Diesel Freezing ???

Sorry to hear about your problems coolie.

You are not set up for Northern conditions by the sound of it. I bet you do not venture North again after this. :D

Try a hair drier on your air filter as has been suggested. Also a kettle of boiling water on your inlet manifold might help.

The AA and RAC are getting thousands of calls a day about vehicles not starting due to the weather conditions.
 
sounds like there is a problem with the cold weather ,i have just been down to a freind of mine who has had trouble with his van starting ,again a diesel we heated the fuel feed up with a fan heater and it started .looks as if the diesel is hitting such a low temp for such a prolonged time combined with a very cold engine that it is causing the starting problems . as we all know diesel has a high flash point and depends on the temperature built up with the compresion in the cylinders. lower temp of the fuel combined with the much colder engine may be causing some of the problems also heater plugs that may not be as efficient through age will not help. this prolonged spell of realy low temps realy sort out the weak links in any system
 
Maingate,i would have thought you could just pop over across the country and give us a hand:cool:

It looks like we are just going to ring the rac as the battery is now pretty low so this is the easiest solution,as Mandrake says things need to thaw out,im just scared of completely flattening the battery as my alarm and immobiliser code could be wiped and need recoding.
 
Diesel will certainly be thicker than normal, some fuel systems pump it through better than others. In particular the newer vehicles with a fuel pump submerged in the tank pushing the diesel out will cope far better than the older type that just has the mechanical pump on the engine sucking it all the way up from the tank.
 
Read my signature sunshine. You are the biggest nuisance on here. :D

If you do not mind waiting around for 3 days, I will set off now. it is difficult to get the car out of the street here. The dogs have had to make do with the little local park a few times.

We got out OK this morning but it has snowed quite a bit since then. The AA will be quicker than me (but not as good).:D

I spent a couple of hours clearing the deep snow off the m/home roof this afternoon and I am shattered. There must have been a ton of the white stuff up there.

You youngsters would be lost without us old codgers. :p:D
 
Hi guys, Apologies for not replying sooner.
The problem is now solved, it seems it was the prolonged -0 temps rather than the fact it was -6. (we actually got as low as -10 last night)
I opened bonnet and let sun on engine for a while, then tried a hot water bottle on injectors, by this time battery was flat so got a jump start a few hours later and she fired up a treat.

Really strange though I have never experienced this before :confused:
 
Its going to be -10 here tonight,still waiting for the Maingate,his cup of tea has gone cold:eek: I dont want to call out the rac today but have chosen to phone tommorow instead as i know that tonight should be the coldest,so will call tomorow instead.
Say hello to the wife for us Maingate and give the dogs a fuss,i am glad i am not in the Newcastle area id be sick of it all by know.Alright if you are a child of school i suppose.See you on xmas day for some lunch ay your place.
 
bear in mind that winter diesel in the uk is only formulated to be certain to work down to -15C
in mainland europe , where they get properly cold weather , -20C is more normal

if I lived in the uk I would be certain to fill the tank with winter diesel once november came , and before any properly cold weather arrived ...~i wonder if filling stations know when they have winter diesel in their tanks [ or at least partly winter diesel ]
 
The thing about diesel 'freezing' , or more actually waxing up, is that it does not solidify and melt around the same temperature like water does at 0 degrees C. Typically untreated diesel will form wax crystals at about (can't remember the exact figures) -2, and clog your system at -6. But it will not be sufficient to raise the temperature to -2 to get it flowing again. You would have to raise the temperatue to about +10 to get it flowing again. You can see the effect of this with a bottle of olive oil that has got cold outside and turned cloudy. You have to get it a lot warmer than the temperature it went cloudy at, in order to get it clear again.

Some filling stations sell bottles of additive you can put in diesel to stop it waxing, but the problem is they have to be mixed in with the diesel when it is above about 10 degrees C. If you mix them in when the diesel is colder than that they just don't work, even if the diesel is still thin enough to keep the engine running when you mix them in.
 
