Hey Derek-
I am holding the glow on after starting -- re-watch the video -- I annotated both of them w/ youtube's easy labelling feature. I'm doing the 4 steps you list except in your step #3 I hold glow on for at least 10 seconds instead of 6 to 8 (perhaps what confused you is I put the video on the exhaust for a bit and then come back to the dash and you can see I'm still holding the glow).
At 46 seconds into the video after waiting for a full glow cycle where the light goes out -- I crank it over and let the key back to glow to keep it on rather than letting the key back. While still keeping the glow going I show the smoke coming out for a bit and then put the camera back on the dash -- that entire time the glow is on (yellow light lit). 10 seconds later at 56 seconds in I let glow off and only at that point do I put it back on to show it doesn't change anything. almost a minute later when it finally seems smooth I activate the glow and you can hear it changes things a bit -- before (like in the older video) doing this (activate glow after engine smooths out) would make it want to quit.
In my first video after crank over I do the same thing -- don't turn the key all the way back and let glow keep going -- then I show you can control it by taking it off (and engine gets rougher) and put it back on and it runs better. Only about 10 seconds on that ** colder ** day was needed of glow before it smoothed out. On the post sometime back of that video you replied stating you use the same start procedure -- I'm doing nothing different in both videos here -- the only thing I didn't do that you do is set the throttle up at least 1/4.
I kept wanted to keep the throttle down for this video since my first video kept it down -- so I could compare apples to apples. First video took 10-15 seconds to run good. This video took 45 seconds (with 10 seconds of continous glow after crank (w/ full glow cycle w/ engine off before crank) where the 10 seconds post crank of glow seemed to not make a difference).
Couple reasons I don't put the throttle up: Many people have posted here they don't put the throttle up and everything is fine, and also I don't think having it run to higher RPMS at start is good since oil isn't going to be up into the engine (metal on metal). But I'm certainly willing to try starting at 1/4 to 1/2 throttle as manual says and I've read plenty of people on here who give it throttle for start.
All I know is something is different w/ cold starts -- they used to be like the first video all the time -- a little bit of black smoke virtually no blue/white smoke. Running smooth rather quickly. From 2006 through 2009 I stored it in an unheated shed and starting it in single digit cold was no problem. Now there's tons of smoke -- you can't see it well in this video because it's at night and the camera didn't pick up all of it that was out in the driveway -- and it takes 3 to 4 times longer to smooth out -- and this is in a garage attached to my house in 39 degree weather.
If it's cold this weekend, I'll roll it out into the cold and start it in daylight so the smoke will be visible -- then maybe you'll agree something isn't right when I fill my entire front yard with billowing white smoke that it never did before. I'll also put the throttle up at least 1/4 as now I'm curious to see how that effects it -- I'm thinking since it will let more fuel in I'll fill my yard and my neighbor's yard with smoke as opposed to just my own.... I know something is different -- it's like night and day -- maybe the videos don't make it apparent, but something isn't right in my opinion or I'm going crazy... if it was your machine that you are used to how it starts for 6 years and something suddenly behaved different maybe then you would understand...
I've done plenty of work on gasoline engines, but have zero experience with diesel. This is why I use the dealer for service... Since you are not convinced anything is wrong, now I'm wondering if the dealer will believe me...
Don't take offense to my post -- I've always enjoyed reading your posts as well as many others... I'm a bit on edge because something is definitely up with the machine. I do appreciate your feedback.
