-
Steel Soldiers now has a few new forums, read more about it at: New Munitions Forums!
6.2L Winter starting issues/strategies
- Thread starter wanta6.2
- Start date
- 4,755
- 1,146
- 113
- Location
- Gaithersburg, MD
It does not get **** cold in MD too often 
, but in the winter it is consistently in the 30s with some days/weeks in the 20s or below. I have owned several CUCVs and never once did a truck refuse to start. You may want to consider a block heater since it is colder by you. I know there have been a few threads on CUCV block heaters previously. I don't know anything about them as I never had the need for one. Check with Vermont Commercial Salvage. George Manieri often has nice pick ups for sale.
, but in the winter it is consistently in the 30s with some days/weeks in the 20s or below. I have owned several CUCVs and never once did a truck refuse to start. You may want to consider a block heater since it is colder by you. I know there have been a few threads on CUCV block heaters previously. I don't know anything about them as I never had the need for one. Check with Vermont Commercial Salvage. George Manieri often has nice pick ups for sale.
mangus580
New member
- 6,010
- 282
- 0
- Location
- Western NY
I have had my 1009 start at 5* without any issues (not plugged in)
Granted, I do prefer to plug in at any temp below about 20* just to be nicer to the engine....
Granted, I do prefer to plug in at any temp below about 20* just to be nicer to the engine....
- 4,755
- 1,146
- 113
- Location
- Gaithersburg, MD
I don't think George is on this site. Google VERMONT COMMERCIAL SALVAGE. If you cannot locate his #, PM and I will get it for you (I don't have it handy or else I would post it here).
Blood_of_Tyrants
Active member
- 1,614
- 11
- 38
- Location
- Lebanon, TN
I would get a block heater and battery maintainer and keep it plugged in if you use it regularly.
Wolf.Dose
Active member
- 1,062
- 9
- 38
- Location
- Boehl-Iggelheim, Germany
With propper batteries, propper pre glow equipment and engine oil with less than 5000 miles in one year (15 W 40 CE/SF or better grade) the engine should start without any problem down to 0° Fahrenheit or minus 18° Celsius. Last February I started at approx. - 22° Celsius at night at about 2 a clock a.m. at the first try without problems. Only obsacle were the tires frozen to the ground after three days of parking on the grass/shnow.
Wolf
Wolf
ABN173
Active member
- 1,842
- 11
- 38
- Location
- FT Bragg, NC
Besides getting a block heater (on my to do list since it hit 9 degrees this week) you can try to cycle the glow plugs 2-3 times before actually cranking that seems to work fine for my M1008.
Oddly enough I have seen labels pasted on some cucv dashes that say "cycle glow plugs twice before starting"
Dale
Oddly enough I have seen labels pasted on some cucv dashes that say "cycle glow plugs twice before starting"
Dale
Wolf.Dose
Active member
- 1,062
- 9
- 38
- Location
- Boehl-Iggelheim, Germany
ABN 173,
your advice works with a propper pre glow controler only. If you read the manual, you will find that the controler is designed to limit the glowing current after a specified period of time.
And the manual says: Never glow more than 2 minutes!
However, this will not work propperly with an overaged controler! So you have to glow 2 or three times due to the mullfunction of the controler, if the controler switches to the first reduction step imediately. If the controler does not shwich down, the plugs are blown!
Wolf
your advice works with a propper pre glow controler only. If you read the manual, you will find that the controler is designed to limit the glowing current after a specified period of time.
And the manual says: Never glow more than 2 minutes!
However, this will not work propperly with an overaged controler! So you have to glow 2 or three times due to the mullfunction of the controler, if the controler switches to the first reduction step imediately. If the controler does not shwich down, the plugs are blown!
Wolf
ElsBenz
New member
- 7
- 0
- 1
- Location
- Wind Lake, Wisconsin
I am new to Steel Soldiers but have some experience with cold weather diesels. It is true the M1008 I have started at 1 degree last Friday without a block heater. However I would hate to do that again. I just purchased this vehicle 2 weeks ago and it will be going to the shop tomorrow for 2 1000 watt block heaters. I will then be installing a 250 watt Proheat oil pan heater on it.
I put these on a timer and run them for 2-3 hrs before I leave.
I have used the block heater/oil pan heater combo with my 2 Mercedes diesels and they start like on a hot summer day. Plus the heat blows warm as soon as I start down the road.
Just my experience. Hope it helps.
I put these on a timer and run them for 2-3 hrs before I leave.
I have used the block heater/oil pan heater combo with my 2 Mercedes diesels and they start like on a hot summer day. Plus the heat blows warm as soon as I start down the road.
Just my experience. Hope it helps.
