One of the most dreaded aspects of driving a diesel is getting your vehicle started in the colder winter months. While it will always be more difficult to start your diesel in cold temperatures, we’ll provide plenty of steps you can take to make cold starts a bit healthier and understand why they are more difficult in the first place.
The Question: Why do Diesels start and run harder in the cold and what can be done about this?
The Fuel
Since diesel fuel has a higher flash point than gasoline, diesel engines rely on heat from compression to ignite fuel. In winter, the air, engine block, and metal parts are all cold, so compression doesn’t get hot enough right away to light the fuel as easily. In addition, diesel fuel can gel in colder temperatures. Using diesel fuel additives can keep the quality of your fuel high and prevent gelling.
The Battery
The starter and battery have to work a little harder in the cold to start the engine. In addition, car batteries do not function at optimal performance in cold temperatures. Testing your battery to make sure it has proper voltage is a crucial step. A weak battery will have a much tougher time starting, if at all. This is also a good opportunity to make sure your starter is in good working order as well.
Glow Plugs
Quality glow plugs are essential for ensuring a start in cold weather. Check to ensure your glow plugs aren’t worn or failed and replace them before winter if possible. When starting, you can cycle the glow plugs twice (key on → off → on) also known as double glowing your plugs.
Fuel Filter
Fuel flows more slowly in the cold, so even a partially clogged fuel filter can make starting harder or impossible. Keep your fuel filter changing on a regular schedule as recommended by the manufacturer. And consider keeping a spare filter in your trunk so you aren’t stuck with a clogged filter somewhere far from a parts store.
Engine Block Heater
Another option to help with cold starting is to get an engine block heater. This will warm your engine block helping start and run better initially than a true cold start. It also means your vehicle will have cabin heat much faster than without a block heater. Our team has extensive experience using FrostHeater coolant heaters and has been very pleased with how easily the engine starts with the aid of a coolant heater.
Once your vehicle has started, let it idle for about 60 seconds before driving and avoid driving hard initially. Using these tips, you should have a much easier time starting your vehicle in the cold months. Diesel on!
