Cold weather starting

[CaptainHook01]

It was about 20°F outside a couple of days ago and I tried to start the hmmwv. I waited until the wait to start light turned off and tried to start with no luck. I let the switch go back to run position for about 20 seconds and tried to start again with no luck. I own diesel pickups and other diesel equipment and that usually works if I forget to plug in the block heater. So I was wanting to know what block heaters you guys recommend and how to get it started in cold weather if I can’t plug it in. I’m not a fan of starting fluid but I know my old diesel tractor has a place to screw a bottle in and a button to spray it for cold weather starts.

 

[Coug]

cold weather no start usually means either your glow plugs have failed, or your start box has.

In theory it should already have a block heater installed, and all you need to do is add a power cable. Standard GM glow plug power cable.

 

[Mogman]

NEVER use starting fluid on the engine, period....
Does sound like you need to trouble shoot the glow plug system.
You can get a block heater for a civy 6.2/6.5L diesel, try to get a good one ( AC delco etc,)

 

[sue]

Little squirt of gas on a paper towel in front of the air intake works

 

[BKubu]

I would agree with the others that it could be a glow plug issue. The truck should start without a block heater under those conditions. I recently started my HMMWV and it was only a few degrees warmer (about 25) and it fired right up. It sounded a bit more diesel-y for about 20-30 seconds, but it started. A friend, a fellow SteelSoldier, was over and he could not believe how quickly it fired up. I only cycled the glow plugs once.

I also have a 1997 Chevy K3500 with the 6.5TD with about 98k miles. That truck never gets plugged in and starts every time. I think the coldest it has been when I started it was about 18 degrees. With all this said, the truck did not want to start in the cold when I first got it; I checked and I had about 4 non-functioning glow plugs. Once I swapped them out, it fired right up no matter the temperature.

 

[Milcommoguy]

My M998 starts in 15 degrees, first time cold start after sitting over night...no problem. No external heat, just the Camoteksystems Glow & GO system.

No computer. Just me and me HumV, CAMO

 

[diesel dave]

If the factory glow plug system is functioning properly,these trucks will start below 0 WITHOUT the help of a block heater.