How many people start a diesel 'correctly'?
How many people start a diesel 'correctly'?
Author
Discussion

qooqiiu

Original Poster:

753 posts

227 months

Sunday 6th June 2010
quotequote all
By correctly i mean waiting for the glow plug light to extinguish before cranking the thing up...

I can't imagine many diesel owners have even read the manual so probably don't even know their suppose to do this.

What are the possible consequences for not starting a diesel the right way?

AnotherClarkey

3,698 posts

219 months

Sunday 6th June 2010
quotequote all
qooqiiu said:
By correctly i mean waiting for the glow plug light to extinguish before cranking the thing up...

I can't imagine many diesel owners have even read the manual so probably don't even know their suppose to do this.

What are the possible consequences for not starting a diesel the right way?
Not so important since DI diesels became universal, they start almost immediately without waiting for the plugs. On older indirect engines they just wouldn't start until the plugs had done their work.

Merlot

4,121 posts

238 months

Sunday 6th June 2010
quotequote all
qooqiiu said:
By correctly i mean waiting for the glow plug light to extinguish before cranking the thing up...

I can't imagine many diesel owners have even read the manual so probably don't even know their suppose to do this.

What are the possible consequences for not starting a diesel the right way?
Not really needed on more modern diesels unless the external temperature is very low.


redtwin

7,518 posts

212 months

Sunday 6th June 2010
quotequote all
"What are the possible consequences for not starting a diesel the right way?"

Flat battery from constant cranking.

busta

4,504 posts

263 months

Sunday 6th June 2010
quotequote all
Yeah pretty irrelevant these days. By the time the rest of the dash has sorted itself out the glow plug light is normally out anyway.

I own two older 6cyl diesels, both of which need a full 5 seconds or so of heat before they'll even consider starting. I had a Nissan Patrol 4.2d that needed 3 full heat cycles to start, and my father has a tractor that you have to heat for about a minute, until you hear the fuel igniting in the inlet, before it'll start. Things have come a long way!

MiniMadMike

781 posts

228 months

Sunday 6th June 2010
quotequote all
My last 1-series was diesel and on the odd occasion that wouldn't start until the plugs had warmed up. I used to put the key in and press the start button and an icon would come up on the dash - it wouldnt then start until the icon dissappeared. I expect that system is the same with most modern diesel cars now.

v8will

3,310 posts

226 months

Sunday 6th June 2010
quotequote all
qooqiiu said:
By correctly i mean waiting for the glow plug light to extinguish before cranking the thing up...

I can't imagine many diesel owners have even read the manual so probably don't even know their suppose to do this.

What are the possible consequences for not starting a diesel the right way?
Diesel? What is this potion you speak of? wink

My wee D4D Yaris started no probs in -12 over the winter and without pre heating. The Eurotrakker though needed a wee warm before it would play ball and no point hammering a battery with lots of pointless cranking.

Now, how many young 'uns could use a manual choke?

Triumph Man

9,623 posts

198 months

Sunday 6th June 2010
quotequote all
v8will said:
Now, how many young 'uns could use a manual choke?
Me! There, that's at least one.

Edited by Triumph Man on Sunday 6th June 21:47

Triumph Man

9,623 posts

198 months

Sunday 6th June 2010
quotequote all
Incidentally I always let a diesel pre-heat before cranking. Annoys me when people dont. I am unsure why it does though.

Hitler Hadrump

1,750 posts

203 months

Sunday 6th June 2010
quotequote all
Triumph Man said:
v8will said:
Now, how many young 'uns could use a manual choke?
Me! There, that's at least one.

Edited by Triumph Man on Sunday 6th June 21:47
Two...

Feels weird driving a car without one. Like I'm forgetting something.

focusboy

274 posts

220 months

Sunday 6th June 2010
quotequote all
FWIW on most of diesel engines, the glow plugs will only work if the Engine COOLANT Temperature is below 9 degrees, So most of the time people are wasting time if there waiting for a light to go out.

qooqiiu

Original Poster:

753 posts

227 months

Sunday 6th June 2010
quotequote all
Well ive just got a 2008 fiesta with a 1.4 TDCI engine so its quite 'new'...manual says "wait till the glow pug icon goes out before cranking".

DaveL86

884 posts

207 months

Sunday 6th June 2010
quotequote all
I always let the glow plug light go out before starting just because in my mind I think "The light is there for a reason", that being said the light stays on for ~1 second in temps above ~8c so in reality makes little difference and below 0c is off in under ~3 second so not exactly a long wait.

focusboy

274 posts

220 months

Sunday 6th June 2010
quotequote all
qooqiiu said:
Well ive just got a 2008 fiesta with a 1.4 TDCI engine so its quite 'new'...manual says "wait till the glow pug icon goes out before cranking".
So does the manual for my 2002 1.8 tdci focus, However its a bit indepth for them to say to you in a book that you need to only wait if you coolant temp is below a certain temp, Also does yours not also double up as the eng mng light?

Shmee150

7,565 posts

243 months

Sunday 6th June 2010
quotequote all
On my previous diesel, if it was very cold, the car would show a light that meant it was pre-heating, therefore not a problem.

Original Poster

5,429 posts

206 months

Sunday 6th June 2010
quotequote all
Triumph Man said:
v8will said:
Now, how many young 'uns could use a manual choke?
Me! There, that's at least one.

Edited by Triumph Man on Sunday 6th June 21:47
A what?




smile

qooqiiu

Original Poster:

753 posts

227 months

Sunday 6th June 2010
quotequote all
focusboy said:
Also does yours not also double up as the eng mng light?
No there's a separate light for that.

Triumph Man

9,623 posts

198 months

Sunday 6th June 2010
quotequote all
Hitler Hadrump said:
Triumph Man said:
v8will said:
Now, how many young 'uns could use a manual choke?
Me! There, that's at least one.

Edited by Triumph Man on Sunday 6th June 21:47
Two...

Feels weird driving a car without one. Like I'm forgetting something.
Yeah went to drive my mum's focus the other day and it felt weird not having to pull a choke out. By the way I see you drive a Triumph, good on you fella!

MadRob6

3,594 posts

250 months

Sunday 6th June 2010
quotequote all
I pop the key in, put the seatbelt on and then the light is out ready to fire it up. Doesn't take any longer and I don't have to worry about whatever horrors I may or may not be inflicting upon the engine.

henrycrun

2,473 posts

270 months

Sunday 6th June 2010
quotequote all
and are there any turbo owners who wait a bit before switchimg the engne off ?