Block heaters ...

[Madman_Mark]

My Fiat won't start unless it's plugged in even when the temp is above freezing (around 5 celcius and lower).
This is my first tractor but I thought starting in the cold wasn't a problem until it was really cold out.
I guess some are different then others.

 

[frank_f15]

i would think that any tractor or any vehicle for that matter would not have a problem starting at those temps. my tractor starts right up no matter what the temp, a few sec. on the glo plugs and she fires right up. no heater on it.

 

[PineRidge]

My old Chinese Bison was a bear starting in cold weather. I never had a block heater on it but I did have to fire the glow plugs for extended periods in real cold temperatures as well as use the compression release to get it spinning quickly. I haven't had my New Holland long enough to know if there will be a problem there or not.

 

[Madman_Mark]

This one doesn't have glow plugs.
It has a "thermostarter" which I haven't quite figured out yet, or it doesn't work.

 

[PineRidge]

Never heard of a diesel without a glow plug but then I never heard of a thermostarter either. I'll be watching this thread to find out for myself what it's all about. Hoping someone else will jump in here with more info on the subject.

 

[Egon]

The Cumins diesel in Dodge trucks does not have glow plugs. It uses an air preheater and fuel heater.

Egon

 

[thcri]

Thermostarter fuel burner in intake manifold for easy cold starting.

This is what I found on the internet about thermostarters. Once I found this I do remember hearing about them. If I remember right there was a fuel used to heat the intake manifold but not sure.

murph

 

[cbh]

Check out this recent discussion about the thermostart system on a Yanmar tractor, you may have something similar.

 

[DK35vince]

Mike,
My John Deere 850 has thermostart
This is from my owners manual

Thermostart Device
An electric glow plug ignites a small amout of fuel in the intake manifold

 

[MDNick]

The thermostart system has been around for some time. My dad's David Brown 990 has this system and it is a 1974 or there abouts. It works well down to about 15. Below that she wants plugged in. Badly.