Won't crank cold
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Senior User
Joined: Feb 2006
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Won't crank cold
Hey, wanted some input on why my truck won't crank when it's around high 20s to low 30s if not pluged in. I wait for the glow plug light and then turn the key. It cranks for a second, tries to start with a "sputter", then sounds bogged down and start putting out white smoke. This morning it took 8 minutes of that before it finally cranked. Once started, it was a little rough before running a little bit. Are my glow plugs not doing their job, or is this normal. Thanks
Postmaster
Joined: Mar 2001
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From: So Cal
I am not very knowledgable about diesels so...
I usually suspect either thick oil and or weak battery when an geine is hard to crank in cold weather.
Not sure on a diesel but on a gas engine you should be using something like 5W30 for that kind of temperature. Thicker oils like 20W50 are like taffy at that temperature and will make it very hard to turn the engine.
I would also make sure both(diesel right?) batteris are up to charge AND have clean terminals. Dirty terminals or weak batteries will make cranking slow and may not heat up the glow plugs sufficiently. Does your model require you to wait for the glow plugs to heat up? Maybe you are not waiting long enough before cranking?
Only other things I could think of on a diesle is maybe you have old or watery fuel? Do you have the "winter" weight fuel in the tank?
You might also post in the diesel forum since they are more likely to know about your engine.
Good Luck,
Jim Henderson
I usually suspect either thick oil and or weak battery when an geine is hard to crank in cold weather.
Not sure on a diesel but on a gas engine you should be using something like 5W30 for that kind of temperature. Thicker oils like 20W50 are like taffy at that temperature and will make it very hard to turn the engine.
I would also make sure both(diesel right?) batteris are up to charge AND have clean terminals. Dirty terminals or weak batteries will make cranking slow and may not heat up the glow plugs sufficiently. Does your model require you to wait for the glow plugs to heat up? Maybe you are not waiting long enough before cranking?
Only other things I could think of on a diesle is maybe you have old or watery fuel? Do you have the "winter" weight fuel in the tank?
You might also post in the diesel forum since they are more likely to know about your engine.
Good Luck,
Jim Henderson
Postmaster
Joined: Jun 2005
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From: New Hampshire
You have to wait for about 30 seconds of GP heating when the temps drop.
Depending on how cold it is u may have to cycle the gp's 2 or 3 times @ about
30 seconds /cycle. The WTS indicator is telling u the GP's are needed and wait an appropriate amount of time,dependent on temp, to try and start.
Depending on how cold it is u may have to cycle the gp's 2 or 3 times @ about
30 seconds /cycle. The WTS indicator is telling u the GP's are needed and wait an appropriate amount of time,dependent on temp, to try and start.
Last edited by PSNut; Dec 5, 2006 at 06:31 PM.
Smokin
Joined: Jun 2006
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Sounds like weak batteries to me! When one of your batteries isn't pulling it's weight, your truck won't have enough energy to cycle the glow plugs properly AND start your motor, so your truck is trying to start cold fuel. Once you finally get the truck started, you've just pushed out a huge cloud of white smoke, and the truck sounds like a farmall tractor for a few seconds, right?
Like Nut said on cold days its a good idea to cycle your plugs a few times. 30 really isnt that cold, though..if everything is working properly it shouldnt be giving you such a hard time.
First step, check the voltage on your batteries.
Like Nut said on cold days its a good idea to cycle your plugs a few times. 30 really isnt that cold, though..if everything is working properly it shouldnt be giving you such a hard time.
First step, check the voltage on your batteries.
Smokin
Joined: Jun 2006
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Your truck has two batteries. Therefore, it acts differently than vehicles with only a single battery.
It will crank quickly and turn over normally, but it wont start if one of those batteries is bad.
It's worth looking into because the truck shouldnt be that hard to start on mornings when it's 30 degrees out. the problem will get progressively worse until you find yourself unable to start the truck at all.
It will crank quickly and turn over normally, but it wont start if one of those batteries is bad.
It's worth looking into because the truck shouldnt be that hard to start on mornings when it's 30 degrees out. the problem will get progressively worse until you find yourself unable to start the truck at all.
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Post Fiend
Joined: Jun 2006
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From: Central, Al
Check the batt voltage while cranking if it drops < 10.5vdc get em load tested and replace them as a pair. 1 old one will pull a new one down to its level.
If the cranking voltage is good check volatge across the two big post on the GP Relay with key off (no Voltage) and then as soon as your "helper" turns the key to on you should see voltage, if no voltage then the GP relay is dead.
If GP relay is good then we need to Ohm out the GP's. Post back on the first two and we'll go from there
If the cranking voltage is good check volatge across the two big post on the GP Relay with key off (no Voltage) and then as soon as your "helper" turns the key to on you should see voltage, if no voltage then the GP relay is dead.
If GP relay is good then we need to Ohm out the GP's. Post back on the first two and we'll go from there
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Senior User
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I just had someone turn the key while feeling the relay ( I don't have a meter right now) and the relay didn't click. Also, a book I have says there are two fuses, one for each bank of GP, and I need to check them but don't know where those fuses are. any ideas?
