Cold starting of direct injected diesel engines.

[bagitha]

Hi all. My transit has trouble starting only in bad freezing conditions. I guess this is low battery voltage?

Anyway.... On Saturday I connected a stereo, took it for a short spin, stopped at a shop, started, got home. It stood all day yesterday, and today I took it for a spin. Being warmer these days there was no problems starting. 5 minutes later I parked up and switched off engine, then decided to eject the CD from the stereo, so turned the key to start her up again so I could do this. It wouldn't start - cranking over OK, really strong (not like usual cold start), but not firing. As the stereo face and CD were still in, the stereo was loading up at the same time as ignition and cranking. So... My question is, being as the battery might be low on voltage, would this extra draw from the stereo at start-up cause not enough voltage to fire the engine???

I had to bumpstart, then stopped on a hill, switched off and started again with the key, OK. Parked up a minute later, switched off, tried to start - same problem again. So I took stereo face out and drove home. Stopped on hill, started with key no probs. Checked under bonnet, all wiring good and tight. Started with key, without stereo in, all good, went for a spin, stopping on hills and starting with key. No problems.

Could be the stereo, then, but I don't want to get too cocky and 'safe' that its the stereo, though, as it could well be fuel pump on way out coincidentally. But I just thought I'd ask if it's possible for stereo draw at ignition to reduce battery voltage sufficiently to fail to start?

The stereo is 15A, so whatever it draws is more than a 10A stereo would. I wired into Fuse 11 with the inside lamp and clock, which had a 10A fuse, which I replaced with a 15A. So there's definately more draw at ignition. But would this be enough to cause start fail?

Cheers!

[mozzer]

Hi all just a thought as mentioned in the write up at the beginning...... Number one on the list was...... AIR!!! after recent issues with my 2.5di I cable tied open the EGR butterfly valve....... now when at idle this valve was closed (Mine was complety closed not sure if it should be)

So when starting from cold without pressing on the throttle pedal that valve was closed so no or very little air gets in????

When mine did start from cold there was a big plume of white smoke and it was smokey for a few minutes following......... Since doing the EGR Valve mod ......Starts much easier from cold little or no smoke....... which makes me wonder if the postion of the butterfly valve needs to be adjusted when the throttle is closed to ensure some air gets in.... the link rod from throttle to valve is adjustable....

[kevsterjw]

if your battery is flat due to the cold aswell DON'T BUMP START

whys that then?

[Altransit]

if your battery is flat due to the cold aswell DON'T BUMP START

whys that then?

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=83447

[kevsterjw]

[winterheating]

Hi all just a thought as mentioned in the write up at the beginning...... Number one on the list was...... AIR!!! after recent issues with my 2.5di I cable tied open the EGR butterfly valve....... now when at idle this valve was closed (Mine was complety closed not sure if it should be)

So when starting from cold without pressing on the throttle pedal that valve was closed so no or very little air gets in????

When mine did start from cold there was a big plume of white smoke and it was smokey for a few minutes following......... Since doing the EGR Valve mod ......Starts much easier from cold little or no smoke....... which makes me wonder if the postion of the butterfly valve needs to be adjusted when the throttle is closed to ensure some air gets in.... the link rod from throttle to valve is adjustable....

Them engines are supposed to be started with full throttle, and clutch down helps too while your there.

[kevsterjw]

Thought we were out of the bad cold, but think my battery is dying with this cold snap after re-reading the op i get smoke when starting looks like unburnt diesel. Hey ho, on the credit card we go.

[Davesbackbone]

My 2.4 is a nightmare to srart in the cold, when the engine is warm its great at starting, i light up the glow plug light a few times on the dash then crank it and it cranks nice and quick full throttle and it trys and struggles then goes with a plume of dark grey smoke, it sounds realy rough aswell when running, like a tapping noise but louder and more echo'ee than tappets if you know what i mean(what is this?) this goes off as the engine gets warmer, any ideas? Its embarasing more than anoying lol, i havnt done anything to rectify it where shall i start, just a service mainly glow plugs and airfilter or does it sound a little more complicated, HELP PLEASE!!!!!!!

[rustyford]

shame they fitted all these electronics to diesel engine made them a lot more complex still gd tho

[robi49]

Hi all, Re cold starting I have found over the years that routine maintenance ie, regular changing of oils and all filters as per fords schedule cuts down on winter probs.
robi49

[ake]

My 2.4 is a nightmare to srart in the cold, when the engine is warm its great at starting, i light up the glow plug light a few times on the dash then crank it and it cranks nice and quick full throttle and it trys and struggles then goes with a plume of dark grey smoke, it sounds realy rough aswell when running, like a tapping noise but louder and more echo'ee than tappets if you know what i mean(what is this?) this goes off as the engine gets warmer, any ideas? Its embarasing more than anoying lol, i havnt done anything to rectify it where shall i start, just a service mainly glow plugs and airfilter or does it sound a little more complicated, HELP PLEASE!!!!!!!

Your glowplugs are probably knackered and will have blown the fusible link wire.

A good service is the best place to start .

[Mr Gas it]

CORRECT COLD START PROCEDURE

I have owned loads of transits over the years, going right back to the Kent diesels which just would not start when it was very cold, but I am curious as to the correct starting procedure for my mark 7 - prior to this one the last two Transits I had were both Mark 6's (a W followed by an 02)and I never had to do anything to get them to start even in Arctic conditions, just turn the key and away they would go, didn't even have to give any throttle - fantastic bits of kit. This one does not start as well and when it is cold it runs like the old Gardener 5XL, in a rhythmic sequence not a continuous smooth tickover which puzzles me given the earlier models appeared so much better, the other strange thing is following the advice on a post on this forum I tried holding the throttle hard down and waiting for all the lights to go out on the dash and then cranking it over, when it started despite the fact that it was in the flat out mode it just ticked over, no revs at all but if I release the pedal and then re apply pressure to it the revs rise in the normal manner? Just to complicate matters, the instruction book recommends no throttle but depress the clutch fully! Help!

[MK7 user]

CORRECT COLD START PROCEDURE

I have owned loads of transits over the years, going right back to the Kent diesels which just would not start when it was very cold, but I am curious as to the correct starting procedure for my mark 7 - prior to this one the last two Transits I had were both Mark 6's (a W followed by an 02)and I never had to do anything to get them to start even in Arctic conditions, just turn the key and away they would go, didn't even have to give any throttle - fantastic bits of kit. This one does not start as well and when it is cold it runs like the old Gardener 5XL, in a rhythmic sequence not a continuous smooth tickover which puzzles me given the earlier models appeared so much better, the other strange thing is following the advice on a post on this forum I tried holding the throttle hard down and waiting for all the lights to go out on the dash and then cranking it over, when it started despite the fact that it was in the flat out mode it just ticked over, no revs at all but if I release the pedal and then re apply pressure to it the revs rise in the normal manner? Just to complicate matters, the instruction book recommends no throttle but depress the clutch fully! Help!

You'll find the Instruction book is the correct method of starting.

The throttle position is measured electronically & as far as I know, it's position is NOT monitored during engine cranking, hence the low-idle start up.

Uneven Idle on a mk7 must hit a couple of thousand posts on the forum search tool.

[ake]

The throttle pedal is ignored until the engine reaches idle speed.

The correct procedure is clutch down, ignition on, wait for glowplug light to go out and crank until it starts

[limitedblack]

Clutch down applies to every vehicle with a clutch just to stop extra load on the starter/engine.