Diesel Cold Start Tips


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Diesel Cold Start Tips By PB Gill

The glow plug system on most vehicles have a warning light to tell you when to start the engine . ________________________________

When the light goes out it is time to crank the engine to start .

_ When the engine is warm the light will not come on and the engine is ready to start .

When the engine is cold the light will come on , and the colder the weather , the longer the light will stay on some time as long as two minutes .when you turn the key to the on position , you may hear a click under the hood , when the glow plug relay comes on . In very cold weather if you wait until you hear the second click , when the relay turns off and then crank the engine , this will often allow the engine to start easier , as the battery power is no longer operating the glow plug system and the starter voltage is higher .

If the vehicle has a battery meter (volt or amp meter) when you turn the key to the on position , watch the meter . When the glow plugs have warmed up and turned off the meter needle will go up . As soon as the needle goes higher , crank the engine and it will normally start easier .

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In extreme cold you can also cycle the glow plugs several times for easier starting . To do this , turn the key to the on position and wait until the glow plug light goes out . (Do not crank the engine yet) . Now turn the to the off position , then turn the key to the on position again . This step can be repeated even three or four times or as needed . Then crank the engine to start as soon as you have completed these cycling steps .

This procedure can also be used as a ‘temporary’ procedure for a hard starting condition due to , some of the glow plugs being inoperative .

Most diesel engine come equipped with an engine heater or block heater , that can be plugged into normal a hydro outlet to warm the engine before starting in extremely cold weather .

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The engine will normally start very easily after the engine heater has been plugged in for 1 to 2 hours . (even if the glow plug system is not operating) . The engine heater brings the engine temperature up to a warmth similar to summer starting conditions . Though the engine will still take some time to warm up to operating temperature , that time will be shorter when a block heater is used .

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Save the battery . Before you turn the engine off , if you turn all electrical accessories (lights , heater , radio , air conditioning etc) off while the engine and alternator are still running , this will help to maintain a higher battery power for starting the engine . Leaving them off until after you start the engine again will help to keep the battery charge higher which will help to lower cold start problems .

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Fuel additive are recommended for diesel engines , from time to time , to help keep the fuel system and fuel injectors clean and to insure lubrication of the fuel injectors . An engine that runs well will start well too . Some additive that are good for older vehicles may not work so well in the new electronic engines , can even do harm , so be sure that the additive you use is compatible and recommended for use in your vehicle before you buy it .