ABN173
Active member
- 1,842
- 11
- 38
- Location
- FT Bragg, NC
Wolf,
That makes sense, please keep in mind the wait light only stays on for about 8 seconds so if you switch the ignition key to off and then back to on for a second time you have only hit 16 seconds nowhere close to the 2 minute time limit. My M1008 starts on the first crank if it is above 20 degrees, anything below that it does not like it at all. I am going for block heater but I was in the field for two months and Winter was here before I was prepared. I remember cucv's I drove as a private back in Desert Storm that had labels on the dash that said "cycle wait light twice before start" I never knew why but it seemed to help in cold weather.
Dale
HardCorps79
New member
- 281
- 3
- 0
- Location
- Kansas City, MO
I was having issues with this last week. So I did a bunch of research both here and elsewhere and here's what I found.
1. Be sure your GP system is functioning correctly. My truck is bone stock in this regard. Original GP solenoid/relay on the firewall, factory control card and military plugs (Wellman 070). They function flawlessly at sub-zero temps. A few are getting crispy looking (blackened around the nut- probably from the morning I had to cycle them 3x before I figured out it was a battery issue), but they still all show proper resistance on the ohm-meter. I'll probably change them out in the next couple weeks.
2. Be sure your batteries are properly conditioned and fully charged. This is where I had problems. I only have a 1.3 mile drive to work, and I come home for lunch. This adds up to draining the batteries pretty quickly, and a fair amount of strain on the engine. As another member pointed out, it's leaving a diesel oil mix in the engine. The batteries should have a good 10-15 minutes minimum time of being recharged by the alts after each start. You can buy a charger/jump-starter/reconditioner at Home Depot for around $70. The reconditioning mode "desulfates" the battery [if you leave a battery sitting, the lead sulfate builds up on the plates and keeps it from holding a full charge] with a 24-hour charging cycle.
3. Be sure you're letting the engine get and stay warm if it has to sit in the cold for a few hours or more. Let the high-idle kick down before driving to ensure your engine is warm enough to avoid unnecessary wear. This should give you at least 5 min of idling/charging, or more if the temps are really cold. The coldest day it took a good 8 minutes before it kicked down. Some folks recommend using a lighter weight oil or a synthetic, as synthetic has a lower gel point. I'm using 15W40 non-synthetic.
4. Get a block heater of some sort. Avoid the dipstick heater. It's a complete waste of time and money. Although Kats makes good heaters, their dipsticks are worthless. When they work they can add an effective temp increase of about 10-15 degrees. They're only rated for something like 90 watts. Problem with them is only about 1 out of any 10 you might buy actually work. Most of them burn out their own circuits the first time you use them. $20 down the drain (i got a refund). NAPA sells a magnetic oil pan heater from Kats rated at something like 600 watt. This isn't bad for keeping the oil pan warm. They go for about $30. I'd recommend taking it off before driving around, though. The magnets aren't that strong. Another option is an in-line heater that you install in your lower radiator hose. These seem to do pretty well for most folks and are pretty easy to install, but your results may vary. The time-tested OEM proven method is a freeze plug heater. These install by removing a freeze plug from the engine and inserting them in it's place. Installation isn't too bad, but removing the old corroded freeze plug can be a royal pain, especially if it's awkwardly located and it's already bitterly cold outside. Some guys will even insert one in each side of the engine. This has actually be proven to lessen uneven engine wear. So, if you have $130, a freeze plug heater, combined with a magnetic oil pan heater and a battery charger/starter/re-conditioner, and you should be able to start at -40*F. Cheaper than getting fired for being late to work.
5. So far, keeping my engine warmed and batteries charged (idling/charging at least 15 minutes for each start) has allowed me to start the truck at -10*F this season without too much coughing up of white smoke. On the coldest night I put the batteries on the charger and then had the charger standing by in jump-start mode the next morning. Fortunately I didn't need it.
6. Park in a heated garage.
1. Be sure your GP system is functioning correctly. My truck is bone stock in this regard. Original GP solenoid/relay on the firewall, factory control card and military plugs (Wellman 070). They function flawlessly at sub-zero temps. A few are getting crispy looking (blackened around the nut- probably from the morning I had to cycle them 3x before I figured out it was a battery issue), but they still all show proper resistance on the ohm-meter. I'll probably change them out in the next couple weeks.
2. Be sure your batteries are properly conditioned and fully charged. This is where I had problems. I only have a 1.3 mile drive to work, and I come home for lunch. This adds up to draining the batteries pretty quickly, and a fair amount of strain on the engine. As another member pointed out, it's leaving a diesel oil mix in the engine. The batteries should have a good 10-15 minutes minimum time of being recharged by the alts after each start. You can buy a charger/jump-starter/reconditioner at Home Depot for around $70. The reconditioning mode "desulfates" the battery [if you leave a battery sitting, the lead sulfate builds up on the plates and keeps it from holding a full charge] with a 24-hour charging cycle.
