Very cold weather-electrical issues

[Limegreenmachine]

Two issues. First my ym155d has an issue when it is very cold outside. When the igt. Switch is on, the oil pressure light does not work, also, the headlights dont work. Any thoughts? Once everything warms up, it is fine. Second, I dont know if the thermostart is working either because i can get it started (not easy, but it starts), but the thermostart thing is new to me. The only time I tried the thermostart, it has been very cold. What is the best way to know if it is in fact working? Thanks for the help.

 

[Craig Clayton]

I would suspect the selector parts in the ignition switch are SO cold the metal and brass contacts do not make good contact.

Do you have a engine block heater?
If you do not have a standard 120 Volt U ground plug to plug in you do not have a block heater.

Look around the engine.

The thermostart ( thing ) I think you are refering to the glow plugs.

Post what you have found.

Craig Clayton

 

[Limegreenmachine]

I get the thermostart concept, it is different than a conventional glow plug. I used to have an old kubota with glow plugs. I just dont know if it works, and how do i know if it does. No block heater. I'll check the contacts on the igt switch. Thanks

 

[careyo63]

Look For a White plastic cup With a Lid around the top of the motor. It will have tubes that goes to the Intake. Put Diesel Fuel in it. Remove the Air cleaner Cover and Turn the Inition switch Backwards or Acc. The Thermo Start will get hot and the Check Ball will allow Fuel to get to it and ignite causeing smoke an possibly fire. The heat or Hot air will get Sucked into the Cylinders creating a easier Warmer Start. Your have to Hold the Key Back 5-10 sec. for it to work. On my. new to me laptop so I don't have any pics. Available. Ser. Thermo Start and I believe California Has posted some excellent Pics. Hope that helps The Best I can do. This should be close to your setuphttp://www.hoyetractor.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=HTE&Category_Code=YM2000GLOW

 

[winston1]

This Yanmar Tractor Thermostart Plug will help explain it. The best way to know if it is working is to hold your key in the thermostart position for 10 or 15 seconds, then feel the intake where the thermostart element screws in. It should be warm to the touch. If not, it is not working. You have a little bottle similiar to the one I am attaching. Make sure it has diesel in it. Some are self filling from injector bleed off and some have to be hand filled. I don't know which one your 155 has. You can see the bottle at the top of the picture and the thermostart element where the hose is connecting the two.

 

[careyo63]

If the Thermal plug is there. My Plug was but it didn't have power to it. I just ran power to it Pos. from the battery at first and it Worked:thumbsup: Then I wired it to my Ign. But my Bowl wasn't there so this is what I did for it. I Rarely have to use my TS. here in Ga. so I made a Quick Fill and Connect. This was just an old Antifreeze Tester I had that I took the Ball off of that works Great. Just give it a squeeze stick it in the tank to fill it and plug it in. Put it this way since the last post I ran out filled it and hooked it up. It's still 55Deg. here so no need for it yet.
Ah! getting better at this PC. stuff my pic.worked

 

[California]

Craig, Carey and Winston covered it well. Your Yanmar might be an early one with a TS button on the dash instead of the twist-left ignition switch. Same idea.

My coldest-weather starting procedure:
*Throttle zero, use the compression release, crank with no compression until the oil light goes out.
*use Thermostart for about 6 seconds. (Many Yanmars have the Thermostart wired to both the TS and also the Start key positions, so this along with the no-compression cranking adds up to about 15 seconds of TS.)
*set throttle at Full Throttle. Don't ask me why, that's what Yanmar put in all their manuals.
*Use the compression release, start cranking. When the engine is cranking at full rpm drop the compression release. With the flywheel inertia assisting the starter, it should fire right off.
* Pull the throttle down to mid range immediately. Yanmar says warm up at 1500 rpm for 5 minutes before any load. (I wait 3~4 minutes then drive gently for a few more).
*If it started with a fog of white unburned fuel vapor then next time use shorter time on the Thermostart. If you got a huge cloud and it didn't start, spin with compression released and throttle zero to clean it out then try again with less TS.

A couple more points:
*The later 3-cylinder Yanmars start easier in cold weather.
*15W40 Diesel engine oil is the current recommendation for old Yanmars. I might try winter rated synthetic for real cold weather use.
*A battery has something like half the cranking power at zero degrees compared to warm. I have left a trickle charger on overnight to help warm the battery. A 2/10/50 amp charger set on the start-assist mode works great too.


Carey - the weather here (North of San Francisco) is spooky warm. Sunny, mid to high 60's (record highs) and predicted to go on indefinitely. It feels like May. Winter here should be highs in the mid 40's and with most of the year's rain falling in January and February.

 

[Limegreenmachine]

Thanks for all the advice. I did know where the TS is & get the concept of how it might work, but was not sure how to actually see if it was working. I have one of the pre-cleaner type air cleaners. I like the "touch the intake, you big dummy" approach. There is some great advice on this site, and I thank everyone for their time. And yes, the weather here in upstate NY is scary warm too. It was in the 50's this weekend.....we should be freezing & dreaming of the Caribbean! Well, still dreaming of the Caribbean!

 

[silvertramp]

Winston, thank you for the pic. I was never sure where the heck it was. Now to see if it works.