I must be honest that I never realised that companies used a different formula for winter use, and I am willing to bet a pound to a penny that most of the herberts that work the forecourts wouldnt have a clue either.
On having my problem I checked out the BP Diesel website(that being the fuel I had most recently added to tank.)
They say that fuel varies in each country according to conditions and seasonally what is sold is adjusted accordingly. So theoretically you should never have a problem, I fear the prolonged period of extreme temperatures that we have suffered recently have just caught some of us and them out :(
 
coolasluck said:
Its going to be -10 here tonight,still waiting for the Maingate,his cup of tea has gone cold:eek: I dont want to call out the rac today but have chosen to phone tommorow instead as i know that tonight should be the coldest,so will call tomorow instead.
Say hello to the wife for us Maingate and give the dogs a fuss,i am glad i am not in the Newcastle area id be sick of it all by know.Alright if you are a child of school i suppose.See you on xmas day for some lunch ay your place.
Click to expand...

We look forward to seeing you both on Christmas Day coolie. We are not sure of what we will be having for lunch yet, it depends what the dogs can catch. The chances are it will be Rabbit or Grey Squirrel. If they are unlucky then it might be one of the neighbours cats. :D
 
Well you know us Maingate,we dont care what road or dog kill it is,just make sure you cook it properly.I will also bring my balloons with me i know how much you all liked the performance that i gave you all last year;)
 
merc deisel 2.9

Hazy-thoughts said:
Hi all, I have a 1997 hymer motorhome on a merc 2.9 diesel.
Found to my horror last night that it just wouldnt start after starting first time every time ever since I had it. We have been suffering extreme cold temps, it was -6 outside when I woke this morning and I can only think that it will be my diesel freezing. Battery is strong, although weakening due to trying to start, engine seems to be turning fine but just absolutely nothing. I have fuel albeit not a massive amount in there.


What do you guys suggest to try to rectify the problem
Click to expand...

hello there ? just had the same problem ? i have a 1998 ssanyang 4x4 with the merc 2.9 five cylinder non turbo ??? done exactly what yours did ? and now it is fine ?? give it extra heater plugs i found works ? is yours the same engine ??? dogmanlpool
 
This works with big diesel engines without glow plugs so might be of some use with modern engines.

Use the glow plug as usual and crank the engine for about 20 seconds. Switch off, wait for 15 seconds and then repeat.

Theory is that normal cranking does heat the cylinders up by compressing the air even though it doesn't get hot enough to fire. Waiting a few seconds allows the heat to warm the cylinder head and walls so thge next try is likely to be successful.
 
dogmanlpool said:
hello there ? just had the same problem ? i have a 1998 ssanyang 4x4 with the merc 2.9 five cylinder non turbo ??? done exactly what yours did ? and now it is fine ?? give it extra heater plugs i found works ? is yours the same engine ??? dogmanlpool
Click to expand...


Yes I believe it will be :cool:
 
Freezing ???

SoLadies and Gentlemen,have you taken it all in,as there's loads of 'old facts' and meanderings,but basicly it wont hurt,if a newish van or an old timer,is to ......
turn ignition ON,watching the Ign lights,(on some models you will have a 'diesel' light ) you leave Ignition on for a few seconds (that light if you hve one ) will go out.
Turn off ignition a second then repeat,maybe do it several times This PRE-HEATS engine/fuel, Then and only then,try actually turning engine over with the ignition
I would also carry a spray tin of EASY START usually (if struggling to start,wether cold or not) a quick squirt or two of this up into air filter (pipe) before or during ,turning over engine,usually does the trick.
You will find that your weak or oldish starter batteries will be struggling in minus temperatures too.
Couple of extra tips...wrap up your baby...old blanket/duvet or similar under bonnet (dont forget BEFORE starting) perhaps a trip to builders yard or a B&Q type place for insulation there's all sorts,use your logic and imagination,to figure out whats best for your engines needs,lol,also the thick tiled stuff,in sheets?(over here they are used for cladding houses before render) one or two of them,placed under the vehicle engine,may prevent the cold rising,also wrap the deisel filter, if possible and not dangerous.
Dont forget antifreeze and that is also sold in different temperature bands,is yours low enough ? as the UK is experiencing cold weather and can get colder,over here its different prices for different grades,going down to - 50 ! Brrr now thats cold,only been as low as - 25c so far since i've lived here,and old Lada's still out and about...lol
Hope i have helped explain what others have said,and added a few more HELPS/tips.
 
