Cold weather diesel starting

2oldman wrote:
Tried to start the Cummins 8.3L in 28° weather, and it started, but shook horribly. I let it run for about a minute then turned it off. Restarted it and it ran fine. That was scary.

Talked to some truckers and called a Freightliner place.. they it was gelled fuel, and to use an additive. Got some. Hope tomorrow morning is better.

Is it a 12-valve mechanical engine? If so...normal operation. The 5.9 and 8.3 will shake and sputter on a cold start. It may not HAVE a grid heater...many did not. My F-350 had a 12-valve 5.9 with no grid heater and would start down to about -10 with no help. It sputtered and smoked for a minute, but it always started.

I have started my 5.9L Cummins in -35*C temps when it wasn't plugged in. It started, but it sure didn't sound good for the first few seconds. I usually plug it in when temps drop below freezing. Diesels being "hard to start" in cold temps is based on history, not current fact (at least when talking about the current crop of 2500/3500 trucks).

Don't worry about it. When you can, plug it in. They will shake and smoke, should see the old 350 and 400s at 10 degrees. Newer fuel will gel at higher temps but it's still around 8 degrees F. Use Power Service and let it smoke, done't rev it any as it's not getting oil to upper cylinders and turbo. A Cummins inline 6 hitting on 1 cylinder will shake like it's coming out of the frame but after 2.4 million miles driving it ahs never seemed to damage anything.

A lot of diesel motors will shake rattle and roll in 35 and under temps. My dmax needs to get to 0F, my old 6.5td was in the 20's, my idi7.3 all the time........You should hear the last two at 0F. That is assuming I can get the 7.3 to start! Boat is noisy for a few moments or two also.

Nature of some deezals!

marty

John & Angela wrote:

boogie_4wheel wrote:
OP it was just cold. It seems like the larger engines have a harder time in the cold weather than the light duty engines.

My dad's 01 Cummins and my 05 Cummins do pretty good to about 10*F before they seem to have a 'no-fire' on #6 cylinder (assuming #6 since it is the farthest from the intake grid heater).

On my dad's '06 International DT570, it raises all sorts of hell near freezing and almost demands the block heater at 20*F.

On mornings you are having a hard time getting it started, cycle the heater twice. After the Wait to Start light goes out, shut the key off then turn it back to the ON position to cycle the intake heater a second time. It will suck in warmer air this way.

As for fuel additives, I run Howe's. Kept my '05 alive in Colorado at 11k elevation with -25*F temps, starting without the use of the block heater.

Second cycling it twice. Makes it start almost immediately. Also, do you have a block heater. On really cold mornings where its more than just a few degrees below freezing we will start the genny first, turn on the block heater and then start the Cummins about 45 minutes later.

Happy trails.

x3 on cycling the heater twice. I routinely do that and while it doesn't eliminate the post-start rattle/shake, it does make it easier to start....however, I plug in the block heater at 15 or colder.

Interesting observation (on my latest diesel, 2010 Duramax): Auto start feature that has NO warnings about low temp use.....so just for grins, tried it out one fine morning at about -20. Based on observations from outside the truck (watching dash symbols flicker, etc) and hearing things click inside the hood, it appeared that the autostart computer cycled the heater at least 3 times before it cranked the engine over; it was interesting to see/hear, but can't confirm that that is what happened.

HERE is a link that shows each states dates as to when they start their winter blends. I agree thou 28F it shouldn't be gelling.

nevadanick wrote:
Since you have probably never started it when cold, dont worry about it. Go somewhere where its really cold and you would think its destroying itself when and if you got it to light off.

When I start my tractor in the winter in WY it sounds like it going to self destruct for the first few minutes.

boogie_4wheel wrote:
cycle the heater twice. After the Wait to Start light goes out, shut the key off then turn it back to the ON position to cycle the intake heater a second time. It will suck in warmer air this way.

That sounds good.

We're in Nephi UT and brrr.. it's cold!!

John & Angela wrote:
Also, do you have a block heater.

Yes, I'm using that now.

I remember my old 7.3psd just hated cold weather too.. just not quite this much.

With my ISC, it was under 35F it really wasnt happy unless I cycled the grid twice on a truely cold startup. But after that it would start up just fine and act like any other cold diesel would (little loud at first but quieted down within a few minutes and building up temps.)

boogie_4wheel wrote:
OP it was just cold. It seems like the larger engines have a harder time in the cold weather than the light duty engines.

My dad's 01 Cummins and my 05 Cummins do pretty good to about 10*F before they seem to have a 'no-fire' on #6 cylinder (assuming #6 since it is the farthest from the intake grid heater).

On my dad's '06 International DT570, it raises all sorts of hell near freezing and almost demands the block heater at 20*F.

On mornings you are having a hard time getting it started, cycle the heater twice. After the Wait to Start light goes out, shut the key off then turn it back to the ON position to cycle the intake heater a second time. It will suck in warmer air this way.

As for fuel additives, I run Howe's. Kept my '05 alive in Colorado at 11k elevation with -25*F temps, starting without the use of the block heater.

Second cycling it twice. Makes it start almost immediately. Also, do you have a block heater. On really cold mornings where its more than just a few degrees below freezing we will start the genny first, turn on the block heater and then start the Cummins about 45 minutes later.

Happy trails.