If you read the owners manual for those older chevy pickups, you don't pump the gas. You hold the pedal to the floor until it catches. At least that's what it says for my late 70s C20
If it's stock. i had a 73, the Qjet was pretty easy to start. After I went to a 650 Holley with electric choke, 2 pumps then hold halfway to the floor, she'd fire right up even in single digit temps like this.
Michael Smith I had ported, polished heads, Wiseco pistons, ARP head studs, Comp cam with .477 intake, .488 exhaust lift, dynamax ceramic coated long tube headers, Edelbrock air gap intake, Edelbrock 600cfm vacuum secondary carb. I know, you're thinking carb was too small. Consider this: NASCAR's were making 750+ HP with 390cfm carburetors. All about port velocity, fuel atomization and big valve lift. That's what'll get you big power.
I worked in an open pit mine up in the Canadian Arctic, we had Ford F350 2011-2013 with diesel engines, and we used Arctic grade diesel, which is lighter and less viscous than regular, and we had to plug them when it was below -30 C, It's very impressive how these beasts work in such extreme environment
Andre - Your truck most likely has several or all glow plugs burnt out. LB7 Duramax engines could not monitor individual glow plug faults. This is why you will not get a check engine light or any engine codes. The reason your truck will start at slightly warmer temperatures is due to the intake air heater. Once temperatures drop to roughly 5*F though you will have hard starts as seen in this video. As a diesel technician I see this issue frequently on these early Duramax engines.
freeride202 exactly. The lb7 has a glow plug system like older diesels. They are all tied together. Not monitored. More the. Likely has multiple plugs that are burned out and the others are not functioning properly. A fresh set of plugs with new straps and ill guarantee it will start faster then that.
I didn't have time to read 163 comments... the trick to the carburetors with electric solenoids is to turn the key to run for over a second before starting to set the solenoid. If it has been sitting more than a day, or has a mechanical solenoid then pump it to the floor two or three times before starting. You shouldn't have to give it gas to keep it running, nor should you touch the gas until it is fast idling on its own, unless your vehicle has its own 'personality'!
Froggy Does problem is that allot of people don't have access to a power cord for the ten hours or so that they're at work, for that matter, I have a coworker that used to live at a apartment complex where there was only one spot on the lot that had a outlet, and he had problems with people taking either the spot, or his cord...
Matthew Supples good for you, but that's the exception not the rule, I've never worked at a place that was willing to do that, and a few of my bosses where such butts that if you did bring a chord and could find a place to plug in, you would have been charged a dollar an hour for electricity....seriously, you must be a troll, thinking they just because you have access to something, that everyone else does to? check your entitlement.....
Modern diesels start so much better, got an 09 E320 Bluetec, it'll start -20 Celsius without issue, and barely takes any longer than in warm temperatures. Plus it has an electric cabin heater so you don't sit in the cold for long. Just wanted to make mention of this in case anyone was put off of diesel for this reason.
If I'm not mistaken, those cars will preheat and prime up when you open the driver's door. When it comes to starting the engine, it makes the starting process quicker.
Those diesels still wont defrost your windshield at -25; the ice just builds as you roll down the highway until you can't see. What about remote starting? Heating your glow plugs takes the little bit of juice you might have left in your battery also and then your cranking amps are gone. Especially at -30 batteries get weak. I'm not going to waste that on a glow plug and wait 30 minutes for my window to thaw out.
Electric heater defrosts the windshield works better than a gas car since it starts working immediately. Frost also tends to be more an issue around the freezing mark and less so at -25. The battery is massive and starts it without issue, hell it's going on 7 years old and just passed a load test with flying colours Mercedes does not use the same battery for their gas powered cars, the battery is nearly double the capacity of the one in my Lexus. Everything you've pointed out has never been an issue in the entire ownership of the vehicle, it starts no different in the winter than my ES 350.
Then why did Nathan have such a hard time starting the brand new Colorado diesel at -16 and as seen here Andre almost drained his battery starting his diesel. Hell at -30 you wont stand a chance in hell with your diesel. Theres always one guy out there that never had a problem. You must be that guy
My 12.7L Detroit 60-Series (in my 2003 Freightliner Columbia) had an ether assist kit for cold starts. Below a certain temp it would get a small shot of ether automatically when I turn the key. Even in negative temps it would start up fast and easy.
Cold start on a carbed engine give one pump then try to start. If that doesn't work, give one more pump and try again. On a diesel, just keep cycling the glow plugs until it fires. Glow plug design and maintenance is key for diesels. Block heaters help a ton.
thecjc97 exactly! I had a 71 Monte Carlo with 350 and 4bbl.. at ANY temp.. 1 pump to set the choke and it would fire in 2 seconds. I have NEVER had a fuel injected engine start as fast as that would..
That's the truth, if the points are set right and the carb is tuned right, my old Impala would start in any weather. I remember one very cold winter in the 80's it was almost -50*F out and it started no problem. I always knew if the engine would turn over she'd start, I can't say that for my new FI pickup.
thecjc97 if it's firing right up after 1 pump at 25 below then she's obviously too fat. I grew up on carbed vehicles and 3 pumps after sitting for three or four days in near zero temps is on the low side of normal. The accelerator pumps arent blowing that much fuel in per pump.
