are cold starts bad?
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More Turbo
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 704
Likes: 2
From: Thousand Oaks, CA
are cold starts bad?
i live in an appartment complex so there is no way for me to plug in my truck at night. this morning it was 6*F out and i had to cycle and crank it three times before it would start. then when it started it blew a lot of black smoke and when "ROMP ROMP ROMP". i let it idle for about 12 min and then took off. truck runs great but are the cold starts bad for it? what is the deal with the "ROMP ROMP ROMP"? thanks guys.
Post Fiend
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 9,293
Likes: 10
From: Parker, CO
It's ok, it happens to all of us. I haven't driven my truck the past 4 days, and I didn't plug it in. When I cranked it up this morning it was -1 out. She did fire right up on the very first try, but she wasn't happy about it. She grumbled at me for a minute, then coughed up some nice white smoke for me. Ain't she sweet?
Just take it easy while the engine is still cold and you'll be just fine.
The romps are a combination of cold cylinder temps and cold, thick oil. Our trucks need heat and compression to burn the fuel correctly. On really cold mornings, the glow plugs can only do so much to try and warm the combustion chambers. The other part is the HEUI injection system on our trucks. The injectors need high oil pressure to properly fire the injectors and atomize the fuel. The colder the temps, the thicker the gravey stuff you call oil. The truck will romp as the oil pressure stabilizes.
Hope this helps.
Just take it easy while the engine is still cold and you'll be just fine.
The romps are a combination of cold cylinder temps and cold, thick oil. Our trucks need heat and compression to burn the fuel correctly. On really cold mornings, the glow plugs can only do so much to try and warm the combustion chambers. The other part is the HEUI injection system on our trucks. The injectors need high oil pressure to properly fire the injectors and atomize the fuel. The colder the temps, the thicker the gravey stuff you call oil. The truck will romp as the oil pressure stabilizes.
Hope this helps.
Post Fiend
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 11,892
Likes: 2
From: Middle Tennessee
This happened to me a few days ago too. Worst it ever was, thought the PSD was about to jump out of there through the hood, 
but then I realized I had left the chip in the second to highest HP setting. Use your stock setting when it is cold out and until it has warmed some. Helps me a lot.
but then I realized I had left the chip in the second to highest HP setting. Use your stock setting when it is cold out and until it has warmed some. Helps me a lot.
Senior User
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 151
Likes: 0
All true. Moot point of course, because even if cold starts were bad, you could do little about it other than not drive when it's cold. Much as a gun that won't shoot dirty isn't worth shooting at all, a truck that will not start cold is not worth starting at all.
Lead Driver
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 7,413
Likes: 1
From: Columbia, MO
Good point Tenn. If you have a chip, make sure it's on the stock setting to start it and until it's warmed up. When I started mine a few hours ago for the first time in few days, there was some nice white smoke for about 10 seconds and a bit of a rough idle. But, it smoothed out pretty quickly.
