Cold starts on diesel motors

[JPD350]

Starting your truck without the ability of plugging in your block heater

So I am talking about when you are in your POS diesel truck in the back country and you get hit with an extreme cold snap.
Recently I went to Kansas and the temp was 9 degrees and a 15 to 20 mph wind which resulted in a -15 to -20 wind chill, the next morning I was screwed, the truck wouldn't start. I switched the Glo plugs off and on 3 or 4 times then would try to start and that was all I knew of to do, I did this every 5 minutes for an hour or so until it finally kicked off, the only thing that saved me was hooking up jumper cables to another vehicle so my batteries wouldn't die.

I had a thought, what if I had a small 10' extension cord and plugged in my block heater to my lighter jack AC converter, would it kill the batteries if left on all night?? regardless of the answer I have already put this cord behind my seat, worse case I figured I could plug it in for a couple of hours prior to trying to start it.

Alright..... I have a 2003 Ford, all I can say is that it is paid for so I am not getting a different truck...........LOL

 

[backcountry_hunter]

That motor is cold sensitive... the few times it happened to my 6.0 I kept cranking until it stayed running. Generally took 15-30 seconds on the starter but it worked. I never burnt up the starter (although it can't be good for it). It's about the only part I never replaced on the 6.0...

I can complain for weeks about vehicle issues, but my new dmax's start in 30 below with not being plugged in pretty impressively. Dodges aren't far behind.... 6.7 is probably the worst of the new gens but still lots better than. Your 6.0

 

[Yellowknife]

Being from AK, I have to snicker a bit about 9F being and "extreme" cold snap. hehe.

But a couple of things:

Did you last fuel the truck in NM or someplace similarly warm? If you were running #2 Diesel, then you had fuel gelling problems. Anywhere with winter weather is selling #1 at this point, but NM and other southern points might not be.

Those older Fords have always been lousy cold starters, but at 9F (wind chill doesn't count in this instance, since the truck won't fall below ambient air temp), it still should have kicked off. Good chance you have glow plugs that aren't working. A common problem with those diesels. In a warm climate you might not notice, but 9F will bring that issue right to the front!

The block heater is a straight up resistance heater. It draws quite a few amps, and plugging it into your AC inverter would likely either pop a fuse or just straight up run the battery down.

Tips for next time:

1.) Battery has to be strong. If it's old and weak, you will find out when it gets cold. Living in NM (heat) can be pretty hard on batteries as I understand.

2.) If you have a small generator that starts in the cold, throw that it. Plug in and let it run for a bit.

3.) Synthetic oil really helps in cold temps. Lets the engine spin faster.

There are other tricks with weed burners and camp stoves... but those are for qualified professionals operating on a closed course. Main things is to direct heat under the engine without allowing direct flame. Stove pipe is handy for that.

I've frozen up a diesel pickups a few times, but usually at -20F or colder. Drive gas now, and it's way more reliable in that regard!

 

[Grumman]

Great advise so far. Might also consider items that could be causing parasitic drain on your battery such as inverters, sound systems, phone chargers, etc if you are leaving your vehicle for a long period. You can unplug them or pull your battery cable to be sure your battery is full strength when needed. I've seen some diesels not want to start unless they are cranking over fast.


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[packer58]

My 01, 7.3 HATES temps that drop below 10* so i always carry my honda EU 2000, battery charger, cord splitter and a short extension cord as back-up when the temps drop. Runs the block heater and battery charger and after an hour or so she fires up like its 60* outside. As far as running the block heater through an inverter........your batteries would be dead before the heater would do any good.....

 

[backcountry_hunter]

Being from AK, I have to snicker a bit about 9F being and "extreme" cold snap. hehe.

But a couple of things:

Did you last fuel the truck in NM or someplace similarly warm? If you were running #2 Diesel, then you had fuel gelling problems. Anywhere with winter weather is selling #1 at this point, but NM and other southern points might not be.

Those older Fords have always been lousy cold starters, but at 9F (wind chill doesn't count in this instance, since the truck won't fall below ambient air temp), it still should have kicked off. Good chance you have glow plugs that aren't working. A common problem with those diesels. In a warm climate you might not notice, but 9F will bring that issue right to the front!