Steve Holsten Eh it needs maintenance done on it, should start with out the block heater. Really, battery heaters are better all the block heater does is thin out the oil... ya makes cranking easier but the batteries have still lost a huge % of there capacity... also way cheaper to run battery heaters.
Yeah, several times. Maybe it had been greased with heavy grease by a mechanic who didn't know the difference. I had a bendix on one car that would only do that in extreme cold.
I had a 2001 Dodge Ram 2500 with a Cummins. In the entire time I owned it I never needed to plug it in through many very cold Michigan winters. Usually just a couple cycles of the grid heaters and it would fire up, lots of smoke and shaking but the old ISB always fired up!
I've got a mechanical diesel (Cummins 4bt) without glow plugs or grid heat. Never had a problem starting in the cold (7-15f) within 2 turns of the ignition, ever. I put some fuel treatment in the tank when it's getting really cold but good compression is the name of the game.
Thats awesome. I have a grid heater on my common rail, but i never have to cycle it like this guys duramax. The only reason i plug it in is nice warm air.
My previous diesel, an 03 Dodge 2500 diesel with 300,000 miles, never started hard in sub 0 temps. My current 16 Ram 3500 diesel has been starting daily for the last 2 weeks in single digit weather with the remote start! It gets plugged in at home and cold starts at work.
My "05"cummins never has starting issues without the block heather plugged in. Ive forgot to plug it in a couple of times due to laziness and it cranks right up without hesitation.
my 06 dodge hemi fires right up no matter how cold it is.....same with the 98 dodge 318 I gave my son with 302,000 miles on it....he likes Chevy's and so do I....but our dodges perform well.....he's been impressed with the little 318.
Having owned Chevy's my entire driving career I can't help but shake my head at some of these. Cold start on my Duramax in Canada, like fort fucking Mac Canada, was no issue. I don't plug anything in, I change my oil for the weather and know some of the tricks.. (3 pumps on the pedal would likely have green firing in less than 3 secs)
I used to start my 69 Chevy pretty quick in the cold. It didn’t even have a working choke. Pump that pedal several times before you crank it and keep bumping it once it hits to keep it going. Man I miss those days!!
back in the day we didn't have fuel injection. I was told to pump 3 times and on the last pump, let the pedal up slowly to set the choke. that process never failed me, so do whatever works for you.
you are correct, unless he had the California glow plug system, where they are feed power individually, the system they came with for federal emissions really does suck for cold starting. but lly and newer fast heating ceramic glow plugs are amazing for gold starts. my LBZ starts -35c no issues at all, but i am running stanadyne in the fuel. which would have helped this lb7 start a little easyer
my 03 dodge diesel fires up not plugged in at -3 degrees. I use diesel treatment and love the grid heater on a Dodge vs the glow Sticks on Chevy and Ford. But it is nice to remember to plug it in. Instant 97 degree heat coming out of mine.
I have never seen a proper running modern diesel take that long to start. I drive a semi truck for a living, KW T680 with a Cummins ISX. In single digit temperatures it starts without hesitation. The same goes for my 06 Dodge diesel.
One or more glow plugs may have died and the battery may be worn out. But it should not be necessary to glow three times in a row. glow once and if the engine don´t start on the first attempt, one can cycle trough the glow plugs again.
you can add up to one gallon of kerosene to every ten gallons of diesel fuel as an anti gel for low temps but watch your temp gauge if you are doing any heavy hauling because it runs hotter...i used to put in 5 bucks worth of fuel with a quart or two of kero on a low tank and the next morning after the truck was warm id just top fuel up so id have nearly pure fuel for the day
And you can do the same with gas and it costs like 1/2 the price (at least here) also, it's cause his truck is a POS something is wrong. Nothing else, it aint the fuel.
4 Farenheight is the coldest ive started my f250 unplugged. 2 glow plug cycles and fired right up .might wanna check the duramax glow plugs. ive had to change mine once and when they were out i could hardly start under 40
guessing it was plugged in and stuff? i had to fire up a tractor when it was -55C out and -70C with the windchill and i tarped around the motor and put a ready heater under it after about an hour with the ready heater and it was also plugged in it finally fired up
Glow plugs don't turn off when the light goes out. You turn the key on and let it sit for 60 seconds, then you shut it off, turn the key on again, and let sit for 30 seconds
Made a dire mistake with Big Green. Being carbureted, she'll be a bit grumpy in the cold. Gotta pump that gas pedal before you crank her. You know, to get the fluids flowing. Plus, her choke won't activate unless you work the accelerator. Feel free to interpret this as you want. Lol
use the block heater. it will start like summer . check your glow plugs. at -35c my 84 6.2 would fire up no problem and be throwing heat within a couple minutes.
