Yup... -20 degrees out tonight. Thats what the mirror said when the glow plug light went out and I started 'er up. I was really impressed how well the Dmax started. I watched the whole cold start with a Tech 2 and you could see just how cold it was. Each cylinder would light up individually and the ECM kept the glow plugs lit for about 10 seconds after the first cylinder fired to smooth out the idle. BIGGGGG white cloud! Huge!! No winter front, NOT plugged in either! Didnt even really hesitate...it starts perfectly in the cold. But then I went to fill up and I grabbed the Stanadyne out of my tool box and it was literally jello. Wouldnt even pour!! So needless to say this tank doesnt have any Stanadyne in it. Am I going to ahve to worry about gelling? Is my Stanadyne ruined now that it basically froze??

---Ben

Your truck is going to be mad at you all day for making her work on such a cold day! :D

Some concentrated additives can gel easily so they are best kept in a warmer location. Freezing shouldn't hurt it, but I'd shake it once it loosens up just to be sure. I've carried my FPPF cocktail in the bed of my truck in all weather and have yet to see it congeal, but I have a lot of cetane in it so it likely will not until it gets WAY cold.

Interesting test project though for the next sub zero cold snap.:D

At -20 you should really be warming at least the engine oil prior to starting...

ive started my truck at -30. It didnt like it but it started right up. BTW i dont usually do this but the power went out and reset my timer so it wouldnt give power to the block heater.

Well, my standby tank gelled last week at -30 and I had to cold crank it that evening (no block heater at work) at -24. Next day was -26, but I had poured 8 oz. of FPPF into that tank instead of the usual 3 oz. I keep my FPPF in a Sta-Bil bottle in an in-bed toolbox and it was a little thicker than normal, but still flowed freely at -30.

I just logged on here to look up this very topic....Stanandyne gelling. It was only 2deg here and mine would not even shake in the bottle. Makes me wonder how well is protecting my fuel????

I seem to recall that most additives won't start working until mixed with the fuel.

I seem to recall that most additives won't start working until mixed with the fuel.
yeah thats correct, the additives by themselves don't take effect until they are mixed in with the fuel. If it is really cold out they will sometimes freeze if the additive is not actually in the fuel tank

This happen to me a couple times last year. If I know I'm going to fill up, I'll bring my container in the cab a little while.

Heres what the truck sounded like this morning, -10 degrees, no block heater.

http://thumbs.streetfire.net/393D98FA-4191-4153-BB65-B84671351867.jpg (http://video.dieselplace.com/Player.aspx?fileid=393D98FA-4191-4153-BB65-B84671351867)Click here to see Video (http://video.dieselplace.com/Player.aspx?fileid=393D98FA-4191-4153-BB65-B84671351867)

--Ben

Ben, no sound to the video. It is a cool video though. And you can really tell which pipe has more output....So much for an x-pipe.

no sound?? hmmmm....thats the best part...it reallyyy knocks! anyone else having trouble with sound?

I cant believe your truck runs that rough at start up:mad: -:t I had not ran mine for 5 days and it started right up and is very smooth:D . even at -20 wind chill

Maybe differences between the LB7 and LLY? I know the glow plug system is a lot different on the LLY. Today, the light wasnt on for more than 2-3 seconds. With no winter front (I cant find it...doh!) cruising on the highway it runs normal 181°-193°...but you can realllyy see the thermostat opening and closing. It will slowly rise to 192° or so and then all of a sudden, the t-stat will open and the temp drops within 5 seconds back down to 180°. Driving thru town it runs around 174 or so, and down to 168 if I wait at a long light. I sat and let it idle (not high idle) for about 5-10 minutes and the ECT had dropped down to 145°!! Once the high idle kicks in and the turbo vanes close (I love how it sounds like a whooshing jet engine at the tailpipe!) it actually warms up fairly quickly. The cabin is "warm" within 10-15 minutes or so of driving.

--Ben

my glow plug lite will stay on for about 6 to 7 seconds but it is not a rattle trap at start up , could be a lly thing , it will gargle over and smooth ,out in about 3 sec, I will ask my bro , he has a lly

What are you running for oil? I've cold started mine down to close to -40 and it ran smoother then that. Not plugged in. Time for some 5w40 synthetic.

Thats whats in there now. Rotella 5-40 synthetic... Mind you thats also with the PPE 90hp tune loaded...maybe that causes it to idle a little rougher in the cold?

