Thread: Real cold start up = NO GO!!

Next cold start clip a single jumper lead from the negative terminal to the block. It might be a bad earth, if the cranking speed is too slow it can take a while to start. FWIW my glow plug relay is not plugged in as I'm neatening some wiring and it starts perfectly from cold.

For a normal start, 5-10 seconds cranking seems way too long. Mine basically starts as soon as one pot hits the power stroke, more or less 2 seconds.

Try this trick too(good for the non electronic oilers),
Key on and wait for the glow plug light to go out.
Turn Off ignition for @5 seconds.
Key on and wait for the glow plug light to go out again and start strait away.

Only on very cold mornings though as it can burn the glow plugs on some vehicles

Same problem with mine this morning.

I have dual batteries rated at 1200 CCA. Doesn't seem to matter.

Took 5 goes to start. By this time I had the bonnet up and when she did fire I had a 'mist' of diesel escaping from, what I now know is, a blown head gasket.

Thought they were related but maybe not.

I would be looking at the starter as well.

I had very slow starting in the cold mornings of winter before I started getting starting problems when the car was hot in summer..changed my starter I have never had trouble starting the car since.....and it gets quite cold at my place too regularly around 4 degrees..

and just so you know not one of my mates had trouble starting there tdi's in -17 when we were in the high alps, and not one of them had there glow plugs even wired up let alone waiting for the light to go out

You might try a spray of that Yellow Can full of Ether ??? Aerostart I think it's it's called. That'll get it going. Just spray some down the Air Filter tube. Bang! she'll start!

The other thing you may try but some here may disagree, is something an old Mechanic told me when I was doing my apprenticeship years ago.
Run 10% of petrol in your Diesel. Fires up the mix and it won't hurt your motor during winter, although I don't know if I'd do it in the middle of summer.

Thanks for the ideas. The thing I don't get is why only on REALLY cold mornings, if my gauge reads below 10 that's when she takes awhile to start other wise she starts no probs. I also had a thought ghat it might be a fuel issue as in where the fuel retracts back out of the lines and onto the fuel tank hence it would take a while for the diesel to make it's way up to the motor again, just a guess. Other thing I don't get is when connected via jumper leads to another car she fires right away even after the cranking power has droped.

How many earth straps are there? Know of one on the left hand side bottom of the engine and the main battery are there any more?

Alien - have tried the glow plug thing but it does the same thing.

Originally Posted by Peppercorn

You might try a spray of that Yellow Can full of Ether ??? Aerostart I think it's it's called. That'll get it going. Just spray some down the Air Filter tube. Bang! she'll start!

The other thing you may try but some here may disagree, is something an old Mechanic told me when I was doing my apprenticeship years ago.
Run 10% of petrol in your Diesel. Fires up the mix and it won't hurt your motor during winter, although I don't know if I'd do it in the middle of summer.

Thanks peppercorn have heared of the petrol trick but I just can't bring myself to put petrol in a diesel engine lol is it just me hahaha?

Someone told me about the spray also but I'd rather fix the actual prob, but I understand it can be done in a emergency.

Yea no worries mate. If you want to fix the problem, maybe the fuel isn't getting there early enough as you say. Personally though, I would get a bigger battery or make sure the starter motor isn't on it's last legs.
I find that even good batteries hate the cold and seem to lose half of their cranking time.