I daily driver a 1983 f250 with a 460 gas engine and it has a POS parts store budget holley 600 on it, the carburetor drives horrible in hot or cold weather and I have spent about as much on tuning parts as I did the carb, but the one thing that is great about it is it will pop off and run on the first crank with no more than 3 pumps. it used to only take one but it is also time for a good rebuild but I think I'm just going to get a decent carburetor. I love holleys but the newer ones seem like they are junk and impossible to tune anymore
The 1985 has a carburetor, they were known to be touchy to get the right air fuel mixture to start and if you flooded the carburetor you better have patience, if you grew up only known fuel injection you missed the frustration of killing a battery on startup for lack of patience
Not sure if you know this or not but if you half to cold start that diesel like that after you let the glow plugs cycle like that put the throttle down to the floor and hold it till it starts. She'll be smokey out the tail pipe for minute but it'll start faster.
Folks brush the snow off the bumper before you drop the tailgaite like that. If there is an ice chunk or some random thing buried in there, you just put a dent in your truck for no reason. The inertia and leverage focusing at the bottom of the tailgate can warp sheet metal pretty easy, even on the older thicker stuff. Compressed snow could even do it. Not that it'll happen for sure, but it WILL happen to someone, and you don't want to be that guy.
My 93 Chevy Detroit diesel starts first 3 cranks at 0. He should check to see if all the glow plugs work. If one doesn't i know my truck starts hard in summer with out glowplugs
Real Diesels don't have glow plugs. Had to cycle them at least 3 times to start vs an old gasser with tired battery. The Duramax sounds ready for some maintenance.
dang here is south dakota that's common winter cold. my focus and really all cars do fine. i know id probably run dual batteries if i had a diesel but that's my preference. but to be real I've gotten my old 78 kz650 to start in -3. i actually prefer carbs in freezing cold.
It's all about the Block Heater. And I have seen this with my own eyes in -50F weather on more than a Handful of occasions. But in general Gasoline vehicles do seem to start noticeably Easier.
ProSTEEL RAIN I stopped using block heaters when I started using 0 viscosity synthetic oils.Though Diesels are much improved from the days of the blowtorch on the crank case they still lag behind a good gasoline engine try the new syn oils my engine turns over at -40 like it was summertime.
I hate to say there's something wrong with that Duramax. I've successfully started mine as low as 7*F with no block heater and no glowplugs with less then 20 seconds of cranking. That was after it sat untouched in the cold for 1 week.
Funny that they consider an '02 D-Max old compared to that '85 K10. I'd personally take an "Old" 90's to mid-2000 truck verses those pos 2010-2012 and newer trucks. This is doubly true when it comes to the newer pos diesels they've come out with. @ Joel Cummings- That's hilarious man, I have/had a 1995 Dodge 2500 "Old School" 12v 6BT Cummins that will fire over in single digits Fahrenheit with just a few cranks of the starter... modern diesel my butt. js
What do you do if you own a diesel and park at a place overnight where you can’t plug in your truck? Just have to keep cranking on it and hope your shit don’t burn up?
the light on the dash is a dummy light the glow plugs remain on while the key is on for up to 2min so you don't have to cycle the key for the glow plugs and the glow plugs cut on and off while the truck is still running
On the LB7 Duramax specifically, the glow plugs do remain on after the light. The light is only on for half the runtime of the glow plugs. On my 2003 tune, they will be on for up to 60 seconds in the right conditions, but usually only 30 seconds. I suspect the newer ones do similar things. There was something up with Andrei's truck, though, because mine starts at that temperature without cycling the glow plugs. Probably weak batteries, as others have speculated.
If you pumped the gas pedal several times quickly while initially engaging starter, it would have fired up within 5 seconds! Diesel sounded like it was going to gernade
Come on up to Alaska. It's been 5 to -20 for the last month. Diesels start right up. Also people who don't know this diesel can gel up when it gets below a certain temp. It is the wax they use in the fuel. During winter here they strip the wax and it's more of a liquid than summer fuel. If anything it makes them run worse. I started my diesel today in -4 degree not plugged in and it Hasn't started in two weeks.
With the cost to option a diesel and the premium cost of paying for diesel at the pump. I'll take a gas any day. You'd need to keep it between 100k-500k miles to make up the difference depending on the brand.
Most people know that gas is more volatile than diesel. Of course the gas will start easier given similar states of tune, and battery capacity. The Dmax should've had the block heater to be fair. My 83 6.2 even w/ the block heater is a fight at that low a temperature.
My diesel Volvo XC90 has never failed to start I have had it start at -23c or about -1f first go, my petrol, gasoline Lada Niva starts first go regardless of temperature but then they were designed for Siberia the coldest place on earth so that’s not surprising. Edit: most diesels come with diesel heaters that fire up and warm up the whole vehicle so it starts regardless my old 2004 VW T5 had one
So these are the headaches guys in cold climates have to live with eh? Never experienced this because well, it's 55-60F in California in the middle of January right now!
the diesel was getting fuel but not enough heat. glow once crank than glow again not glow 3 times. the friction of cranking the engine generates heat. once the glow plugs light the computer keeps them on for awhile so cycling the key just drains the battery
My God-16 Celsius. Try that up North where it is -30 Celsius with a wind-chill of -45 Celsius. If you haven't started a diesel for that long up here you tarp it and build a small campfire under the engine careful to not burn any plastics or wiring.
Anything carburetor that's kept in good shape and has the right person behind the wheel could've started that truck with the first turn of the ignition... I do it every day in my 78' 3570 Chevrolet.
