Keeping Diesel Engine Warm
My dodge dually Cummins engine is very hard to start when cold. At home or camping with hookups I can plug in the block heater but what can be done when boondocking.
Forum Discussion
It was a Ford 7.3 but we had an issue with cold when the starter was going bad.
It still turned over and sounded fine while cranking. In warm weather it started no problem but it started to struggle in cold weather.
At first I argued with the mechanic but he finally convinced me to change the starter. Sure enough with a new starter, she started right up the following winter without being plugged in down to -10F.
While it sounded fine to my ear, it has to crank fast enough that the heat generated during compression isn't absorbed by the block faster than it can reach ignition temps.
It still turned over and sounded fine while cranking. In warm weather it started no problem but it started to struggle in cold weather.
At first I argued with the mechanic but he finally convinced me to change the starter. Sure enough with a new starter, she started right up the following winter without being plugged in down to -10F.
While it sounded fine to my ear, it has to crank fast enough that the heat generated during compression isn't absorbed by the block faster than it can reach ignition temps.
