L6060 Hard Starting In Cold Weather

[Hilbilly]

I plow snow in mine and it gets left at the back of a customers parking lot unplugged all winter for the past 5 years. Even -20c or colder it has always fired right up with one glow plug cycle aside from 2 unrelated failures. Is it turning over properly? It may start hard if the starter or battery are weak. Also, it does take a significant amount of time for mine to start building heat. I basically have to start plowing while the cab is still cold just to get it to warm up.

It turns over easy, just slower than usual. The hydraulics are very slow but that is expected since those fluids are not being heated by the block heater.

 

[Hilbilly]

I just checked the Owners Manual and it states to use SAE 10W30 for temps below -10*C, which is what I am using.

I'll see how it does tomorrow. Supposed to get to -30*C tonight and it is plugged in now.

 

[5030]

I plow snow in mine and it gets left at the back of a customers parking lot unplugged all winter for the past 5 years. Even -20c or colder it has always fired right up with one glow plug cycle aside from 2 unrelated failures. Is it turning over properly? It may start hard if the starter or battery are weak. Also, it does take a significant amount of time for mine to start building heat. I basically have to start plowing while the cab is still cold just to get it to warm up.

My cab model (M9000 HDCC3) is the same, cold blooded. If I need it in the winter (not plugged in, in the barn), I'll glow it for about 15 seconds and start it, Starts right up but far as warm up, it's back to the house for a cup of joe and then back to the tractor. Don't like running it with stone cold hydraulic oil anyway.

I'm real good about batteries too. They get renewed every 3 years and I keep the terminals clean and bright too. I run Group 31, 1200 CCA starting batteries. Glo Plugs pull a lot of juice.

 

[5030]

I run 5-40 Rotella T6, summer and winter. In my pickup truck as well. Starts much better.

 

[CalG]

Just a thought

I have a tractor with a VERY hard to start when cold Mitsubishi K4F regardless of the number of cycles the pre-heaters are activated (automatic control)

A lower radiator hose engine heater is fitted and that does the trick, but......

I hook up the battery maintainer whenever the block heater is called into action. A freshly topped off and warm battery is a good thing!

 

[Jerry/MT]

Ever since I got the L6060 I've noticed it was hard starting in cold weather, even after the block heater has been plugged in all night. Last year I called the dealer and told him of the issue and he said to use a multi meter and test across the plug terminals to see if there was resistance and there was. So this winter the same old problem again. This time I plugged in the block heater and put my finger on the part of the heater that sticks out of the block. It was so hot it almost burnt my fingers. However it is still hard to start. I then took a temperature reading of the engine coolant, using the intellipanel, and it indicated the coolant was 26*C before I started the engine. This morning at -26*C the tractor was hard to start and even stalled after the first attempt. The second attempt was successful but both times the glow plugs were on for a very long time before I started the engine. Then it took forever for the cab heater to start producing heat and it took a very long time before the engine temp gauge moved. The engine runs rough for a while and eventually settles down but this is so different from all the other diesel engines I have owned and still own. They all start very easy after being plugged in and it does not take long for them to produce heat. Something seems wrong with this setup.

Any ideas?