My LMM Duramax starts as soon as you hit the starter without waiting on glow plugs and no block heater in that kind of whether, my glow plugs only stay on half sec anyways lol
it's getting plenty of fuel it has a block heater for a reason. your Diesel is a compression ignition engine. cylinders have to be preheated to get up to a temperature where the compression stroke compress the air to get hot enough to ignite. if you have a block heater is probably the for a reason.
Get yourself a stancore glow plug relay, switch to 5w40 synthetic oil, and have good batteries and the 7.3 powerstroke will start like a champ. I've started my 2000 powerstroke in the negatives tons of times with no block heater. The synthetic oil is the key. Remember, the 7.3s injectors are fired off oil pressure
you should know, that diesel drops water and water frozen, so never ever use almost empty tank. If the tank will be full, there is almost no possibility to drop water. No water frozen in the filter, no problem.
cycling the glow plugs does not make them any hotter. as soon as the "wait to start" light goes out. hit the key cause the longer you wait. they cool off. as soon as the light goes out. Fuel starts to gel around 32 degrees so he might have a point saying it's not getting fuel depending how long the truck actually sat in the 5° cold
diesel hate, hate cold weather than a gas vehicle. its 23 degrees here in texas and had to cycle my glow plugs couple of times in my 05 f350 but it started up fine.
If you read the owners manual for those older chevy pickups, you don't pump the gas. You hold the pedal to the floor until it catches. At least that's what it says for my late 70s C20
Yeah that's how I start my 76 C10.
ditto with my 73..
waibelr I used to do that with my 1973 Nova, 350ci.
When it didn't want to start cold, foot too the floor!
If it's stock. i had a 73, the Qjet was pretty easy to start. After I went to a 650 Holley with electric choke, 2 pumps then hold halfway to the floor, she'd fire right up even in single digit temps like this.
Michael Smith I had ported, polished heads, Wiseco pistons, ARP head studs, Comp cam with .477 intake, .488 exhaust lift, dynamax ceramic coated long tube headers, Edelbrock air gap intake, Edelbrock 600cfm vacuum secondary carb.
I know, you're thinking carb was too small. Consider this: NASCAR's were making 750+ HP with 390cfm carburetors.
All about port velocity, fuel atomization and big valve lift. That's what'll get you big power.
I worked in an open pit mine up in the Canadian Arctic, we had Ford F350 2011-2013 with diesel engines, and we used Arctic grade diesel, which is lighter and less viscous than regular, and we had to plug them when it was below -30 C, It's very impressive how these beasts work in such extreme environment
Andre - Your truck most likely has several or all glow plugs burnt out. LB7 Duramax engines could not monitor individual glow plug faults. This is why you will not get a check engine light or any engine codes. The reason your truck will start at slightly warmer temperatures is due to the intake air heater. Once temperatures drop to roughly 5*F though you will have hard starts as seen in this video. As a diesel technician I see this issue frequently on these early Duramax engines.
freeride202 exactly. The lb7 has a glow plug system like older diesels. They are all tied together. Not monitored. More the. Likely has multiple plugs that are burned out and the others are not functioning properly. A fresh set of plugs with new straps and ill guarantee it will start faster then that.
I didn't have time to read 163 comments... the trick to the carburetors with electric solenoids is to turn the key to run for over a second before starting to set the solenoid. If it has been sitting more than a day, or has a mechanical solenoid then pump it to the floor two or three times before starting. You shouldn't have to give it gas to keep it running, nor should you touch the gas until it is fast idling on its own, unless your vehicle has its own 'personality'!
The lesson is use your block heater.
Froggy Does yep down to 0° my 2013 doesn't really lag but below that the block heater is nice
Froggy Does problem is that allot of people don't have access to a power cord for the ten hours or so that they're at work, for that matter, I have a coworker that used to live at a apartment complex where there was only one spot on the lot that had a outlet, and he had problems with people taking either the spot, or his cord...
Down south we don't really need the plug in but it is nice.
josh ziesmer lol at the fire station we ran 5 extension cords out for everyone truck😂😂
Matthew Supples good for you, but that's the exception not the rule, I've never worked at a place that was willing to do that, and a few of my bosses where such butts that if you did bring a chord and could find a place to plug in, you would have been charged a dollar an hour for electricity....seriously, you must be a troll, thinking they just because you have access to something, that everyone else does to? check your entitlement.....
Modern diesels start so much better, got an 09 E320 Bluetec, it'll start -20 Celsius without issue, and barely takes any longer than in warm temperatures. Plus it has an electric cabin heater so you don't sit in the cold for long. Just wanted to make mention of this in case anyone was put off of diesel for this reason.
If I'm not mistaken, those cars will preheat and prime up when you open the driver's door. When it comes to starting the engine, it makes the starting process quicker.
It will, which is even better means you don't wait for it preheat. Still starts just as easy as a gas car.
Those diesels still wont defrost your windshield at -25; the ice just builds as you roll down the highway until you can't see. What about remote starting? Heating your glow plugs takes the little bit of juice you might have left in your battery also and then your cranking amps are gone. Especially at -30 batteries get weak. I'm not going to waste that on a glow plug and wait 30 minutes for my window to thaw out.