The block heater is a straight up resistance heater. It draws quite a few amps, and plugging it into your AC inverter would likely either pop a fuse or just straight up run the battery down.

Tips for next time:

1.) Battery has to be strong. If it's old and weak, you will find out when it gets cold. Living in NM (heat) can be pretty hard on batteries as I understand.

2.) If you have a small generator that starts in the cold, throw that it. Plug in and let it run for a bit.

3.) Synthetic oil really helps in cold temps. Lets the engine spin faster.

There are other tricks with weed burners and camp stoves... but those are for qualified professionals operating on a closed course. Main things is to direct heat under the engine without allowing direct flame. Stove pipe is handy for that.

I've frozen up a diesel pickups a few times, but usually at -20F or colder. Drive gas now, and it's way more reliable in that regard!

I'm guessing it's just a 6.0 being a 6.0... it's a pain in the butt but he's committed to owning it. Those motors will knock and smoke at the very sight of frost even... I run #2 all year long and don't run into gelling issues until around 0 degrees. I now treat every tank with power service and that's my antigen. I ran that 6.0 in +10 plenty with no additive and no gelling.... it's just a cold starting SOB. I'm with you on the gassers though, if I didn't need them I'd swear off diesel

 

[Stid2677]

The guys I know in Alaska that run diesels, either take a Honda generator, or have auto starts that can be programed to start every 4 to 6 hours. I have also seen them use a tarp or old parachute and a small propane heater too.

 

[BigAntlerGetter]

Ford always have problems in cold weather since they need oil pressure to fire up it takes a little longer. My tips are
1. unplug all the accessories that will draw from the battery
2. After fueling run a fuel stabilizer I run howes diesel treatment now
3. Always cycle twice for the glow plugs or pre heaters to warm up better
4. Sometimes you will need to crank til it stays running, not the greatest on the starter but gotta do what ya gotta do
5. I put the rear end of my truck into the wind if possible
6. If you must get up every couple hours and start it, it is a burden but a truck that starts and little less sleep is better than stranded with a truck that is frozen
I usually have fuel gel once a year, of it does gel change ur filters asap, I change filters and fill them with diesel treatment since I never really have diesel on hand and don't like to syphon it. Grew up in colder weather and have driven a diesel since I was 18, it does get to be a hassle sometimes when it's deep in the negatives though


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[moeleo]

A few tips for your 6.0l. First of is if you experience cold weather normally you can add a bottle of Rev-X. It is a synthetic additive to thin out a little without harming lubrication parameters. It will help your HPOP to build pressure faster to fire easier. If you are not a fan of that you could switch your oil to a 10W-30 synthetic which is what I switched too. It's perfectly fine for diesels, just make sure it's a Diesel engine oil. Caterpillar recently switched to this for heavy equipment and they recommend using it in all equipment now.

If you want to go a step further and have a multimeter, you can check out your FICM. It is the Fuel Injection Control Module. It is the box located on the driver side near the fire wall. If you google how to test it there are numerous websites and YouTube videos that will walk you through. If it is getting worn out, and not making enough voltage to feed the injectors this will also make things difficult.

 

[mtnwrunner]

My 01, 7.3 HATES temps that drop below 10* so i always carry my honda EU 2000, battery charger, cord splitter and a short extension cord as back-up when the temps drop. Runs the block heater and battery charger and after an hour or so she fires up like its 60* outside. As far as running the block heater through an inverter........your batteries would be dead before the heater would do any good.....

Man, this thread is bringing back memories----some not so good. Long story short, we have (had) 3 ford F350's, 2 of them are 2001 and one is 1997 and they are all the 7.3. What a pain in the ass to go hunting and all you worry about is whether they will start or not when you get back. The 2001's won't start if they have been sitting and its below 20. I would have to park it so I could compression start it if I had to. The 97 has never had an issue and I can start it without plugging it in. Oh, we have tried everything on the 2001's-----glowplugs, replacing both batteries every couple of years, glowplug relay, wiring harness, battery cable harness, blah blah blah. One of the 2001 went by by and I stuck with the 97 which has almost 300,000 miles on it but it is dependable. I'd never buy a ford diesel again.
I actually had a buddy of mine wrap a tarp around his ford and start a fire under it for about 2 hours and finally got it started.