Somethings not right here. If your coolant temperature after a night of block heater operation was 26°C (79°F) and you cycled the glow plugs and it didn't start at -26°C (-15F), you definitely have a problem.
Cold weather is the Achilles Heel of a diesel especially during starting. Cold weather starter torque delivery is at a minimum in cold weather because the battery temperature is low, and thus the battery output is greatly reduced. The required torque to turn the high compression ratio engine is at a maximum because of increased oil viscosity. Some people use battery heaters to help increase the battery output in these low ambient temperatures. Additionally, people go to SAE 5W40 oil in addition to 2-3 hours hours of block heater operation to reduce viscosity and help reduce starter torque requirements.
Fuel is also an issue because these low temperatures can cause the fuel to jell if it is not a winter blended fuel. There are additives that reduce the pour point temperature (and boost cetane number also to help start the combustion process) to deal with this issue. This doesn't appear to be your problem since the engine eventually starts and runs.
Have you looked at your airfilter. It can be plugged with snow and/or dirt and you need air as well as fuel to start.
Rough running after a cold start is a common characteristic of diesel engines. Until the piston crown and the cylinder walls get close to the operating temperature, they have a deactivating effect on the combustion process and hence the roughness.
The slow warm up is also a typical occurrence for a diesel. Unlike a spark ignition engine that runs within a relatively narrow range of fuel/air ratio and hence a relatively constant peak gas temperature, the diesel runs with a much bigger range of fuel air ratios so when you run it at idle the peak gas temperature is a minimum so it takes a while to warm it up.
Is your thermostat functioning properly? If it has failed open, that can contribute to the problem of slow warm up. After a cold start, I let the engine idle for 1-2 minutes and then put it under a light load until it warms up.
Are you sure all your glow plugs are operating? If they are not it could be part of the problem. Use VOM and check the resistance of each plug. They should be around 4-6 ohms IIRC.

To get reliable starts, also make sure your battery is up to snuff. Have it checked out and if it's good, you might consider a battery heater.
I hope this response has given you some basic info about the key elements of diesel engine starting and allows you to find out why your tractor is not starting when you use the typical cold engine starting aids.
If I had to guess, I'd say check your glow plugs for functionality first.

 

[Dave M7040]

First question, who installed the block heater?

When the block heaters are installed on the newer engines, the GP controller needs to be programmed to use a different temp sensor to determine GP on time. Owners who install their own Block heaters do not know of this requirement and are in for a lot of pain. Some dealers also need to be reminded of this.

When the controller sees a warm engine because of the block heater it may not even turn on the GP's but as soon as the engine starts inhaling very cold air as it cranks, you are in trouble.

Some models have unpublished tricks to provide manual control over GP on time. I only know of the M7040 series but there are others. I put the shuttle lever in forward and then turn the key to start. Nothing seems to be happening but I count to 10, shuttle back to neutral and start. Engine fires instantly.

Dave M7040

 

[MHarryE]

My L6060 spent its first 4 winters in a heated garage, then was replaced by a SVL75-2 for winters so sits in an unsheathed machine shed. I found that leaving the block heater plugged in all night ended up with what I thought was glow plug failure because after the Intellipanel boot up finished, there was no glow plug spiral. Called dealer who recommended replacing the relays. No difference, except if I tried starting without the block heater, I did get the glow plug spiral after the Intellipanel booted. Another thing I get is the red alert triangle following cold starts below freezing. I told the dealer about it - they had no ideas. The manual says to stop and restart, contact dealer if it continues to be a problem. It continues to happen 100% of the below freezing starts. No idea if it indicates a problem. I changed to Mobil Delvac 5W-40 synthetic first oil change. Cranking speed has never been an issue but it is cold blooded. It’s replacement, a M5-111, is waiting at the dealer. I think the last time I start the L6060 in below 0F temps is when it gets loaded on the truck.

 

[Hilbilly]

The issue is not that it won't start, rather that it is harder to start than I expect it should be. My diesel pick up truck (2021 GMC 6.6l Duramax) starts easily, quickly (very little GP cycling) and runs very smoothly after it starts. Sort of like a warm engine. The tractor runs like it was not preheated. I will take the IR Therm tomorrow and take some readings on the block before I try to start it.

I might also check the GP resistance readings to see if one of them is not working. It just seems to me that after having the engine block preheated, that the GP cycle should be shorter and after start up it should run smoother, like my other diesels.

 

[crazyal]

A couple years ago the relay went for my glow plugs. The light would come on but it would turn over slowly and take a lot longer to start. When it did it would run really rough at first. The relay was just one of the ones that are used for aftermarket light kits for cars. I think it was like $5 from autozone. Once replaced it starts nice an easy. If you have a multi meter I would pull the plug on one of the GP and see if it's getting power when the light comes on.