Do not do the double heat system if you have a thermostarter instead of glow plugs
 
Bad Advice

I'm sure all the 'advice' posted here is well intended but I can assure you it is nonetheless not good! Your engine has been designed to start with 'one' cycle of the heater plugs and nothing but air going in through the air intake. Retrying the glowplugs or putting anything such as LPG or (worse still) easy start spray down the air intake 'WILL' damage your engine.

Get ready for the raft of folk who will say: "Oh, but I do that and mine is ok!". Yep, but that doesn't make it a good idea does it?

If yours won't start in -6c then there are three things to check. First, is the diesel in the tank 'winter' diesel - or is it a left over from summer touring. Fuel manufacturers put anti waxing agents and other additives into fuel in the winter. Be sure to fill up the tanks with fresh fuel once the weather turns cold.

Second, are there heater plugs and are they working. If you have heater plugs on your engine there should be a fairly obvious wire running along the side of the engine and attached to four (if four cylinder) obvious terminals. Unbolt the wire and use a multi tester to check the resistance of each heater plug. It should be as close to zero as makes no difference. If in doubt, go to a dealer and ask to put your multitester across a brand new heater plug. If yours show much different resistance - either more or less - then replace them. A diesel engine will often start fine with one or even no heater plugs working in warm weather.

Lastly. Try a jumpstart or put a battery charger on over night. Some modern vehicles (my own transit sourced Duratorque included) just won't start if the battery voltage is low. They will turn over just fine but the management system seems to prevent fuel getting into the system if the voltage is low. A simple boost will often solve the problem. Don't bother trying to roll-start it. Many modern engines have specific systems in place to prevent this so as not to risk damage to the catalyst.

Sorry it's a lengthy reply but worth putting the record straight at a time of year when many will struggle with similar situations.
 
All was well in the end,i phoned the rac and was told i would have to wait for 4-6 hours.
In the end i dot it started in the end with the father in laws car,hotwater bottles and some sun on the engine.In future i shall start each day when away:)
 
LDV Camper said:
I'm sure all the 'advice' posted here is well intended but I can assure you it is nonetheless not good! Your engine has been designed to start with 'one' cycle of the heater plugs and nothing but air going in through the air intake. Retrying the glowplugs or putting anything such as LPG or (worse still) easy start spray down the air intake 'WILL' damage your engine.

Get ready for the raft of folk who will say: "Oh, but I do that and mine is ok!". Yep, but that doesn't make it a good idea does it?

If yours won't start in -6c then there are three things to check. First, is the diesel in the tank 'winter' diesel - or is it a left over from summer touring. Fuel manufacturers put anti waxing agents and other additives into fuel in the winter. Be sure to fill up the tanks with fresh fuel once the weather turns cold.

Second, are there heater plugs and are they working. If you have heater plugs on your engine there should be a fairly obvious wire running along the side of the engine and attached to four (if four cylinder) obvious terminals. Unbolt the wire and use a multi tester to check the resistance of each heater plug. It should be as close to zero as makes no difference. If in doubt, go to a dealer and ask to put your multitester across a brand new heater plug. If yours show much different resistance - either more or less - then replace them. A diesel engine will often start fine with one or even no heater plugs working in warm weather.

Lastly. Try a jumpstart or put a battery charger on over night. Some modern vehicles (my own transit sourced Duratorque included) just won't start if the battery voltage is low. They will turn over just fine but the management system seems to prevent fuel getting into the system if the voltage is low. A simple boost will often solve the problem. Don't bother trying to roll-start it. Many modern engines have specific systems in place to prevent this so as not to risk damage to the catalyst.

Sorry it's a lengthy reply but worth putting the record straight at a time of year when many will struggle with similar situations.
Click to expand...


Whilst I dont doubt you are well meaning, I got mine started in exactly the way I stated, opening bonnet and letting sun on engine, hot water bottle on injectors and a jump start as I had run down my battery trying. Coolasluck obviously tried the same according to his last post, so how do you come to the conclusion it is "not good advice" ???
Surely if it works for two of us and gets us started and home (or wherever we are going) then it is good advice :rolleyes::rolleyes:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who viewed this discussion (Total:0)

Back
Top