Help with cold starting

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4

4x4chef

New Member
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Hi,

Sorry for sounding like a bit of a townie for asking this but I'm running out of ideas. My beloved old defender runs perfectly most of the year, starts first time, runs smoothly etc. But now it's getting cold She's really struggling, often flattening the battery before she's actually started. In the last 2 years she's had a new battery, alternator, starter motor and just had a full service with new glow plugs. Been looking at pre-heaters for the engine thinking it might be diesel gelling in the cold, but they are all mains powered and I can't park near a socket. Any ideas, literally anything considered, I've even considered putting insulation into the engine block on a night!!! Where I park is on top of a hill in the middle of the Yorkshire Dales so there is no protection or cover at all!

Thanks for the help.
Richard.
 
Its not cold enough for diesel to gel yet. Even in Yorkshire. I would check the glow plugs are actually working. Put a meter on the glow plug terminals and earth and make sure you're getting voltage to them when you turn the ignition on.
 
Yes as above

All the stuff you have had done should have made it a good starter
If the battery was a good make
The heater plugs actually work (as mentioned)
All the terminals connections and earth straps are good

it should zroom
 
Cheers, I'll give it a go. I only linked it to the diesel gelling because it started with the first frosts a couple of weeks back, after the morning start she's generally fine to stop and start all day long.
 
Ok, charged the battery to full then checked all the glow plugs with a meter and they are all working fine, battery charged up fully. Two days later she's back to struggling to start, draining the battery, when I turn the key she turns really slowly starts to die then eventually jumps to life. Any ideas??
 
OK, few things.
if you rolled it down your hill fast enough to try and bump start it in a higher gear than 1st or scond - would it turn over fast enough to start?
or, before starting at home cold, put a jump lead anywhere on your starter but NOT on the terminals, the other end to the battery earth, then try cold starting it.
better or same as ?

Is the lift pump drawing up enough fuel from cold stating to run the engine - reason why it turns over so much ?, also check for air leaks too.
 
Last edited:
4x4chef said:
Ok, charged the battery to full then checked all the glow plugs with a meter and they are all working fine, battery charged up fully. Two days later she's back to struggling to start, draining the battery, when I turn the key she turns really slowly starts to die then eventually jumps to life. Any ideas??
Click to expand...

Did you remove all the link wires to the glow plugs and test each individually ?
You charged the battery up how did you test it if with a meter it might say 12+volts doesn't mean it can take a strong draw on itself .
You need it properly tested on machine .

If these have been tested and you have no air in the system of any fuel leaks
You could have a lazy started motor that can give sypotoms of a flat battery by not spinning fast enough , not fast enough your car won't get enough compression to start .

A quick and easy way to test Glow plugs remove 12v wire to all the plugs
Hold a thick wire on the positive of the battery and touch the tip of each glow plug if it produces a small spark the glow plug is fine no small spark means no draw = duff plug .
 
Im having the exact same issue. 1000 cca battery, new injector lines, will check plugs using Grit Valves test. I charged the battery last night and it statrted but it was only 4.5c normally happens closer to 0c so not a reliable test
 
nothing like the cold to show up duff batteries.

if it's slow to turn then bad bat, wiring or starter.

if it's turning strong, then look at fuel/glows.

if slow, i'd do easy checks first. get a multi on your battery when cold and then when the engine is on, to confirm your bat levels and if the alt is working properly.

stick a jump lead from the bat neg to engine.

take somewhere for a free bat test.
 
Mates disco was very slow and killed the battery after 2 cranks, cleaned engine to chassis earth and chassis to battery earth and spins over faster than it ever has
 
timtheenchanteruk said:
What engine is it??
a 300 should start with no glows easily, mine managed without all last winter, and I didnt notice.
Click to expand...
;)
must admit tim, I`ve never tried on my old 200 engine, its now done 203500 plus miles - never been stripped, only had cam belts,
so I figure a little inbuilt help to burn various ratios of veggie on freezing cold mornings is just part of the old girls cold starting....
theres no point of killing cold batteries unnessasary
(batteries in the plural) ;)
 
I only found id not got glows when I had problems with my starter, it blew the main fuse, it had done it once when I got it, and to get me going I swapped out the other maxi fuse in the lil box under the bonnet (same rating)
didn't have another problem, and forgot all about it till my starter died not long ago, and discovered it was the glow plug fuse (on the high power side). timer and light still worked, so I didn't notice.
 
timtheenchanteruk said:
I only found id not got glows when I had problems with my starter, it blew the main fuse, it had done it once when I got it, and to get me going I swapped out the other maxi fuse in the lil box under the bonnet (same rating)
didn't have another problem, and forgot all about it till my starter died not long ago, and discovered it was the glow plug fuse (on the high power side). timer and light still worked, so I didn't notice.
Click to expand...
:D
so, the old addige then,
If it `aint broke, dont mend it...lol

must admit I got 2 diesel mondeo batteries linked as 12volt,
tops out at over 1200 CCA last time I looked,
well it had 2 battery trays, I had 2 same as batteries,
seemed an Idea at the time..
must have been 4 or more years ago now..:rolleyes:
when my alternater packed up last year, I`d charge the batteries, and run on them for a few days till I got the alternator sorted,
but it was late summer so starting was easier..
 
timtheenchanteruk said:
What engine is it??
a 300 should start with no glows easily, mine managed without all last winter, and I didnt notice.
Click to expand...

300tdi

Was a new 1000cca Battery installed last year, i doubt the battery is knackred already (id fooked off if it was)

Earths are a possibility. Can you point me to the main engine to earth terminal ?
 
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