hard start in cold weather

[mcresej]

My '99 will take 5 or more attempts and sometimes not even start when it is cold over night. Starts on the first crank when it's warm out. Actually doesn't need to be all that cold..........45 degrees over night will cause this problem. Any suggestions on what to look at first?
After reading some previous posts, I'm leaning towards the batteries. When I turn the ignition on, I hear a hum in the dash for about 30 seconds.

[wesjones]

do you have a block heater and is it plugged in....your batteries will drain trying to cold start multiple times....if you don't have a block heater, try running the glowplugs multiple times this is the humming noise you hear (turn the key off and back on..wait to start light will illuminate and then go dim)

[mcresej]

Thanks for the info............I'll give that a try.

[lancer]

Check your glow plug relay. Its under the cover were your fuel filter is. There is 2 relays that look like starter relays. One is tall one is short. The short one is the glow plug relay. Make sure you have power at both the large terminals when key is first turned on. You can do this with a test light. If one terminal has no power when key is turned on your relay is shot. The tall relay is for the intake air heater and only operates at colder temps. If you relay is good then i would look at your glowplugs!! Good luck!!

[mcresej]

lancer, thanks for the advice........I'll check this out and test the relay.

[Mike OB]

Hi Lancer: Take the front cover off the top of the engine, if you look under it you will find a box looking thing - this is the oil sump for the injection system. Get some type of sucktion gun and suck out all the oil through the allen cap on the top. Then don't crank the engine untill you fill it back up with proper crank case oil. This is a bulliten that PG&E put out to stop hard starting in cold weather. I REPETE "DON'T CRANK THE ENGINE WITH THE OIL OUT" Good luck Mike OB P.S. It holds about a quart of oil.

[dmdillinger]

i have a problem with cold starts as well. i replaced the glow plug relay and i still have the problem. i also replaced all of the glow plugs. still the same problem. i plug the block warmer up over night and it cranks fine but do to the weather it will be hard to start by 12pm. it also leaks oil out when it cold starts. any help would be appreciated