Cold Weather starting tips

[George2615]

Alan,
For me, I start mine at closed throttle or lowest RPM then once it starts I raise the RPM to about 1200 and let it warm up. Some mfg. recommend starting at half throttle or more. I figure if my method of starting at idle speed starts my tractor thats what I use. I really wouldn't want to start a cold engine at half throttle. If your bobcat requires a higher RPM to start then that's what you use. Check your bobcats glow plugs and air filter. Maybe you have to cycle the plugs a couple times. Our bobcat at work starts at idle speed.

 

[RonMar]

I position my throttle at what would be about the 1200-1500 RPM running position, but I do not let it run at that initially. This is only to deliver a little more fuel at startup and as soon as the engine lights off, I immediatly ****** the throttle to the normal idle RPM(engine never exceeds normal idle RPM) till the engine warms up a bit.

This is just like a cold gasoline engine requiring choke(enrichened mixture) to start when cold.

Some cold weather hand crank experience on my diesel generator has shown me that if the fuel rack is not at the full throttle position when the compression lever is released, the engine is very difficult to start and will only partially fire and puff some smoke instead of making a meaningfull power stroke that increases engine RPM. The original versions of my engine actually had a small lever mechanism in the rack that allowed greater throttle travel for startup. As soon as the engine was running, the retarded throttle would activate the lever limiting the ammouunt of throttle that an overloaded engines governor could apply. This limited ammount of throttle was insufficient for reliable cold startup.

 

[RalphVa]

I open the throttle but don't let it go above about 1500 rpm. Usually, I haven't set it open enough to go to 1500 rpm and have to move it more open. If it starts rough, it needs more throttle. Just don't rev it hard. On the Benz I have no tach; so, I go my sound. It also has a hand-set fast idle on the dash that usually is enough, except on VERY cold days. The tractor's hand throttle isn't very precise as far as knowing how far to move it for it to start at 1000-1500 rpm. Even 1500 rpm is far slower than the fast idle setting on most gas engines, judging by the sound, certainly slower than fast idle setting on the old carb engines. On my VW with a tach, its fast idle generally is held to only about 1200 rpm; it has fuel injection.

Ralph

 

[Northland]

Those are good tips. I would allow suggest using a Mr. Funnel to insure no water enters the fuel line.

As a cold weather (-10 C to -30C), heavy snow area tractor owner I have learned how to get my Kubota warm asap.

I have the engine block heater on for 1 to 2 hours prior to starting the tractor. I also bought a Katz 200 watt magnetic heater ($25 at amazon) that I put on under the hydraulic fluid reservoir for 1 to 2 hours as well.

When the heaters have done their job I light the glow plug light to the count of 10 and start the tractor at 1500 RPM's. I start moving right away. I crank it to 2000 RMP's within about 10 minutes.

I find that the heaters allow me to use my FEL and rear blade immediately without any slowness that would be associated with ice-cold hydraulic fluid.

This method of warming up the tractor became that much more important
since my wife has banished the tractor from it's home beside her car in the garage. She tripped over the rear blade while unplugging her block heater one morning.

 

[KennK]

I have a JD 3320 diesel. I think I read somewhere that it doesn't really have glow plugs inside the cylinders, but instead has some kind of glow plug-like device in the intake manifold. Does anyone know if that is true?

When it is cold out all I do is turn the ignition key on, press the key in for about 10-12 seconds (the "glow plug" indicator lights up while pushing the key in), and then I start up the engine at the lowest throttle. It has always started up great. I should mention that in cold weather I put a trickle charger on the battery and it is stored inside my barn (not outside).

 

[SkunkWerX]

The case for this particular B7800 sounds like the classic "Low Battery in Cold Temps" syndrome.

Assuming the plug in heater is working (easy test for that) it should crank right over first or at most second attempt.

If you don't have a load tester then a quick and dirty test, before you try to start is to put a charger on it, one that has a gauge or needle you can watch, and observe it when you place it on charge.
If it's drawing heavy initially when placed on charge, then there is a likelyhood your battery is not up to snuff.

Swapping with a known good battery can also prove the trouble.

Whenver I have had this symptom, it's always been in need of new battery with enough CCAs to get the job done.

 

[john_bud]

This method of warming up the tractor became that much more important
since my wife has banished the tractor from it's home beside her car in the garage. She tripped over the rear blade while unplugging her block heater one morning.

That's just totally unfair! Unless the tractor stuck the rear blade out on purpose, or unless it laughed at her. Besides, just how do you think the tractor feels being put out because it's back side is too big?

jb

 

[wolc123]

Certainly that guy has a bad block heater. Any tractor with a properly functioning block heater should start as good or better in mid winter than it does in mid summer after being plugged in for an hour or more. On my JD, I dont even use the preheat, if it has been plugged in, no matter how cold it is. A properly functioning block heater is the best friend your diesel engine can have in cold climates.

 

[Z-Michigan]

I have a JD 3320 diesel. I think I read somewhere that it doesn't really have glow plugs inside the cylinders, but instead has some kind of glow plug-like device in the intake manifold. Does anyone know if that is true?

When it is cold out all I do is turn the ignition key on, press the key in for about 10-12 seconds (the "glow plug" indicator lights up while pushing the key in), and then I start up the engine at the lowest throttle. It has always started up great. I should mention that in cold weather I put a trickle charger on the battery and it is stored inside my barn (not outside).

Yes, that's quite possibly true. I have a JD 5105 and it has a manifold heater instead of glowplugs - basically a heating element in the intake manifold so intake air is heated, making things start easier. That way no glowplug inside the combustion chamber to fail. Our Dodge with a Cummins turbodiesel has the same thing. Works fine in both. I find the JD starts up in cold weather just fine with 5-10 seconds of manifold heater use (the Dodge has a sensor that regulates the manifold heater use, and it often seems to run as long as 30 seconds in cold weather before the heater light goes out, indicating it's ready to start). The tractor is stored in an unheated barn with no other heaters. I did go to synthetic oil (Rotella-T 5w-40) and am using powerservice in the fuel. The engine runs fine but I do find it can take one to several minutes for the hydraulics to have any functionality in cold weather, and much longer still before they run at a speed I like. In my case putting a heater on the hydraulic reservoir would probably be more valuable than on the engine oil pan!

 

[Egon]

Glow plugs or intake heaters are dependant on the type of combustion chamber the engine has.