Duramax startability in REALLY cold weather?

[Mega Dogmeat]

I have a question for you guys with Duramax deisel's that live up north where it gets really cold ....

 

I have heard a lot of horror stories from diesel owners about the things never wanting to start if you're out camping, ice fishing when it's zero or lower out ...

 

I was just wondering how many of you actually use your trucks "outdoors" meaning where you cant plug it into a block heater and it gets REALLY cold out, like zero or lower?

 

What's been your experience with the duramax?

 

I'm inclined to think that because deisel is a thick fuel it wouldn't be dependent on whether or not you had Powerstroke, Cummins, or Duramax, but I'm wondering if the Duramax or any other diesel for that matter has some sort of provision to "heat the fule up" so it will start reliably in REALLY cold weather...

 

Thanks ....

[Wingnut]

Well......The "Car-B-Que" is a popular method of heating fuel in some circles.

 

But it's not an adviseable method from OSHA.

[BlackSilver]

I live in Minnesota, my DuraMax sits outside all winter long, and I never remember to plug it in. Even down in the -25 range, it has always started easily. The DuraMax comes standard with dual heavy duty batteries, so it spins over very briskly.

 

I don't know of any system to "heat" the fuel, but the DuraMax (and all other diesels) have glow plugs which act like "hot spots" in a cold engine and aid in initial combustion.

 

The biggest risk usually isn't hard starting, but with the cold weather causing the fuel to gel and not flow. In cold climates most major gas stations blend their fuel so that it will flow in the anticipated weather conditions. Sometimes if you get an early dose of really cold weather the suppliers will be caught with the wrong blend in their pumps. For this reason I always keep a spare fuel filter handy, along with a couple bottles of "anti-gel", just in case.

[akdiesel]

I work in cold temps with Duramax's and Super Duties where it gets down to -40 deg f on a regular basis. Both will start with no problem unplugged in temps as cold as 0 deg f. This is as long as the glow plugs are in good conditions. But I have only had to have them replaced once in two years. And this is with alot of start and stops with the truck sitting unplugged for more than two hours at a time.

When the temps to get to around -20 deg f it is a good idea to plug it in with a block heater. This is mainly to help the oil to be easier on the pumps and able to be distributed through out the engine and also allowing the starter to crank over the cold motor. It is a good idea to also use 0w/30 oil in the clolder temps.

I always put a quart of Stanadyne in my tank all year round. It helps to reduce the diesel gelling problem and also cleans the injectors as well as other things.

With these new diesels being more fuel efficient they will not get as warm (in the interior) as the older diesels or a gasser during idleing. It is a good idea to have a high idle switch installed. Ford has the best set up for this. GM needs to get off their a$$ and get one installed.

Diesels have been in the cold for a long time because of their ability to work hard and last long. There are only the three main factors that are going to make a diesel hard to start in cold weather. Diesel gelling, Glow plugs not working, and Not having the correct engine oil.

[422 SS]

I have only had my Dmax for one winter and never had a problem with cold weather starting.I came back from vacation last January and the truck had been sitting outside for a week.It was -10 deg F and all I did was cycle the key twice to heat the glow plugs and it fired up within 3 seconds.The modern diesels don't have the starting problems the old ones do.Just make sure you buy fuel at a station that moves a high volume of fuel.I have'nt put one ounce of fuel additives in my truck and have had 0 issues.

[LARSONEM]

There is also a fuel heater inside the fuel filter mounted under the hood. This protects fuel from gelling inside the filter where it is forced through the smaller filter medium and prevents water from freezing if it has accumulated from the seperator.

 

There is a neat article on DMax Fuel Filter replacement on the Diesel Place web forum.

 

The Diesel Place

[Colorado Kid]

-17F is the coldest I've had the opportunity to try the D-max, and it started without any special tricks or problems . . . just wait for the wiat light to go out and crank and it fires off. This is definately not the way the 6.2s I've driven for my employers worked. They had to be "double glowed" and you had to get lucky at any temp below 0F.

 

In some of the early D-max literature GM claimed that the combination of Direct Injection, Glow Plugs, Intake Grid Heater and Fuel Heater added up to the ability to start at -35F without plugging in . . . not that they recommend doing it that way.

 

Every indication that I have says my D-max starts at least as reliably in cold weather as my '91 4.3L gasser.

[jelisfc]

Having not only the right blend of fuel but good quality is the key. They have even come out with Artic Diesel that doesn't need to be blended. Used it all last year...not that it got real cold up here. When I hauled fuel in 1993 some stations had blended fuel into May due to low turnover. Since then with all the GM, Dodge, and Ford diesel pickups the fuel turnover, even at traditionally non diesel stations, should be higher, meaning less likely to get a bad tank.

 

FWIW my 6.2 started once at -35 without being plugged in. I was doing a LOT of praying and it barley made it!!!!!