichever it has, you push in on the key switch.
I also do not like to add any more fuel than necessary with the lever. If for no other reason, it's extra trash that the engine must burn out.
Good luck,
IMPORTANT point for all diesel owners to be aware of. DO NOT use starter fluid on an engine with glow plugs or a manifold heater UNLESS these items are FOR SURE disconnected. You can blow the thing to kingdom come.
My old Ford 3000 has no such devices, so starting fluid is kept handy in the Winter. My new tractor, a JD 5045D, I had to get out the owners manual a few days ago. I found that to actuate the glow plugs or manifold heater, whichever it has, you push in on the key switch.
I also do not like to add any more fuel than necessary with the lever. If for no other reason, it's extra trash that the engine must burn out.
Good luck,
MailManToo
New member
We also have some good long hills around here to get them rolling and pop the clutch
tinkertoys
Member
I always used WD40 as it has some lube in it.
As a starting fluid? I read it no longer works for this after they changed the formula a while back.
What I read was the volatiles in WD40 were the reason why glue-sniffer kids sprayed it into a paper bag then stuck their head in the bag to get high. Or at least brain-impaired.
As a starting fluid? I read it no longer works for this after they changed the formula a while back.
What I read was the volatiles in WD40 were the reason why glue-sniffer kids sprayed it into a paper bag then stuck their head in the bag to get high. Or at least brain-impaired.
Darn Cali, it's amazing what you learn on a tractor board. I've read of a thousand and one uses for WD-40 but that was never one of them. I must admit that I kinda like the smell of WD-40 but not to get high on. That what they make Scotch for.
sandbagger
New member
Spray silicone works good also...