Cold start failure

[dieseleric]

If you have to use starting fluid. Use silicone spray. Its highly flammable and also as a lot of lubrication. Works really well. If your going to use it on something with glow plugs. At least make sure that the pre heat light is out and you are cranking the engine over. Best way is to disconnect the glow plug relay or pull the fuse.

 

[oldpilgrim]

This is my first winter with a diesel. I haven't started my Mahindra for about 2 weeks. The temps have barely reached 20F, hovered mostly in the teens in the day time, single digits in the evening and gone to zero F and below several times.

Several friends who know diesels have told me that the Mitsubishi diesel is a great engine when it comes to cold starts so I've been waiting anxiously to see how it starts when it's cold.

I've always been a believer that a warm battery is the best thing you can do to start a cold engine, so I put a trickle charger on mine and leave it plugged in during cold spells. I did an oil change on it about 3 hours of run time ago, with 15-40 Dinosaur oil. I will have synth in it before next winter as I think it will lube better at cold temps. I do treat the fuel with Howe's Diesel Treat.

Today I went out, cycled the plugs once and turned it over. It spun over like it was summer. It took 3 revolutions of the engine and it fired up. It sounded like it was full of marbles for a few seconds.

I'm assuming the marble sound was ignition and not bearings. I hope it was anyway.

We still have some time to go where it will be colder, but based on what I've seen so far, I'm not worried about it not starting.

I guess my friends were right about the Mitsu diesels.

My brother has a Kioti. He has a pan heater on it, cycles the plugs 2-3 times and it still works to get going. It always goes, but not like a Mitsu.

Can anyone else compare different makes of diesel engines and their cold start characteristics?

 

[GreenheadRecycle]

"Can anyone else compare different makes of diesel engines and their cold start characteristics?"

First off I like your insignias at the bottom of your page Pilgram. Especially the last one.
You are on the right track. They all sound like marbles when really cold. Some may miss a time or two and smoke, also normal.
Just let them warm up good before putting any pressure on the motor.
Any diesel additive with anti gel properties is good. Everybody has their favorite brand. A "winter blended" fuel wouldn't be a bad idea either.
Battery warm is a good idea. Synthetic also good. A block heater is probably your best option in my opinion. It's not rocket science.
Take care brother...

 

[kiotiken]

Not plugged in, my tractor will start down to about -25C after that, it has to be plugged in to start. I only have a lower rad hose heater which isn't as good, but if it's plugged in for at least an hour, the tractor starts easily. Coldest I ever tried was around -35C. If the tractor will start at -26 but not when it's colder, the glow plugs must be working or it won't start at much warmer temps and the block heater must not be working.

I only go through one cycle of the glow plugs. Once it catches and starts running (no matter how rough), I'll hold the key so the glow plugs come on and that will smooth the engine out within a few seconds. When it's that cold, you need at least 20-30 minutes of warm up time at 1700-1800 RPM (according to my owners manual). I like to turn the PTO on unless the blower's attached, otherwise the hydraulics don't warm up properly.

 

[GManBart]

Can anyone else compare different makes of diesel engines and their cold start characteristics?

The Mitsubishi engine in my LS started well when it was cold (down to about -10F was the coldest I tried). The one thing was that you had to follow the manual's instructions (throttle 1/3 to 1/2 open) or it simply wouldn't start at those temps. I tried cycling the glow plugs 1, 2 and 3 times....2 made a big difference, but 3 didn't seem to offer any improvement. The biggest difference was that if you cycled the glow plugs an extra time it got to running smoothly much faster (like half the time).

The Perkins in my Massey doesn't have glow plugs, or a grid heater, and it starts incredibly easy when cold (down to the same -10*F or so)...just a couple of rotations and it's running. It seems to smooth out pretty quickly. I think I'm going to put a block heater in it to shorten the warm up time before it's okay to work it hard.

The Cummins in my backhoe starts pretty well, but I haven't started it much below 10-15*F yet. It definitely needs to have the manual followed (1/4 throttle open), but that's about it. I haven't tried multiple cycles on the glow plugs because it has a block heater, and after plugging that in for 1-2hrs it fires up like it's a summer day, and is much smoother from the get go.

 

[skyhook]

The Perkins in my Massey doesn't have glow plugs, or a grid heater, and it starts incredibly easy when cold (down to the same -10*F or so)...just a couple of rotations and it's running. It seems to smooth out pretty quickly. I think I'm going to put a block heater in it to shorten the warm up time before it's okay to work it hard.

You must have a good strong battery.

 

[jimmysisson]

I recall my 135 Massey Perkins the same way, just turn it a bit and it started. The 3PH, now, that wouldn't raise for ten minutes when it was cold.
Jim

 

[GManBart]

You must have a good strong battery.

Last I checked! I may take a video of it starting tomorrow (forecast to be fairly cold).

 

[Sportsman762]

When you start getting into really cold weather the battery will also need a heater. They make battery heaters that would warm the battery up allowing it to provide full power to the starter.

 

[Agvg]

The AD-152 engine in the MF135 are one of the best cold starters.
-20c is almost the same as 20c, no heating needed, of course its better for the engine to have a block heater but its not required to get it to start.

Battery heater is almost unknown here in Norway, if you are in Siberia at -50 maybe its a good thing.

Have the coldest I have been in is -40c and that's very hard on all parts of an vehicle. Even my diesel van starts on the first try in - 34c with no engine heater.