Very Cold Weather Starting

   / Very Cold Weather Starting #1  
NoTrespassing

NoTrespassing

Elite Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2003
Messages
2,637
Location
East Central Illinois
Tractor
Kubota 1999 L3710 HST FWA
Howdy All,

I've been away from TBN for a long time, almost 2 years I think. My SO left for greener pastures but I kept the tractor! LOL

Anyway, my battery is in need of replacement so the other day when I went to start it I was worried about having to crank it over very long. It was about 10 F out so I decided to try something different on start up. I turned the key on till the glow plug indicator went out, then I turned it off and repeated 3 times. When I started it, the engined fired up very very quickly. Is this a bad habit to get into? I guess I will wear out the glow plugs more quickly.

When I have a good battery in it, I sometimes pull the shutoff knob and crank the engine over a few seconds in very very cold weather before I start it. Any opinions on that?

Glad to be back to TBN, hope everyone is doing fine here. BTW after my SO left for greener pastures, I traded up! LOL

Kevin
 
   / Very Cold Weather Starting #4  
10 F is "very cold"? :)

Last winter I was out plowing on days that ranged from -10 to -20 F and before starting I'd simply hold the glow for about 10 secs and the L3400 would fire right up. Not sure if it makes a difference being a "newer" tractor or not. But if you go immediately to start from glow I see no reason to hold longer than that or glow twice.
j
 
   / Very Cold Weather Starting #5  
Many of the older tractors required 60seconds on the glow plugs.
 
   / Very Cold Weather Starting #6  
On my old MF 203 without glow plugs we just spray starter fluid into the intake and it starts instantly so far no ill effects
 
   / Very Cold Weather Starting #8  
I'd think hitting the glow plugs all that much is unnecessary. However will it hurt them, I would think probably not that much.

Try it less and see how it goes. I know when I've not let them glow long enough on the next try the tractor has fired up with just a little extra smoke.
 
   / Very Cold Weather Starting #9  
NoTrespassing said:
Howdy All,

I've been away from TBN for a long time, almost 2 years I think. My SO left for greener pastures but I kept the tractor! LOL

Anyway, my battery is in need of replacement so the other day when I went to start it I was worried about having to crank it over very long. It was about 10 F out so I decided to try something different on start up. I turned the key on till the glow plug indicator went out, then I turned it off and repeated 3 times. When I started it, the engined fired up very very quickly. Is this a bad habit to get into? I guess I will wear out the glow plugs more quickly.

When I have a good battery in it, I sometimes pull the shutoff knob and crank the engine over a few seconds in very very cold weather before I start it. Any opinions on that?

Glad to be back to TBN, hope everyone is doing fine here. BTW after my SO left for greener pastures, I traded up! LOL

Kevin
Click to expand...

I'd be concerned about turning it over with the fuel choked off. The diesel works as an internal lubricant.
 
   / Very Cold Weather Starting #10  
No issue with 3x glow cycling. I do that too, works better.

As to cranking it with the fuel off, It won't harm it, but it won't do any good either. I was wondering what your reason was for doing that? Get lube flowing? If so, it's not doing that anybetter than just firing it up.

"Very Cold"? You are about 40 degrees to the warm side of very cold. When it hit's -30F on the thermometer - come on back and we'll talk! At +10F, you don't need to hit the glows extra times, but it won't hurt them.

jb
 
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