Electric heater defrosts the windshield works better than a gas car since it starts working immediately. Frost also tends to be more an issue around the freezing mark and less so at -25. The battery is massive and starts it without issue, hell it's going on 7 years old and just passed a load test with flying colours Mercedes does not use the same battery for their gas powered cars, the battery is nearly double the capacity of the one in my Lexus. Everything you've pointed out has never been an issue in the entire ownership of the vehicle, it starts no different in the winter than my ES 350.
Then why did Nathan have such a hard time starting the brand new Colorado diesel at -16 and as seen here Andre almost drained his battery starting his diesel. Hell at -30 you wont stand a chance in hell with your diesel. Theres always one guy out there that never had a problem. You must be that guy
pump it three times and it would have fired right up. I went through that process enough here in new england.
John Jurewicz any reason why carburetors suck lol.
My 12.7L Detroit 60-Series (in my 2003 Freightliner Columbia) had an ether assist kit for cold starts. Below a certain temp it would get a small shot of ether automatically when I turn the key. Even in negative temps it would start up fast and easy.
Started my diesel at -13 celcius today without any preheating.
Started right away.
Your sister is a very lucky woman then.
Yes, she is. To bad she's married to someone else though.
I think it's called irony.
Try to google it!
Too bad your sister is married to someone else? Other than you? Um.....OK....
Read the comment above.
Dumb answer from "goss" = irony from me.
Why didn't you film the exhaust on the cold starts lol. That's the whole point of a cold start XD
Mas o menos
TIGER x GAMING for
Cold start on a carbed engine give one pump then try to start. If that doesn't work, give one more pump and try again. On a diesel, just keep cycling the glow plugs until it fires. Glow plug design and maintenance is key for diesels. Block heaters help a ton.
thecjc97 exactly! I had a 71 Monte Carlo with 350 and 4bbl.. at ANY temp.. 1 pump to set the choke and it would fire in 2 seconds. I have NEVER had a fuel injected engine start as fast as that would..
That's the truth, if the points are set right and the carb is tuned right, my old Impala would start in any weather. I remember one very cold winter in the 80's it was almost -50*F out and it started no problem. I always knew if the engine would turn over she'd start, I can't say that for my new FI pickup.
thecjc97 if it's firing right up after 1 pump at 25 below then she's obviously too fat. I grew up on carbed vehicles and 3 pumps after sitting for three or four days in near zero temps is on the low side of normal. The accelerator pumps arent blowing that much fuel in per pump.
That era q jet, 3 pumps on the pedal. Crank. Then 3 more. On a Holley one pump will do it.
It's ridiculous not to use the block warmer when it's that cold! The gas burner may need a starter Bendix before long.
Huh, the green thing started fine wtf you gona use a block heater on a gas motor for. lol
Sorry, I wasn't plain. The Duramax needed the block heater plugged up.
Steve Holsten Eh it needs maintenance done on it, should start with out the block heater. Really, battery heaters are better all the block heater does is thin out the oil... ya makes cranking easier but the batteries have still lost a huge % of there capacity... also way cheaper to run battery heaters.
You heard the Bendix kicking out early too?
Yeah, several times. Maybe it had been greased with heavy grease by a mechanic who didn't know the difference. I had a bendix on one car that would only do that in extreme cold.
I had a 2001 Dodge Ram 2500 with a Cummins. In the entire time I owned it I never needed to plug it in through many very cold Michigan winters. Usually just a couple cycles of the grid heaters and it would fire up, lots of smoke and shaking but the old ISB always fired up!
I've got a mechanical diesel (Cummins 4bt) without glow plugs or grid heat. Never had a problem starting in the cold (7-15f) within 2 turns of the ignition, ever. I put some fuel treatment in the tank when it's getting really cold but good compression is the name of the game.
Thats awesome. I have a grid heater on my common rail, but i never have to cycle it like this guys duramax.
The only reason i plug it in is nice warm air.
It's because it's a dodge 👍🏽
Yesica Hernandez he never said it was a dodge lol. It's a 4bt so it could be in anything
Looks like a foot of SNOW!! Tommy is Awesome!!
Heck yea!
the old 6.0 powerstroke starts every time for me almost immediately one cycle of the glow plugs in about 6 degree weather.
Did you add the time it took to start big green after it died lol?
My previous diesel, an 03 Dodge 2500 diesel with 300,000 miles, never started hard in sub 0 temps. My current 16 Ram 3500 diesel has been starting daily for the last 2 weeks in single digit weather with the remote start! It gets plugged in at home and cold starts at work.
straight #2 in a 06 5.9. No antigel or block heater. cycle heater once and fires rite up. that was in 4 degrees this morning.
My "05"cummins never has starting issues without the block heather plugged in.
Ive forgot to plug it in a couple of times due to laziness and it cranks right up without hesitation.
my 06 dodge hemi fires right up no matter how cold it is.....same with the 98 dodge 318 I gave my son with 302,000 miles on it....he likes Chevy's and so do I....but our dodges perform well.....he's been impressed with the little 318.
