Go Bottom

Cold start problems

View my Photos
cen-taur
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 4 Southern Missouri
TractorPoint Premium Member -- 5 Tractors = Very Frequent Poster

2008-11-13          157858


I have a 6x4 diesel gator that doesn't want to start without a lot of cranking if it's anything below 40 degrees F.
The glow plug indicator light comes on and shuts off but I don't know if the plugs are bad and need to be replaced or what.
Does anyone else have cold start problems like this?

How do you test the glow plugs?

Any assistance is appreciated! Thanks in advance.

~Cen




Reply to | Quote Post Reply to PostQuote Reply | Add PhotoAdd Photo



Cold start problems

View my Photos
auerbach
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 2168 West of Toronto
TractorPoint Premium Member -- 5 Tractors = Very Frequent Poster  View my Photos  Pics

2008-11-14          157881


Until someone familiar with the gator comes in, I'll try. (Is there no decompression control? Fuel flow good? Battery strong enough to spin it fast enough to ignite?)

Various ways of testing, but here's a simple and general way. Disconnect the plug wire. Attach a testlight wire to the battery + and touch the probe to the plug terminal. If it lights, should be good. ....


Reply to | Quote Post Reply to PostQuote Reply | Add PhotoAdd Photo



Cold start problems

View my Photos
cen-taur
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 4 Southern Missouri
TractorPoint Premium Member -- 5 Tractors = Very Frequent Poster

2008-11-14          157888


Fuel is good and battery is good. It starts immediately when it's not cold outside. I believe your test will only test the fact that there is power going to the glow plugs and not the plugs themselves? correct? And wouldn't the test light be used between the glow plug wire and ground rather than +? (unless I'm reading something wrong)
I have not even dug in there at all to look yet, maybe I can just pop em out and turn the ignition on and see if they're getting hot. I figured I'd get a quick idea on here before I even started tinkering with it. I think it's supposed to get a little warmer sometime later this week so I'll fool with it then. I hate mechanicing when it's cold outside. Fortunately I've got my trusty old Snapper Grounds Cruiser to get me by till then. Gutless little thing (10 very abused horsepower with 2500 or more hours on it)but it NEVER fails.

I'll keep checkin in here and if nothing comes before I dig in I'll post the results.

~Cen ....


Reply to | Quote Post Reply to PostQuote Reply | Add PhotoAdd Photo



Cold start problems

View my Photos
auerbach
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 2168 West of Toronto
TractorPoint Premium Member -- 5 Tractors = Very Frequent Poster  View my Photos  Pics

2008-11-15          157893


You read it right. But I have been wrong before. (As my wife often reminds me.)

I suppose you could pull the plug, connect + to terminal and the body to ground and see if it heats. Or, since plugs don't have a recommended replacement spec and they can fail spontaneously, if it's old you might replace it just in case.

Maybe cold-weather oil would help. Some synthetics have a low number of "5" (if it's not diesel rated, change it more often). ....


Reply to | Quote Post Reply to PostQuote Reply | Add PhotoAdd Photo



Cold start problems

View my Photos
jdkid4890
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 32 oregon
TractorPoint Premium Member -- 5 Tractors = Very Frequent Poster  View my Photos  Pics

2008-11-23          158083


ok the ez way to check glow plugs is to check the ohms from the top of the plug to a good ground. if you dont have a ohm meter then you can take the plugs out and take them to your deere dealer to test them or even (with them out) put power to the top and ground the body and place to heat element to a pice of wood. i hope this helps ....


Reply to | Quote Post Reply to PostQuote Reply | Add PhotoAdd Photo



Cold start problems

View my Photos
Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999
Posts: 7249 Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada
TractorPoint Premium Member -- 5 Tractors = Very Frequent Poster  View my Photos  Pics

2008-11-25          158127


The normal problem with a glow plug is the element burns out, like a light bulb, so it is an open circuit.

All you need to test for that is a 12v. light bulb and some wire. Run one wire from the bulb to the battery, and the other to the top of the glow plug.

If the bulb doesn't glow, the glow plug is an open circuit.

Best of luck. ....


Reply to | Quote Post Reply to PostQuote Reply | Add PhotoAdd Photo



Cold start problems

View my Photos
kthompson
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 5275 South Carolina
TractorPoint Premium Member -- 5 Tractors = Very Frequent Poster  View my Photos  Pics

2008-11-25          158134


And AB and Murf gave you two ways and tools to test that open circuit.

If you remove the glow plugs to test if they get hot be sure you ground them to complete the circuit. If not, you may end up replacing good glow plugs.

....


Reply to | Quote Post Reply to PostQuote Reply | Add PhotoAdd Photo



Cold start problems

View my Photos
cen-taur
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 4 Southern Missouri
TractorPoint Premium Member -- 5 Tractors = Very Frequent Poster

2008-11-25          158138


Sounds good, I'll check it out...thanks guys! ....


Reply to | Quote Post Reply to PostQuote Reply | Add PhotoAdd Photo



Cold start problems

View my Photos
tommytank
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 2 GB
TractorPoint Premium Member -- 5 Tractors = Very Frequent Poster

2008-11-26          158160


hi ,just to say we ave problems with cold start problems,and we just get a hair dryer,take of the manifold pipe, and in sert the warm air in to the manifold and turn the engine over and its starts straight away.... worth you aveing a go ??? saves us chargeing the battery up and burning the wires up !!!!
tommy ....


Reply to | Quote Post Reply to PostQuote Reply | Add PhotoAdd Photo


   Go Top


Share This







Member Login