Is your grid heater working? If that's not heating up the intake air then that might be the cause of your cold starts.

 

I think that the heaters were working, I had started it just above freezing a few days before, not a problem. I can still hear them click off with the wait to start light (it sounds like a can hear a draw on the electrical system, if that makes sense at all), so I think that they are working.

The last time I attempted to start reminded me of when I had changed my fuel filter. Wouldn't rev past 300 rpm while cranking, and never a decent fire.

Whats the easiest way to check if the grids are working and how hard of a fix is it?

BTW, last year I have been able to start it at 8*F while out hunting after cycling the heaters three times, and I never heard the whine or got as much white smoke as I did the last time that it was started, and the place that I live at now doesn't have an outdoor electrical outlet.

 

I think the "click" sound is the relay. If you can get a volt meter you could use it to see if there is voltage getting switched to the grid heater when the relay is triggered. You could also measure the impedance of the grid heater with the ohm meter to see if it's burned out (doubtful). It should measure as a very low resistance.

 

My local station lets you choose inbetween #2, #1/#2 blend or straight #1.
All are labeled on the pump as ULSD.
Sign above the pump states the #2 ULSD is additive treated down to -30F from Nov 1 to Mar 1.

 

So you could run #2 year-round if you wanted...

 

I do but add the recommended amount of Power Service in the winter due to a personal distrust of oil companies...

Talking with the station owner who has by far the most stations in Montana, at least 100, he says they use commercial grade Power Service for winter anti-gel, one gallon treats a 10,000 gallon tanker.

 

Not so! Maybe by the tanker load... but stations or tanker customers can order what they want. I fill up at Walmart. Spoke with a VP from Murphy's about our fuel in the wintertime. He said they don't do winter blend at their stations till you get to Tulsa and points North!
I have large ranch customers up north that buy by the tanker load and order #2 yr round and treat it for antigeling!

RJ

 

It's the wax crystals in the diesel fuel that congeal (gel up). Nothing to do with amount of sulfur in the fuel!
No winter blend in southern Ok...true!

RJ

 

Great info, guys!

 

Sorry....Thats a normal thing here....My rule of thumb is 1 hour for every 10 degrees below freezing, before you start engine.

 

I have a family member and he tells me it is all done by computer at the tank farm so all they have to do is hit fill and the computer does what ever is needed to get winter fuel. They found out by doing it this way it took all of the guess work out or for someone forgetting to do what was needed to make the winter fuel, winter fuel. Also the computer adds extra lube as they fill up the tanker so all fuel gets the same lube around here no matter where it gets is dropped off at or whos tanker it is filling at the time.