Thread: 300tdi freezing snow start worries - usually starts first time fine, until below zero

Minus 6 is cold !!!
IMO unless you are running a full tank of alpine diesel this could happen at those temps
The ordinary diesel turns to slush and it won’t inject properly

Originally Posted by Phil B

Minus 6 is cold !!!
IMO unless you are running a full tank of alpine diesel this could happen at those temps
The ordinary diesel turns to slush and it won’t inject properly

Hmm that could be it, so really I need to run to just about empty before I get to Bright then fill up with alpine diesel...even then it won't be a full tank, hence wanting to maybe put an additive in it, but I don't want to overcook it and put an additive into a tank with mostly alpine diesel in it surely that can't be good either?

Hmmmm when that happened a while ago I probably only had 3/4 of a tank of alpine diesel, maybe a little more, but it wasn't pure I don't think.

I'd try the multiple glow attempts first.
Cost you nothing .. see if that helps.

I had issues at 0°C maybe last year, or year before(I'd have to check on my cost spreadsheet), but anyhow, with a single glow warm up, no start.
Gave it two glow warmups, and started much more easily.
Also, do you have dual batteries?
Another thing that helped with mine: used the jump start feature on my DBS, to connect the aux to the main for the start up(not the glow warm).

So I'd do two glow warm ups, then hit the jump starter button(I fitted), and then crank it .. no probs.

So I thought, maybe the blow plugs are a bit old/weak ... got new glow plugs, zero difference.
But it turned out that my old glow plugs were down on their nominal resistance values(compared to the new ones) .. but still same issues on a very cold morning start up.

And all this was just in my front yard! although, temps were in the -1°C to 2°C range then.

Also: just occurred to me, is this at home.... or up in the hills camping?(as you said Bright)
If up in the hills camping, maybe boil the billy and use some of the hot water on the injector pump to help warm it up a little .. at least for the actual start.

Used to do that on dads old Toyota powered series IIa after he had it fitted.

*and a bit of a side note laugh: I remember this one time I was out there pouring boiled water on the pump to get it to start, and this old Willy Jeep came roaring up the street, we used to live at the end of it at a T junction.
Willys was the usual open top variety, totally exposed to the weather. Must have been less than zero, everything properly iced up, and he's wearing just a T shirt and shorts .. in the Willys. How his body didn't freeze up completely whilst he was driving was beyond my ability to comprehend!

Maybe some of our members from colder climates (USA, UK) could offer some advise with this as well.

I lived in an area where we experienced -6°,-7° often in winter (Murrurundi and surrounding areas) and never had an issue starting and I dont think we had alpine diesel?

Usually it's poor compression, poor atomization of the injector (worn injectors or insufficient pump pressure) or the glow plugs are faulty.
Easy things first.
Meter your glow plugs,
A) make sure they are getting power
disconnect and make sure they aren't open circuit

I had to replace all four at least once in the years I owned the car

In the Alps, and at those temperatures you need to be using alpine diesel. Fill up in Bright. Also have a chat to the people at the service stations, they'd see this sort of thing all the time.

FYI, diesel has a fair bit of wax in it and that basically coagulates below zero. And then your engine won't run well.

generic cold start procedure for most modernish automotive diesels.

1. crank it till the oil pressure light goes out, if it starts good.
2. glow it twice (30 seconds if you dont have timed glow plugs OR if you have a glow temp indicator untill its indicating.
3. release the key
4. apply full loud pedal
5. redo the standard glow period
6. crank it.
7. once it fires modulate the engine RPMS at high idle (1000-1200 RPM) manually by means of the throttle control until high idle is smooth.
8. gradually reduce the high idle until the engine maintains a smooth slow idle.
9. drive it. Do not work it hard but dont let it idle for hours to warm up.

some things that help.

preheat if you can, a blanket over the front of the car and a 500W halogen aimed up at the sump from underneath for 30 minutes can make a very fast start. (excluding the 30 minutes with the light on)
Blanket the bonnet while its warming up
Park it out of the wind if you cant park it side onto the wind. passengers side to the wind

It has been pretty cold around here lately. I don't think below zero, but there is frost on the grass and ice on the windows. Nearly 10mm of ice on the stock trough. I don't bother waiting for the glow plugs to cycle on my 300tdi, I just hit the starter. It has always started after a couple of compression strokes. The cranking speed is definitely down, as the batteries would be cold and they were already in the car when I bought it four years ago. It is a bit down on power when cold, but this is expected. How your car is behaving sounds like it might be a bit down on compression. The smoke that you saw after it first started, was it whitish?

Aaron