deuce wont crank when its cold out

[65deuce49]

this is my first m35a2 and im having a few proublems i hope someone can help me with it starts right up when its not to cold but when ever its in the 30s the motor wont even crank over it has new batteries and everything else works but just wont crank and also just the other day my air brakes wont hold more then 30 psi and i found its leaking from a part on the firewall it looks like a disturbion block or somthing for the air brakes were the air line for the horn and all is it leaking from the black cap on the side i took that off and its comming from in ther is ther a oring or something that goes bad case it was fine one day and the next it leaked i dont know if that has to do with the cold to but i hope someone can give me a idea of what im dealing with thanks

 

[Keith_J]

Check battery voltage (assistant) when cranking. If the total voltage doesn't drop under 24 when cranking, you need to track down the bad connection. Start with ground, then trace the positive to the battery. This is most likely a bad connection. Clean rust from the ground, make sure batteries are at least 12.7 volts each at the terminals.

On the air, that is the unloader. This device prevents the air compressor from working when there is enough pressure in the tanks, a type of regulator. Take it off (tag or mark lines for correct reassembly) and clean it, replacing o-rings.

 

[moleary]

Congrats on the new M35 and welcome to the site! You'll get all kinds of great info about your deuce from the folks who love them!

 

[southdave]

Do you bleed the tanks? sound like water in the tanks. winter is here should bleed off after every drive.

 

[jwaller]

periods and spaces will help understand what you are trying to convey. it's very hard to read one singular run on paragraph.

 

[Stan]

Punctation is nice. The wire from the start button goes to a solenid on the engine block above the starter. Mine wouldn't crank when it was cold and this was the problem. If the batteries are good chase your wireing down and find the fault. Remove and clean the unloader as described above. Good Luck and let us know what you find.

 

[littlebob]

this is my first m35a2 and im having a few proublems i hope someone can help me with it starts right up when its not to cold but when ever its in the 30s the motor wont even crank over it has new batteries and everything else works but just wont crank and also just the other day my air brakes wont hold more then 30 psi and i found its leaking from a part on the firewall it looks like a disturbion block or somthing for the air brakes were the air line for the horn and all is it leaking from the black cap on the side i took that off and its comming from in ther is ther a oring or something that goes bad case it was fine one day and the next it leaked i dont know if that has to do with the cold to but i hope someone can give me a idea of what im dealing with thanks

Don't really think the temperature would affect the motor turning over completely unless you didn't have antifreeze and cracked something to give you hydrolock, if you had good batteries and good connections. Has it not turned over cold and then turned over after?

 

[tm america]

cold weather can open up a bad connection in the starter soloniod or starter .but i would test the batteries first and clean battery connections .then look at the ground cable where it attaches to the frame to be sure something didnt happen to it in the process of changing the bats

 

[glcaines]

Ditto

 

[dabtl]

The starter relay is subject to temp variations. On my second deuce if it got hot it would not start. I see no reason the opposite cannot be true.

 

[saddamsnightmare]

December 22nd, 2009.


65Deuce49:
Referencing DABTL's comment. My M35A2 "Saddam's Nightmare" suffers the same starting problem, 32*F it will crank, 31"F it won't crank untill it reaches 32*F! There are two switches in the starter solenoid, one cranks the motor, the other engages the Bendix drive, on Saddam's Nightmare you can jump the starter from the battery and it will run, but it won't engage the Bendix at the above temperatures. The likely candidate is worn contacts in the solenoid not closing.... replace the solenoid and it should start. Failing that, also check the starter relay on the side of the block above the starter, then the push button starter switch in the cab, as these are the three like stooges for a cold weather non start.

All of these contacts are subject to wear and corrosion issues, but if the truck starts as "Saddam's Nightmare" does above 31*F consistently, hot or cold, it's gotta be the solenoid. There's just not that much wiring in the starter circuit....
Give it a shot (so to speak) and see if your truck doesn't come to life..... (Zombies ahead)!

Cheers,

Sincerely,
Kyle F. McGrogan

and have a Safe and Happy Holiday Season.....

 

[stampy]

Another nice item to have in real cold weather is a block heater!

 

[oldshep]

My truck wont crank the first time you try to start it on a cold day. But if I tap the starter and relay with a piece of wood then hit the switch, it starts in 1 second. The rest of the day it'll start just fine.

 

[glcaines]

If your truck starts when warmer, but not when colder, another trick is to try heating the starter solenoid with a heat gun and see if it will then start. Next, try heating the relay.

One caveat - don't use too much heat! It takes a few minutes for the heat to penetrate and heat the insides, but be careful.

 

[oldshep]

So loose connections in the relay then? When i got my truck it didnt have a relay but i hear this is hard on stuff.

 

[dabtl]

The starter relay is mounted on the engine block, under the air cleaner.

It appears perfectly innocent and benign. Looks are deceiving. Mine would not fire off after heating up. When replaced, one of the nuts on the connector would not tighten past a point. It was not lose when cold but when hot it expanded making a lousy connection.

If you are tapping the starter with a board, it means usually you need to clean or replace the starter brushes.

I drove the deuce in flood rescues here in 2007. The debris line on the radiator was at five feet. So, everything got good and wet. After it would not start. I began looking for a new starter, got one but it is on the shelf. I posted the problem here and someone replied that I should give it a few taps with a hammer. I thought that was crazy. I tapped the starter with the hammer and bingo! It started right up and has not failed in two years. But, if you do it repeatedly, maintenance is called for I suspect.