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I never took typing in school either, so I am still happy I do as well as I do.
If I had any idea they would invent the personal computer and you would have to type on it, you can bet typing would have been one of my classes.
Some pretty fat fingers there Dave...
You do know I'm pulling your chain I hope!
Yes, I would have taking typing in school as well had I known the PC would be invented and that I would be in the PC biz for 20 years... I still can't type!
Though after that long I rarely make typos, yes I may misspell, but I rarely make typing errors... You don't get very far in the coding (programming) world making typos.
Wreckingball, Have you ever tried voice recognition software?
The human voice changes throughout the day as well as atmospheric changes.
It takes a lot of practice to learn to speak in a monotone voice to get them to be accurate, I have setup many systems for the physically challenged and it takes hours and hours of "Teaching the Software" to recognize ones voice.
past experiance with tired diesels and not enough money for $180.00 worth of glow plugs ment starting fluid fo the whole winter ..with new glugs in the spring the truck is fine and no ill efects...and 400,000 kilomeaters...ether like anything else in moderation works..
I went through a fair amount of ether on mine in the past year, until I found this site and you guys have helped me to cure my air induction issue! So far, no ill effects that I can determine. Thanks to all who have shared their expertise!
As I've said before, use starting fluid only in a situation where some one's life may depend on that engine starting where it otherwise would not start on its own. But if anyone comes anywhere near my truck with that stuff, they are taking their life into their hands.
Properly maintaining the vehicle is much better insurance than driving around with a can of ether "just in case". People also need to understand that there are other alternatives to ether.
- An IDI that is plugged in will start without glow plugs even below freezing temperatures. For below 40F, you damn well better have it in perfect condition or don't drive it at all.
- A rag soaked with some gas on the intake works similar to starting fluid, but the flame speed is much lower and less likely to cause harm to the engine,
- Blowing hot air down the intake of the engine will work about as well as glow plugs. In my case I used a 1500w heat gun and the engine blew to life on all cylinders after the 3rd full turn, it was like flicking on a switch.
- Being able to troubleshoot the engine on the side of the road will also help. Simply knowing how to manually operate the glow plugs from under the hood might make the difference depending on what is or is not working properly.
A combination of #1 and #3 is more than enough to get even the most stubborn engine to run (do not point a heat gun at a fuel soaked rag!). If the engine still won't fire, then it has other issues that need to be dealt with BEFORE it could result in that hypothetical life and death situation or simply being stranded miles from home.
These engines are very reliable if you know how to work on them and understand the theory of operation for the critical systems, but if not, they might as well be a boat anchor. Remember, we don't have a warranty to fall back on with our 20+ year old trucks.
right now my dads truck has every glow plug burned out i am in the process of ordering him glow plugs and putting them in for him, as of now he has to shoot either in it to get it to crank, he would plug it in but its kinda hard to plug one in when you dont have any eletricity or money to pay the electric bill, so sometimes you have to make due as best as you can with what you got
Would rather not us it, but I must confess I have used it. The only time I need it is if I have started the engine and only let it run about 1 minute just to move the truck a few feet... Long enough to heat a sensor that tells the glow plug system its warm enough not to come on.. But, the engine is not warm enough to start... The plugs don't come on. Then, I squirt a very small amount in, as little as I can. Or, I just wait for the sensor to cool... Though, in the summer cooling can take about 20 minutes... Winter, no problems. This does not happen often. I have found that it will always start if the glow plugs are working or if the engine is warm enough. If it doesn't start, don't bother wearing out the batteries or the starter...
I can see the logic of explosions and ether... In my situation the plugs won't go back on so that's probably why I've never had a "Kaboom". Plus, I have momentary contact switch in the circuit to prevent the glow plugs from burning up which is another work-around, but also an added anti-theft device.
My 1956 Allis Chalmers Dozer came with an ether dispenser mounted on the dash... but, it also did not have glow plugs!
Only other starting issues I had were because of a clogged fuel filter.