Having owned Chevy's my entire driving career I can't help but shake my head at some of these. Cold start on my Duramax in Canada, like fort fucking Mac Canada, was no issue. I don't plug anything in, I change my oil for the weather and know some of the tricks.. (3 pumps on the pedal would likely have green firing in less than 3 secs)
I used to start my 69 Chevy pretty quick in the cold. It didn’t even have a working choke. Pump that pedal several times before you crank it and keep bumping it once it hits to keep it going. Man I miss those days!!
back in the day we didn't have fuel injection. I was told to pump 3 times and on the last pump, let the pedal up slowly to set the choke. that process never failed me, so do whatever works for you.
I'm in Parker, Colorado and my 2004 Toyota 4Runner Sport (4.7L V8) started instantly this morning - as always.
LB7 glow plugs are mediocre, LLY or newer would've fired right up no problem.
Marcus Mar my lly fires right up not a single issue in -45
Jon Groves my point exactly
you are correct, unless he had the California glow plug system, where they are feed power individually, the system they came with for federal emissions really does suck for cold starting. but lly and newer fast heating ceramic glow plugs are amazing for gold starts. my LBZ starts -35c no issues at all, but i am running stanadyne in the fuel. which would have helped this lb7 start a little easyer
Yep, mine has fired -5*F no problem, no drama.
my 03 dodge diesel fires up not plugged in at -3 degrees. I use diesel treatment and love the grid heater on a Dodge vs the glow Sticks on Chevy and Ford. But it is nice to remember to plug it in. Instant 97 degree heat coming out of mine.
I have never seen a proper running modern diesel take that long to start. I drive a semi truck for a living, KW T680 with a Cummins ISX. In single digit temperatures it starts without hesitation. The same goes for my 06 Dodge diesel.
One or more glow plugs may have died and the battery may be worn out. But it should not be necessary to glow three times in a row. glow once and if the engine don´t start on the first attempt, one can cycle trough the glow plugs again.
my 2014 cummins starts just fine after preheat every time, even at 0 degrees lol I also live in Thornton, CO.
you can add up to one gallon of kerosene to every ten gallons of diesel fuel as an anti gel for low temps but watch your temp gauge if you are doing any heavy hauling because it runs hotter...i used to put in 5 bucks worth of fuel with a quart or two of kero on a low tank and the next morning after the truck was warm id just top fuel up so id have nearly pure fuel for the day
And you can do the same with gas and it costs like 1/2 the price (at least here) also, it's cause his truck is a POS something is wrong. Nothing else, it aint the fuel.
Heck, airport diesels run on Jet-A all day every day, so kero can't be that bad...I imagine you'd have to toss in a lubricant, though.
4 Farenheight is the coldest ive started my f250 unplugged. 2 glow plug cycles and fired right up .might wanna check the duramax glow plugs. ive had to change mine once and when they were out i could hardly start under 40
the coolest I have fired up my truck was -27f when the polar vortex hit a few years back. my Cummins fired up with no issue at all
guessing it was plugged in and stuff? i had to fire up a tractor when it was -55C out and -70C with the windchill and i tarped around the motor and put a ready heater under it after about an hour with the ready heater and it was also plugged in it finally fired up
I'm in the next city and it was -19 this morning when I left for work... BRRRR! but it got up to 28 in Boulder today LOL.
You’re kidding me that you think 4° is cold, you don’t even have a hat on. Do this video in Alaska in January.
Glow plugs don't turn off when the light goes out. You turn the key on and let it sit for 60 seconds, then you shut it off, turn the key on again, and let sit for 30 seconds
block heater and the idle up function in cold weather for a duramax is the best way, helps a lot, mucho easier on starters
Made a dire mistake with Big Green. Being carbureted, she'll be a bit grumpy in the cold. Gotta pump that gas pedal before you crank her. You know, to get the fluids flowing.
Plus, her choke won't activate unless you work the accelerator.
Feel free to interpret this as you want. Lol
use the block heater. it will start like summer . check your glow plugs. at -35c my 84 6.2 would fire up no problem and be throwing heat within a couple minutes.
that's not even cold
bullshit, unless you are from somewhere around Wisconsin.
Then what is it warm?
From North Dakota. also you know that Minnesota, North dakota, and Maine are all colder then Misconsin.
GMC Sierra in Duramax Form no that's normal ohio too
It's -30 to -40 typically all winter here in Winnipeg
Thumbs up simply for that modest, beastly K10 being what it is.
I love the way the Person who made the Starter made it sound like your Car is Laughing
I daily driver a 1983 f250 with a 460 gas engine and it has a POS parts store budget holley 600 on it, the carburetor drives horrible in hot or cold weather and I have spent about as much on tuning parts as I did the carb, but the one thing that is great about it is it will pop off and run on the first crank with no more than 3 pumps. it used to only take one but it is also time for a good rebuild but I think I'm just going to get a decent carburetor. I love holleys but the newer ones seem like they are junk and impossible to tune anymore
Lol, try starting anything in northern Saskatchewan where temps hit close to -40 Celsius, than I’ll be impressed if your gas/diesel starts
The 1985 has a carburetor, they were known to be touchy to get the right air fuel mixture to start and if you flooded the carburetor you better have patience, if you grew up only known fuel injection you missed the frustration of killing a battery on startup for lack of patience
Not sure if you know this or not but if you half to cold start that diesel like that after you let the glow plugs cycle like that put the throttle down to the floor and hold it till it starts. She'll be smokey out the tail pipe for minute but it'll start faster.
