Diesels in the snow.....
 

So.....what's the best way to keep one startable in the AM?

My last F-350 did not have a block warmer and the MOFO was a bastard2start.

What are you looking at?


KT

synthetic oil
good glow plugs
winter blend fuel and or additives
clean (fresh) fuel filter

Running a synthetic makes a huge difference.
With Rotella synth my F350 would start pretty easy down to about -10f

A Chevy with a Cummings.

What area are you moving into , Mike?


KT

Tahoe.....did the other stuff. It needed a block warmer....had to use Quick start to get it running, which is hard on the motor.

Unless its been swapped... Chevy doesnt come with a CUMMINS

That's my point.....

North shore, South shore?

I roll though the North a few times a year.

( I need a warning ) :D



KT

Get a block heater a good glow plugs and plan on letting it idle for a bit in the mornings... Don't have any problems with our Cummins when it gets down below 20 in the winter...

It's starting it the fuch douchebagthing is the problem....

Incline Village, Trek....

Not really.... Ours spin right off at that temp...

If it's a Cummins that's been switched out of a Dodge, have you double checked to see if the air heater in the intake is working?

jt

Life is good with a Cummins.... Just did a round trip Phx to Palm Springs and back. 27.7 mpg for the road portion. Now a week later driving around town and its still over 25 mpg.

Again, life is good with a Cummins!

Adding a block heater is by far your best bet. My Excursion will start without it, but its not happy. There is a reason why they make them. Diesels like them.

Looks like you can pick one up for around $50 online. Never installed one though, so not sure how bad that would be.

I don't think adding a heater is too bad... We need to add one to one of our dodges.... Most diesels in this area came with heaters.... Dad bought one used that came from Florida.....

They make 110V heaters that "tee" in you lower rad hose..............................some even have small circulation pumps too

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that the Cummins engine supplied to Dodge does NOT have glow plugs. Love the Cummins into the Chevy idea.

Block heater, and everything sound, you'll be fine. My company has a couple of these up in Alaska that are DD's throughout the winter. Synthetics, good heater, plugged in - they fire in minus 60 (don't think there is anything else they are doing to them). Our glow-plug vehicles (e.g. the Fords) fire up if left plugged in but you have to cycle the glow plugs 3 or 4 times. On, wait for the cycle to complete and the light goes off, then repeat. They fire.

If you leave the truck parked, say you're away on a trip for a week, leave it plugged in. The longer they sit in the very cold the grouchier they get even if you return and plug it in overnight...

My company also has a group of vehicles in Tahoe. I'll ping the repair manager, Ryan, and query about anything to watch for in the Tahoe area and who is the best light truck diesel repair service in the area (just in case).

angela

My 1986 Diesel Golf never had a problem starting in the four and a half years I owned it. It just liked to blow head gaskets and CV joints/boots.

Pretty sure the cummins has plugs... You have to cycle them several times in the winter if you want it to start real easy....