3. Be sure you're letting the engine get and stay warm if it has to sit in the cold for a few hours or more. Let the high-idle kick down before driving to ensure your engine is warm enough to avoid unnecessary wear. This should give you at least 5 min of idling/charging, or more if the temps are really cold. The coldest day it took a good 8 minutes before it kicked down. Some folks recommend using a lighter weight oil or a synthetic, as synthetic has a lower gel point. I'm using 15W40 non-synthetic.
4. Get a block heater of some sort. Avoid the dipstick heater. It's a complete waste of time and money. Although Kats makes good heaters, their dipsticks are worthless. When they work they can add an effective temp increase of about 10-15 degrees. They're only rated for something like 90 watts. Problem with them is only about 1 out of any 10 you might buy actually work. Most of them burn out their own circuits the first time you use them. $20 down the drain (i got a refund). NAPA sells a magnetic oil pan heater from Kats rated at something like 600 watt. This isn't bad for keeping the oil pan warm. They go for about $30. I'd recommend taking it off before driving around, though. The magnets aren't that strong. Another option is an in-line heater that you install in your lower radiator hose. These seem to do pretty well for most folks and are pretty easy to install, but your results may vary. The time-tested OEM proven method is a freeze plug heater. These install by removing a freeze plug from the engine and inserting them in it's place. Installation isn't too bad, but removing the old corroded freeze plug can be a royal pain, especially if it's awkwardly located and it's already bitterly cold outside. Some guys will even insert one in each side of the engine. This has actually be proven to lessen uneven engine wear. So, if you have $130, a freeze plug heater, combined with a magnetic oil pan heater and a battery charger/starter/re-conditioner, and you should be able to start at -40*F. Cheaper than getting fired for being late to work.
5. So far, keeping my engine warmed and batteries charged (idling/charging at least 15 minutes for each start) has allowed me to start the truck at -10*F this season without too much coughing up of white smoke. On the coldest night I put the batteries on the charger and then had the charger standing by in jump-start mode the next morning. Fortunately I didn't need it.
6. Park in a heated garage.
I've owned an 82 Blazer with a 6.2 and later a 6.5 diesel for 20 years. The starting problems I've had are either the starter brush springs loosing their temper and glow plugs burning out. The glow plugs are easy to check - just unplug the wire and use an ohm meter between the plug and ground. If there is an infinite reading the glow plug is shot. When the starter starts to slow down, you can take it out and do a quick rebuild. The selinoid contacts and plate usually go bad. They are both in-expensive to replace. Then use some sand paper or scotch guard to clean the comutator. Put some grease on the bushings. Put in new brushes and double up on the brush springs. Once the starter is in top condition and the glow plugs are all good, mine starts down to 20 or below. Once I drove in 10 deg weather and the fuel gelled in the large fuel filter. Not sure if the military ones have that problem. If I were to do it again, I'd route the heater hose around the filter to warm it up.
CDN-CUCV
New member
- 166
- 4
- 0
- Location
- Republic of Vancouver Island
Recently we've had some colder weather (for here) where the mercury dipped below -0 C and I've been plugging my M1009 in. Starts up like summertime and keeps the windows frost free too.
CUCV85
Member
- 309
- 4
- 18
- Location
- central/ny
Just got a Engine Block Heater (NAPA 605-3180 $30.00)
install in Drivers side middle.
What do you use to knock out the Freeze plug (Technique)
I was thinking of using
a punch or screw driver
to one side to pop out the other?
Last edited:
Do you fry eggs on it too?
On a constructive note I live in Minnesota honestly I consider the temps I've seen in this thread warm... Do these things start at -30? I had a F-250 7.3 that started every time no matter what.
Screamin' Metal
New member
- 104
- 2
- 0
- Location
- SW Oklahoma
Yea S.M., the block heaters are nice....I had to put 2 in for my friends....(steak dinner as payment!).....
Go to Tractor Supply....they should stock them....or go to Kats, and get their lower radiator hose heaters or one of their tank style heaters........
I run a 1500 watt tank unit...(Sounds like a coffee pot at first)....when its 5 Degree C. or below....I plug her in and she starts every time....just like in 29 Palms.........(dawm....nobody caught it!)(Been on maneuvers in the heat one too many times)
Go to Tractor Supply....they should stock them....or go to Kats, and get their lower radiator hose heaters or one of their tank style heaters........
I run a 1500 watt tank unit...(Sounds like a coffee pot at first)....when its 5 Degree C. or below....I plug her in and she starts every time....just like in 29 Palms.........(dawm....nobody caught it!)(Been on maneuvers in the heat one too many times)
Last edited:
kipman
Active member
- 2,514
- 15
- 38
- Location
- Lancaster Ohio
Block heater, 750 watt, removed freeze plug, no big deal, when plugged in, it does not sound like a bag of hammers, Doghead is correct, hate to admit, they will start if everthing is working 100%, but seems to me it is better on the motor plugged in.
Screamin' Metal
New member
- 104
- 2
- 0
- Location
- SW Oklahoma
Definitely, General,.....a lot less engine wear for sure....