My Jinma 254 has trouble starting in the cold?!?!?

[Part timer]

Hi I have a Jinma Tractor King 254 and the last couple days I have fired it up in the morning and it struggles to start. I recieved no paperwork with it and I'm curious is there a special way to preheat the glowplugs before cranking?

Actually it was 48* F outside yesterday and I had to use the compression release to get it to start!

I do have a block heater I am going to install on it but 48* isn't even cold yet..

Anyone have any thoughts or info?

 

[gauthier]

Glow plugs might need to be cycled twice,hold them on for 15-20 sec,,than if it don't start right up on about first crank,,start from scratch,again...main thing is not to just keep cranking.

 

[Part timer]

Glow plugs might need to be cycled twice,hold them on for 15-20 sec,,than if it don't start right up on about first crank,,start from scratch,again...main thing is not to just keep cranking.

Thanks I'll try that on the next cool morning I usually leave the key in the ON position for 5 secs or so and it would fire right up until it started cooling off outside also my kids ran the battery down on it a few days ago so I had to charge it. That migh have been a factor also... Thanks

 

[Transit]

If your tractor is equipped with an ammeter you will see a high current draw, about 30 amps that tapers off as the plugs heat. When the plugs are as hot as they are going to get the current reading will level off at about 5 amps per plug.

I start my engine in this order;

Compression release, set.
Spin the engine till there is oil pressure.
Heat the glow plugs. 20-30 sec. more if colder.
Spin the engine again with the compression release set and than drop the release.
Sometimes you may have to hold the key in the heat position until the engine smoothes out.

 

[McGeesEquip]

Thanks I'll try that on the next cool morning I usually leave the key in the ON position for 5 secs or so and it would fire right up until it started cooling off outside also my kids ran the battery down on it a few days ago so I had to charge it. That migh have been a factor also... Thanks

The glow plugs do not come on when the key is only in the on position. To make the glow plugs heat up you have to hold the key in between the on position and the start position. You will know you have in the right position when the amp gauge shows to be discharging. If you hold the key in between the on position and the start position and the amp gauge does not show to be discharging, check your fuse box to see if the fuse for the glow plugs is still good.

 

[RonMar]

Halfway between on and start is the pre-heat position. Your key placard should be labeled from left to right as follows: ST(for start), OFF, ON, H(for heat), and ST again. As mentioned, when you get to the H position, you should see at least 30A of current draw on the Ammeter. This will taper off to about 20A after about 20 seconds. I believe on this ignition switch, it maintains the heat contacts while you rotate the key to start, so it is still heating while you are cranking the engine. Mine starts reliably down into the low 40's-upper 30's. Towards freezing it may take a second attempt. Still running the original battery since 2005, but I do keep my electrical contacts clean and weatherproofed. This is important as that starter needs a good supply to spin up properly. A quick check for this is to measure the voltage drop when cranking. Measure first at the battery terminals, then measure the voltage drop at the starter. In a perfect world, these would be the same. If the starter voltage drop is significantly lower, then you are loosing the difference in the wiring and connections.

I installed a 1000W tank type heater in line between the block drain(left rear near the oil pressure sender) and the extra port(for a cabin heater?) up near the thermostat housing/water pump inlet. When freezing out, 15 minute preheat easilly pushes the block temp toward the 60's for an easy start...

I ALWAYS use compression release for EVERY start. There are some very good reasons to do this, particularly on the first cold start.
1. Saves wear and tear on the starter motor trying to crank past compression on the cylinders to get the engine up to speed.

2. Takes compression loads off of the rod bearings and gives the oil pressure a chance to build up and push some oil into the bearings to keep the bearing material from contacting the crank journals.

3. Sometimes things break like head gaskets and injectors, or water finds it's way down the exhaust or intake. So the potential exists that there may be fluid on top of a piston. Cranking a diesel with fluid in a cylinder can get real expensive real quick(cracked piston, bent rod, twisted crank ECT). Compression release gives the chance to clear any fluid in the engine without hopefully doing any damage to the engine...

 

[20 20]

inline heater, that is about the best thing you can do.

 

[Part timer]

Thanks you guys answered my question. I did not know the glow plug position!!!<< <dummy.. I tried it this morning using the techniques described it was 47* and it fire right up after a 25 second preheat!!!

Also the block heater I have is a 1500 watt magnetic that I am goin fabricate a permanent mount for so where would be the best place to mount it?

Thanks again!!!

 

[greg_g]

Magnetic heaters are very inefficient, too few of those 1500 watts actually makes it to the oil (or coolant, depending where you stick it). Expensive in terms of electricity consumption. Some lower radiator hose heaters are good (avoid Kat's), but are comparatively labor intensive to install. And I'm always afraid the do-it-yourself freeze plug heaters may arbitrarily pop out.

I personally swear by oil pan full-contact heaters. Installation of the brand I use is basically a peel-n-stick operation. None of the free air loss of a magnetic heater, easier to install than a coolant heater, cheaper to run. Depending upon which oil pan you have on that Jinma, you might be able to use one as small as 125 watts. On my larger TS354C and KM454 pans, I use 250 watts (per tractor). Keeps the oil thinned out at a nice steady 125F until you're ready to fire it up.

//greg//

 

[20 20]

I bought my inline heater from TSC, cut the line install heater tighten two clamps and that was it. I agree the magnetic heaters work, but not real well, maybe down there they'd be okay??