Folks brush the snow off the bumper before you drop the tailgaite like that. If there is an ice chunk or some random thing buried in there, you just put a dent in your truck for no reason. The inertia and leverage focusing at the bottom of the tailgate can warp sheet metal pretty easy, even on the older thicker stuff. Compressed snow could even do it. Not that it'll happen for sure, but it WILL happen to someone, and you don't want to be that guy.
My 93 Chevy Detroit diesel starts first 3 cranks at 0. He should check to see if all the glow plugs work. If one doesn't i know my truck starts hard in summer with out glowplugs
Real Diesels don't have glow plugs. Had to cycle them at least 3 times to start vs an old gasser with tired battery. The Duramax sounds ready for some maintenance.
No they just need to be plugged in right lol come on now
wcjeep I drive a 16L volvo diesel which has glow plugs, is that not a real diesel?
wcjeep yeah my maxxforce 13 has glow plugs as well
I've got an 89 Dodge diesel I've never had a problem when it's Cold but in never gets below the teens where I live
My gas engine fires up on one crank with block heater down to -30F.
Without heat it struggles below 10F.
2005 fuel injection.
dang here is south dakota that's common winter cold. my focus and really all cars do fine. i know id probably run dual batteries if i had a diesel but that's my preference. but to be real I've gotten my old 78 kz650 to start in -3. i actually prefer carbs in freezing cold.
is Tommy the son of Roman? looks and sounds like him
Thanks for heads up
Yes.
Nelson Q I was going to say why letting a young boy drives the big green, but it all make sense now
Nelson Q yes
These "Big Green" videos should come with the subtitle: "They don't build them like they used to."
My 97 Ford F-250 7.3 starts right up after 4 cycles of the glow plugs at -4 degrees
I'm interested in how Andre's truck would do with its engine block heater on. A follow up video would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
How about if it was working properly...
Diesel is not good in cold weather. Gasoline no problem the real secret is pure synthetic oil starts like in the summertime at -40
ive never had a problem with cold starts with my diesel
Ben
No ? how cold was it?
Gas engines have no issues Diesel bigtime problems in the cold
it was 3 degrees fahrenheit. cycled the glow plugs once and it started right up. 1997 mercedes e class
It's all about the Block Heater.
And I have seen this with my own eyes in -50F weather on more than a Handful of occasions.
But in general Gasoline vehicles do seem to start noticeably Easier.
ProSTEEL RAIN
I stopped using block heaters when I started using 0 viscosity synthetic oils.Though Diesels are much improved from the days of the blowtorch on the crank case they still lag behind a good gasoline engine try the new syn oils my engine turns over at -40 like it was summertime.
Old Is WAY better. 1970s, 80s Chevrolet Trucks are my favorites. and the fords, too
I hate to say there's something wrong with that Duramax. I've successfully started mine as low as 7*F with no block heater and no glowplugs with less then 20 seconds of cranking. That was after it sat untouched in the cold for 1 week.
Funny that they consider an '02 D-Max old compared to that '85 K10. I'd personally take an "Old" 90's to mid-2000 truck verses those pos 2010-2012 and newer trucks. This is doubly true when it comes to the newer pos diesels they've come out with. @ Joel Cummings- That's hilarious man, I have/had a 1995 Dodge 2500 "Old School" 12v 6BT Cummins that will fire over in single digits Fahrenheit with just a few cranks of the starter... modern diesel my butt. js
What do you do if you own a diesel and park at a place overnight where you can’t plug in your truck? Just have to keep cranking on it and hope your shit don’t burn up?
The wait to start light is a dummy light the glow plugs stay on up to 2 minutes and cycle on and off while it is running
My 1998 Dodge with the 12 Valve Cummins starts every time without using the grid heater (no glow plugs) and it only has to crank for a few seconds.
I got a 02 duramax cranks right up in 5 degree weather with no block heater don't even have to cycle glow plugs
Have started a 2011 5.9 Cummins in -25, no problem.
automatic choke , you should pump the gas pedal few times before start (it works on old east block cars :) )
the light on the dash is a dummy light the glow plugs remain on while the key is on for up to 2min so you don't have to cycle the key for the glow plugs and the glow plugs cut on and off while the truck is still running
glow plugs turn on again after the engine starts, not after the glowplug light goes off
On the LB7 Duramax specifically, the glow plugs do remain on after the light. The light is only on for half the runtime of the glow plugs. On my 2003 tune, they will be on for up to 60 seconds in the right conditions, but usually only 30 seconds. I suspect the newer ones do similar things.
There was something up with Andrei's truck, though, because mine starts at that temperature without cycling the glow plugs. Probably weak batteries, as others have speculated.