--ben

I run mine on the PPE Extreme all the time which has the exact same timing. It hasn't got THAT cold here yet this winter so I will know more soon enough. Neither of my Duramax's have ever ran that rough on a cold startup.

hmm great...now Im kinda worried...:rolleyes:

I agree, even though i have a lb7 it does not act like that , and I run a big tune.ppeHot+2

Could maybe be the stock batteries? They kinda suck IMO...I expect the truck to turn over a little faster than that. It was colder a few days ago and it turned over even slower.

battries get it going , but it is rough once it is running , seems wierd to me ,

I do notice my voltmeter gauge is noticibily higher for a little while after a cold start like this. When its really cold the ECM will command the glowplugs to stay heated even after start up to help combustion. The stock batteries maybe just dont have the CCA output to keep the glows lit for that long and turn over the engine at the same time. Man was it cold tho. The Attitude display wouldnt even show anythign because the LCD was frozen and whenever I would switch screens on the navigation unit, it would do like a 4 second "fade" because the LCD on it was half frozen as well. It also wont read the nav DVD until the interior heats up a fair amount haha... I also can barely hold onto the steering wheel. The wood stays cold for a longgg time.

Did you put the oil in yourself? Are you sure 5w40 rotella went into it?
The batteries should be fine on an 05. I bet I can pull one of my batteries and have it run better then that. -10 isn't really all that cold.

agreed!!!

Yup...put the oil in myself. Ill try disconnecting one of the batteries tomorrow and see what happends just for kicks.

Better yet, just plug it in.

I never ever plug my truck in. That is one of the reasons I am getting an espar. I can't wait :D

I have never heard such a hard knock from my trucks. I expect the blue haze out of the exhaust though.

Engine turnover sounds right for that cold. Can't expect much better unless you heat it up.

P.S. Your truck's dirty. I expected better of you Ben! :D

I
P.S. Your truck's dirty. I expected better of you Ben! :D

ahhh I know!! :o: During the winter I do wash the under carriage regularly to get salt and sludge off to prevent rust, but ive found its not worth it to try to keep the exterior clean. My driver side floor mat is always a mess because of sludge on my shoes.

I wonder my truck sounded so awful? The general consensus is that nobody else's trucks sound that ugly on cold starts. Once it warmed up it was fine, but before the high idle kicked in, that knock sounded terrible!

--ben

and unfortunatly I dont think plugging it in will be an option. Maybe I shoulda gone to school where it actually is warm? :) Ill try talking to the guys in Maintinence anyway...

I hear there is a sale on long extension cords somewhere... :D

Could park next to a light pole and self-install a plug that only you know about. I don't know where I have gotten this idea from.. :confused:

no sound?? hmmmm....thats the best part...it reallyyy knocks! anyone else having trouble with sound?

sound worked fine for me..........

Sound worked for me too. I started mine this morning at a crisp -5F. She was really crankin slow. It spitted and sputtered for about 30 seconds and then the idle smoothed out a bit. Time for some new batteries!!

Yep, I'm with the other guys...I've cold-started mine at temps below those, and mine never sounds that rough. Right now I'm using Redline 15-40 full synthetic, and it acts fine in these temps.

I would install an oil pan heater...I really like mine.

I hear there is a sale on long extension cords somewhere... :D

Could park next to a light pole and self-install a plug that only you know about. I don't know where I have gotten this idea from.. :confused:

An old shooting buddy of mine used to compete in Florida in fishing tournaments. He talked about carrying a Skil-Saw with him to the motel so he could whack a corner off the door to run the extension cord out to the boat to charge his trolling batteries. He said you could always tell a motel that had repeat tournament fishing guests because all the doors had a corner cut off!:D

MMMm Stanadyne jello shots

mmmmm yummy

let us know how they taste:joke: :ThrowUp:

Maybe I shoulda gone to school where it actually is warm? :)



:lol2:


:duh: :smashfrea


:welcome:



Hi ):h

:lol2:


:duh: :smashfrea


:welcome:



Hi ):h

Whenever I look at the mirror and it says -15° or so, I remember your advice DD!!! (about going to school where its warm and where the girls arent always bundled up):h )

They are bundled up here they just do it when its in the 60s.

I wondered the same thing tonight. Coming home from work, interstate, blower speed never came off 2 with hottest setting and temps ranged from +2 to -7. I hate the damn ice build up forcing you to run the defrost. It started fine.

I wondered why I moved back up here...Now, I'm thinkin about North Carolina.

i like that turbo wistle when the high idle is on and you waly arround the back of the truck

haha thanks...typical LLY exhaust noise...a jet engine idleing! It gets really loud when the vanes close and high idle kicks in..

haha thanks...typical LLY exhaust noise...a jet engine idleing! It gets really loud when the vanes close and high idle kicks in..

Yeah, its the same temp in the truck as it is outside, so on cold mornings I start it and go to the back just to hear the vanes close and the idle come up. I just wish the exhaust overall on my truck was louder, might have to fix that.


Ruke

I notice that when it idles up, 5 or 6 seconds later, the whistle started to increase, sounding like a jet powering up. i love it. My girlfriend heard it the other day and she stopped dead in her tracks and starred at the truck asking "what the hell was that"? "It sounds like an airplane"...She's friggen clueless..