Winter...

[djelica]

Thank you for this discussion, This information is invaluable to a new owner and low -20 temps.

Cheers

[Green1]

While idling generates little heat, driving (even gently) creates tremendous heat and sholud be avoided at all costs when engine is cold. Excessive idiling is also harmful, but it is very easy on the l400 to wire in a switch for the cold high idle, the solinoid is already on the IP, all you have to do is wire in a relay to prevent a backfeed of current, and a switch to power the relay when you want to use high idle. If you don't have the means to wire in a high idle, 20 mins of idle is less harmful than driving a cold diesel. (thats 20min for -30 in Manitoba) the warmer the climate, the less warm up required. But even for the first trip of the day in summer, I would recomend at least 2min.

Your advice still directly contradicts everything I've ever seen about diesels, driving gently is the only way to warm up a diesel, idling simply does not do it and in itself will damage the engine far more than driving away will. you need to get those revs up, or you will do damage to the engine over the long term.

[Manitoba deli]

I am only giving my opinion as to what I have seen and experienced in the last 20 plus years of being a diesel mechanic (and owner) Besides being a mechanic, I farm. I own and operate a total of eleven diesel engines. All with relatively high hours on the meters, and all with no more than routine maintinance. If you have had good luck operating diesel engines with procedures that are contradicted by what I say, then don't change. Use what works for you. If you haven't been having the best of luck, perhaps it is time to change something. The definition of insanity is expecting different results from the same actions.

Jason

[DeliTan]

My Deli and I have been working on a starting procedure for our current weather. We have decided that 3 cycles of glow plugs followed by starter spin will bring life, it wants to stumble and hesitate. I coax it immediately to 1500 RPMs and hold it there for approx. 2 minutes. Then we drive off gently with a bit of hesitation for a couple of blocks. Then we are happy. As the temp gauge gets up to just above the "friggin cold" line, I am permitted to request cabin heat.

works for us...

No doubt this will change when we get a block heater and a timer (and an electric cabin heater).

john

[Aztec Nomad]

Hey,
Okay, back to winter. Since Friday of last week we have seen here around 2 feet of snow, with an expected 50cm today. Crazy!! So many stupid drivers out there that seem to have lost common sense when driving. A civic past me today on a unplowed lane (about 10cm) on the highway doing about 110, its just a matter of time when that kind of driving creates an accident. I actually got off the highway this morning to avoid the chaos which added about 15 min. to get to work. My wifes and mine Subaru's are kicking ass and taking names in these kind of conditions though.
Adam

[Luna-Sea]

Hey,
Got a little dumper-roo of white in Nanaimo and got out for some
good clean fun!

Lock the hubs and unleash the ice shark and snow turtle!

Prelimenary results ..Nokian Vativa AT win over Goodyear Wrangler MT/R w Kevlar
Nokians just have more Siping, I am keen to see how they compare in DEEP snow!

Right On! and Yahoo for Doughnuts!

[tigger]

Diesel engines operate at higher compression and higher temperatures than gas engines. They are designed to operate best at normal operating temperatures, which means clearance (piston/cylinder) is greater than in gas engines when the engine is cold. (Ever wonder why diesel engines are louder when they first fire up?) It's best to let a diesel engine warm up for a minute or two, particularly when they are very cold. This will allow tolerances to tighten up a bit and make the entire engine function normally.

[Green1]

Diesel engines operate at higher compression and higher temperatures than gas engines. They are designed to operate best at normal operating temperatures, which means clearance (piston/cylinder) is greater than in gas engines when the engine is cold. (Ever wonder why diesel engines are louder when they first fire up?) It's best to let a diesel engine warm up for a minute or two, particularly when they are very cold. This will allow tolerances to tighten up a bit and make the entire engine function normally.

Unfortunately diesel engines do not warm up at a low idle, and in fact idling them at low revs for any length of time will damage your engine.
To properly warm up a diesel engine, drive it. Be gentle, but do not idle.

[almac]

i HATE winter! i HATE snow!
snowfall warnings here in kelowna the last few days. night before last they said it would get down to -31!
topped up the anti freeze. man! i soo wish i put in the block heater when i was in burnaby last...

had a minor issue starting my deli the other day. engine turned over fine, with lots of juice, however, it took a 4 tries at about 5-6 seconds each time, before she would "catch". if it was a gas engine, my first guess would've been a fuel pump issue... and MAN was she not likin it either! very rough idle for about a minute. neighbor said his car wouldnt start.
I HATE WINTER! i think evil thoughts whenever i see a snow shovel!
i drive for a living now. i'm not concerned driving my deli. what i am concerned about are those "other" drivers out there who think they are impervious to ice in a 4x4, cruisin down icy roads at 80 kmh, and tailgating the slower drivers. they scare the hell outta me. or the guys in the "fancy" lowered hondas or acuras with spoilers, thinkin they can drive like normal, after they barely make it out of their driveways, but try to go to work anyways.
did i say i HATE winter??


be safe all...

[djelica]

I would like to hear what some members have to say about cold weather and operating a diesel (L400).