My 05 duramax fired right up at -10 degrees all week without a block heater
Logon Clary my 04 lb7 starts right up even with old batteries there was obviously something up with that Duramax
If you pumped the gas pedal several times quickly while initially engaging starter, it would have fired up within 5 seconds! Diesel sounded like it was going to gernade
Come on up to Alaska. It's been 5 to -20 for the last month. Diesels start right up. Also people who don't know this diesel can gel up when it gets below a certain temp. It is the wax they use in the fuel. During winter here they strip the wax and it's more of a liquid than summer fuel. If anything it makes them run worse. I started my diesel today in -4 degree not plugged in and it Hasn't started in two weeks.
With the cost to option a diesel and the premium cost of paying for diesel at the pump. I'll take a gas any day. You'd need to keep it between 100k-500k miles to make up the difference depending on the brand.
Duramax has come along way in the last few years.
Most people know that gas is more volatile than diesel. Of course the gas will start easier given similar states of tune, and battery capacity. The Dmax should've had the block heater to be fair. My 83 6.2 even w/ the block heater is a fight at that low a temperature.
My diesel Volvo XC90 has never failed to start I have had it start at -23c or about -1f first go, my petrol, gasoline Lada Niva starts first go regardless of temperature but then they were designed for Siberia the coldest place on earth so that’s not surprising.
Edit: most diesels come with diesel heaters that fire up and warm up the whole vehicle so it starts regardless my old 2004 VW T5 had one
In Norway, at about -17 c my Smart Cdi (diesel) started in about 3-4 seconds. After about 8 hours parking.
I have 83 GMC with the 6.2 Detroit 310k fires right up at 0°f
If that's 6 inches.. I'm in trouble.
You mentioned it has an automatic choke. Did you set the choke by flooring the accelerator then releasing it before trying to start it?
So these are the headaches guys in cold climates have to live with eh? Never experienced this because well, it's 55-60F in California in the middle of January right now!
the diesel was getting fuel but not enough heat. glow once crank than glow again not glow 3 times. the friction of cranking the engine generates heat. once the glow plugs light the computer keeps them on for awhile so cycling the key just drains the battery
My God-16 Celsius. Try that up North where it is -30 Celsius with a wind-chill of -45 Celsius. If you haven't started a diesel for that long up here you tarp it and build a small campfire under the engine careful to not burn any plastics or wiring.
Genius. Try pumping it 4-5 times before younturn the key. If it's tuned right it'll fire immediately.
Anything carburetor that's kept in good shape and has the right person behind the wheel could've started that truck with the first turn of the ignition... I do it every day in my 78' 3570 Chevrolet.
You're in the Army now
5F is not cold Sheesh! it was -34C here yesterday morning and I see Duramaxz start all the time when this cold here.
My LMM Duramax starts as soon as you hit the starter without waiting on glow plugs and no block heater in that kind of whether, my glow plugs only stay on half sec anyways lol
HERO’s GET REMEMBERED,,,, but
LEGENDS NEVER DIE!!!
Heck -25 my 6.2 starts right up no block heater ,i cycle twice and she fires right up of course its like brand new put my 3rd oil change in it
Well, that was a given. Diesels are always harder to start when it's cold and not plugged in.
im glad im from southern texas and dont have to worry about stuff like this lol
Toni _ spoke to soon 😂
I'm surprised you didn't get a ticket for not having a hybrid in Boulder?
something is wrong with the duramax then, just started mine yesterday after sitting for a week at 1 degree, she fired right up no problems
it's getting plenty of fuel it has a block heater for a reason. your Diesel is a compression ignition engine. cylinders have to be preheated to get up to a temperature where the compression stroke compress the air to get hot enough to ignite. if you have a block heater is probably the for a reason.
I just wonder: Do you use " winter " diesel or regular diesel at that truck? In Europa we got winter diesel!..
Duramax use glo plugs. They also have a block heater to plug in when needed to bee need be if they need to
The lesson is to take care of your truck my 7.3 obs with new glow plugs and relay will start fast then "big green" in the typ of wether
Kinda funny how my 7.3 starts right up in cold weather
Jarrett Gripp right
Jarrett Gripp I have a 01 f250 with the 7.3 and it fires fairly quickly but nothing to amazing
Dakota Swanson I cycle the glow plugs twice and it fires within 2-3 seconds
My 6.9 takes 7 seconds after 3 cycles at 5°F
Get yourself a stancore glow plug relay, switch to 5w40 synthetic oil, and have good batteries and the 7.3 powerstroke will start like a champ. I've started my 2000 powerstroke in the negatives tons of times with no block heater. The synthetic oil is the key. Remember, the 7.3s injectors are fired off oil pressure
you should know, that diesel drops water and water frozen, so never ever use almost empty tank. If the tank will be full, there is almost no possibility to drop water. No water frozen in the filter, no problem.
cycling the glow plugs does not make them any hotter. as soon as the "wait to start" light goes out. hit the key cause the longer you wait. they cool off. as soon as the light goes out. Fuel starts to gel around 32 degrees so he might have a point saying it's not getting fuel depending how long the truck actually sat in the 5° cold
And any electronic choke carb has to have the pedal aleast tapped once to engage the choke
diesel hate, hate cold weather than a gas vehicle. its 23 degrees here in texas and had to cycle my glow plugs couple of times in my 05 f350 but it started up fine.
It all boils down to the condition of the engine, fuel and battery.