Starting a tractor in extreme cold temperatures

[SylvainG]

So for two weekends in a row, I was unable to start the tractor with temperature around -35C. Had to wait for the temperature to be a 'mild' -20C for it to start.

I have a 300W heater on the cooling line and installed last weekend a battery tender. The heater is turned on for about two to three hours prior to the attempts at starting it. The tender stays 24/7.

What I do is 4 cycles of 8 seconds glow plug and try to start it. At first, because of the battery tender, it turns pretty good but fails to start. Grey smoke comes out but that's it. I do a few more cycles of the glow plugs and it still fails to start. I crank for about 5 seconds each time. After about 5 or 6 attempts, battery is having difficulty turning the engine so I stop and let the temperature warm up. At -20C, after about 3 cycles of the glow plugs, the engine fires no problem.

What's the trick to start a diesel engine in such extreme temperatures?

Thanks

 

[TMGT]

Why are you doing multiple short cycles of the glow plugs? I would recommend trying a longer glow plug cycle time unless the manufacturer specifies not to, 1 long gp cycle will be more effective then multiple short ones.
My forklift is the worst of my diesels, it's an older Nissan and requires about 20-30sec of gp min. at anything below freezing, tractors that don't havr automatic controllers usually get about 10-15 downt to single digits, longer if colder.

Sent from my SM-G715U1 using TractorByNet mobile app

 

[SylvainG]

I can't. The glow plug light will automatically turn off after 8 seconds, even when manually switched to the Glow position. It's a 2010 Kioti LK30.

 

[4570Man]

I’d try running the coolant heater for a day before you plan to use the tractor.

 

[Jerry/MT]

So for two weekends in a row, I was unable to start the tractor with temperature around -35C. Had to wait for the temperature to be a 'mild' -20C for it to start.

I have a 300W heater on the cooling line and installed last weekend a battery tender. The heater is turned on for about two to three hours prior to the attempts at starting it. The tender stays 24/7.

What I do is 4 cycles of 8 seconds glow plug and try to start it. At first, because of the battery tender, it turns pretty good but fails to start. Grey smoke comes out but that's it. I do a few more cycles of the glow plugs and it still fails to start. I crank for about 5 seconds each time. After about 5 or 6 attempts, battery is having difficulty turning the engine so I stop and let the temperature warm up. At -20C, after about 3 cycles of the glow plugs, the engine fires no problem.

What's the trick to start a diesel engine in such extreme temperatures?

Thanks

"I have a 300W heater on the cooling line.....".
I don't know what you mean by having a heater in a cooling line.
The heater should be in the block to warm the coolant in the block and the walls of the cylinders. It will heat the cylinder walls and reduce the oil viscosity locally to make cranking the engine easier. It will also help start the combustion process by warming the walls of the cylinder. I would talk to the dealer's parts department and see if they have one for your tractor. Most OEM's have a block heater for this purpose and since you are up in Canada where cold weather is the norm, your tractor should have come equipped with one.

 

[Woodstock Walt]

OP, what viscosity of engine oil are you using?

I struggled with the same problem and recently made the switch to synthetic 5w-40 to help with cold starts. It made enough of an improvement that I felt compelled to make a short video showing the differences.

Don't mean to steal the spotlight, just a thought.

With conventional 15w-40 in temps below 10*F I would have to run the block heater for a minimum of 2-3 hours before the tractor would start. By simply changing the engine oil to synthetic 5w-40 my tractor will now easily start below 0*F without being plugged in.

 

[Jims1025R]

I’d try running the coolant heater for a day before you plan to use the tractor.

Yes, let the engine heat up and stabilize at a warmer temperature for longer. I'll preheat mine for a day before running it, and if in doubt, I just leave ot plugged in until next time. Though I hate to waste electricity, it's still less costly than replacing a starter motor!

 

[Cycledude]

Apparently your tractor sits outside ? If you can’t store it inside you might want to try covering it with a tarp to see if that might help.
Having it plugged in for a couple extra hours longer might also help.
Proper weight engine oil definitely helps in cold weather.
Make sure you are using winter blend diesel fuel.

 

[pmsmechanic]

If you had a 1600 watt heater then you might get away with only plugging it in for about 3 hours. With a 300 watt heater you need to leave it plugged in all day. Also wrap a well tucked in tarp around the tractor to help keep the heat in. You can get magnetic or stick on heaters that stick to the oil pan. They help too. As already mentioned a 0w40 or a 5w40 synthetic oil also makes a huge improvement. Buy a cheap temporary garage. Having the tractor inside also helps.

I run 0w40 all year round in my diesels.

 

[Egon]

Is the in-line heater working? They work just as well as a block heater. They may also have to be installed in a specific orientation.

Help every thing out by putting a tarp over the engine with a radiant heater underneath. That also works well.

A little diesel fuel additive might also help. Use an additive that does not contain alcohol.