Randy

 

[Muledeerfanatic]

camp stove on the oil pan works wonders

 

[Muttly]

If I had to guess, I,m saying about fifteen minutes, maybe twenty, and that block heater be pulling down the batteries. Cheap and easy way to find out is to park next to a charger and plug it in, see how long you can run it before the starter is spinning a little slower.
Guess I,m coming at this from a different angle, too many years of doing long haul in Alaska, with a little bit of running through the Yukon and BC. Stock answer when it,s cold has been leave it running.. Barring that, the blue tarp wind block and some source of heat to warm the block.

 

[Jason Snyder]

I'll second the synthetic oil.

The AC converter won't provide enough juice for a block heater. My daughter tried running a hair dryer on mine and it wouldn't even function.

My 2nd generation Dodge would start down to -25 without being plugged in if I had synthetic oil in it. My current 3rd generation is a little more cold blooded.

Edit: I always cycle my grid heaters 2-3x, and I have a booster pack if I need to give the starter a little extra oomph to get things going.

 

[rayporter]

Stock answer when it,s cold has been leave it running..
see above

i have 2 cummins that dont hesitate down to -5 F

 

[5MilesBack]

The 2001's won't start if they have been sitting and its below 20.

I have a 2001 F-350. I have never plugged it in. Two winters ago it sat out in -17 overnight and it started right up. Five years ago in Sheridan, WY it was -23 one morning and it started. After it starts it sounds like it's not the happiest truck in the world but it always starts after cycling the plugs a couple times. One of my kids even commented "Daddy....the truck doesn't sound happy". No it's not.......and neither am I in -23 temps.

The funny thing is.......last year I replaced the original glow plugs, and four of them were bad.

 

[jmez]

Anyone use ether/starting fluid?

 

[Jesse Minish]

I have a 2001 F-350. I have never plugged it in. Two winters ago it sat out in -17 overnight and it started right up. Five years ago in Sheridan, WY it was -23 one morning and it started. After it starts it sounds like it's not the happiest truck in the world but it always starts after cycling the plugs a couple times. One of my kids even commented "Daddy....the truck doesn't sound happy". No it's not.......and neither am I in -23 temps.

The funny thing is.......last year I replaced the original glow plugs, and four of them were bad.

Same experience for me. I had a 99 7.3 that always started up but on real cold (single digits or lower) it would be a little rough for a minute on start up. Other then basic maintenance, a water pump and a glow plug relay where the only things I replaced after the truck was 14 years old.

 

[moeleo]

Anyone use ether/starting fluid?

I wouldn't do that if I were you. Once or twice is one thing. But what people don't realize is the motor can actually become "dependent" on it. I've seen many engines that were weened to the stuff. Now, no matter the temp they won't start without it. Actually had a Cat in one D6R that even once it ran for 10 hours and you shut it off, it still needed ether to start. Some of these new Acert Direct Injections aren't bad with their cold starts, but we have some that are just downright ignorant. Have to use tarps to build tents for torpedo heaters. Even the inlet air heaters aren't enough.

 

[JDeanP]

Another thing I learned about the 7.3 (mine is mid 90s) is the fuel bowl heater. There is a 30 amp fuse that the fuel bowl heater is on that also goes to the starter/plugs(?). You can unplug the fuel bowl heater to bypass blowing the fuse, in a pinch. The truck will start and run fine, but make sure that joker is hooked back up when you hit the woods in cold weather. I had forgot that I bypassed the fuel bowl heater, went after a bear over new years eve, and had to hike/hitchhike aaaall the way down the mountain to get in touch with someone to get some jumpers back up the hill to get it going again. Just make sure, if you borrow or buy, that the fuel bowl heater is not unplugged.

 

[Poltax]

I have always been told not to use Ether with a diesel that has warming pads in the intake or glowplugs. As the Ether can ignite prematurely and cause an explosion.

As has been stated, batteries, starter, glow plugs, and glow plug relay will be the weak points.

Always carry a spare glow plug relay with you as those can go out anytime. They are a pretty weak point on the PSD system. I would just buy an inexpensive generator to take so you can plug in the block heater. Then your good to go. Very cheap insurance.