Even with a block heater there will be instances where my delica will be parked for days at sub zero tempertures without being plugged in.

What is the best way to start when this is the case?

How many cycles of the glow plugs are OK?

And is it after so many cycles of the plugs “crank away until the battery dies or it starts”?

What are the best things to do for your delica if this is going to happen every so often?

I am going to guess 5-40 synthetic oil (or 0-40) and a good battery but what else can you do?

Thanks for any replies.

Darren djelica

Oh and if I don't want to drive away right away because I want to warm up the rest of the van (and defrost/scape the windows, get the transmission warmed etc). is it better to sit for a few minutes with your foot on the accelerator while in neutral (bring it up to what? 1800 rpms or ? for a few minutes). Driving away right away may be good for the engine but everything else is still frozen solid. Im looking for the optimal compromise.

[loki]

had a minor issue starting my deli the other day. engine turned over fine, with lots of juice, however, it took a 4 tries at about 5-6 seconds each time, before she would "catch".

do yourself and your engine a favor and just keep cranking till it starts next time, the starter and handle it and you wont lose the heat gained from the first 5-6 seconds of cranking. This is the impression I'm under anyways

[Spearo]

^ yeah that ^

[FalcoColumbarius]

had a minor issue starting my deli the other day. engine turned over fine, with lots of juice, however, it took a 4 tries at about 5-6 seconds each time, before she would "catch". if it was a gas engine, my first guess would've been a fuel pump issue... and MAN was she not likin it either! very rough idle for about a minute. neighbor said his car wouldnt start.

Tell you what: I just had a similar experience; I started from my remote to warm the engine while I got dressed; got down to the wagon to see lights flashing but no cowbell! So I tried it again ~ everything doing what it should except the engine. Cleaned the terminals on the batteries and replaced the cable ends (I had been meaning to do this, anyway) but still not starting with the remote (it would still start with the key, so long as let the starter turn more than four times, where the remote only turns it three times).

Then I heard something from the engine ~ a sort of wheezing, puffing sound... sounded a little like a miniature choo-choo train. Long story short ~ it was the "O" ring (thank god it's not a space shuttle) that Number 3 injector seats into. Number 3 cylinder was not getting the compression so needing more turns on the starter. Since this was fixed by Butch (thank-you) the MLB starts on the remote on cold mornings ~ which is what it was designed for.

Don't you just love happy endings!

Falco.

[tigger]

Unfortunately diesel engines do not warm up at a low idle, and in fact idling them at low revs for any length of time will damage your engine.
To properly warm up a diesel engine, drive it. Be gentle, but do not idle.[/quote]

Any length of time? What about 10 seconds?

It is true that diesel engines operate cooler at low idle. This is because the compression in the cylinder at detonation is enough to keep the crank turning, even at very low revs. However the detonation at low idle still produces heat that radiates throughout the engine block. Under no load conditions almost all of the energy produced by combustion will become heat. (A small amount is used to overcome friction inside the engine.)

Idling for a minute or two will not cause undue wear to the engine. If that were the case everyone would shut off their engine at red lights.

There are other times when it is wise to idle diesel engines, most notably before shutting an air cooled engine off when it is hot. As per when starting an engine, it needs only to be idled down for a minute or two.

There are also other reasons for letting an engine idle briefly when it first starts up. It takes a bit of time for moving parts to become fully lubricated. Moving a vehicle immediately after startup does not allow enough time for oil to get into the top of the engine. This applies to gas as well as diesel engines.

[Manitoba deli]

In response to djelica's question for starting in the cold without the benifit of a block heater, and how many times the glow plugs can be cycled, I will offer my opinion as a mechanic, and the instructions printed on the visor of my 1987 Ford ranger 4x4 with 2.3l mitsubishi turbo diesel. If this information contradicts what someone may have read somewhere about something at sometime, I'm so sorry, but this is what is recomended by most manufactures, and is taught in Diesel mechanics. The factory Ford sticker for the Mitsubishi engine reads as follows:
Diesel starting instructions
ALWAYS APPLY PARKING BRAKE BEFORE STARTING
1. For manual transmission shift into neutral and hold clutch depressed. For automatic transmission shift into P or N
2. Turn key to "ON" when "glow plug" light goes off turn key to "START" and depress accelerator pedal as follows
A. HALFWAY for temperatures above 32F (0C)
B. FULLY for temperatures below 32F (0C)
When engine starts release key and allow accelerator to return to Idle

The instructions should go on to say to ease up on the accelerator as the engine catches, and the idle stabalizes (trying to keep rpms around 1000) if you let off the accelerator too quickly the engine will stall.
As for glow plugs, if everything is working properly cycling the glow plugs twice should be sufficent to start the engine at -30C. I started my l400 monday morning after being unpluged most of the night with 2 cycles of the glowplugs. Temp was -32C windchill was -47C oil was 0W-40 full synthetic. Batteries are original Japaneese equipment. The glow plugs can be cycled 4 or 5 times, but this does greatly decrease thier lifespan as they get too hot, but sometimes it is a sacrifice you have to make. Other than that, make sure nothing has been left on drawing power, and use a fuel conditioner.

Jason