Killer Cold...

[Gebby]

My 1999 7.3 turbo diesel will only start if it is plugged in when the temp gets below 30 degrees. This morning it was -34 degrees in Van Buren Me. If you watched the national news it was the coldest in the country. My 7.3 started right up after being plugged in all night. However it ran like crap on the way to work. It would only run at idle speed and was as rough as could be. I got to work and put it in a heated garage all day and put a bottle of anti gel in the fuel (purchased at Napa). I started it after work and it ran fine all the way home with no problems. I did notice more white smoke than normal (it was -8 on the way home). Should I be concerned with anything or was the problem gelled fuel? On a side note.....should I hear a buzzing sound when my glow plugs are heating up. I only ever hear it every once in awhile. I'm thinking my glow plug relay is bad. I just replaced all the glow pugs and it still has to be plugged in below 30 degrees. Thanks for any info! This is an awesome site. It is now at the top of my favorites list. BTW...this is my first diesel.

[dieseldan2005]

Your relay could be bad if it won't start below 30. Don't worry about the white smoke, mine smokes like mad when its super cold out, -20 here in MN. Your fuel could be gellin too. I run the white winter bottle of power service in every tank of fuel. You could run that and it would keep ya from gellin. I think that my glow plugs do make a little noise when shes super cold. Nothing is quiet when its below 0.

[Gebby]

Thanks for your imput. This is my first diesel and I love it but leave it to me to move from the hotest part of the country to the coldest. I hope I can resolve my starting problems. It is alittle annoying to plug it in all the time!!!

[forddieseltweek]

As long as mine is plugged in for the night, It always starts right up. It was -3* when I started it to go to work, No problems....

[Gebby]

Here is a pic of my rig. I pulled 14,000# from Brownsville Texas to Caribou ,ME (2657 Miles) It's all factory 7.3 turbo. No mods and it pulled like a champ at 60-65MPH.

[redstroker_2002]

Originally Posted by Gebby

Here is a pic of my rig. I pulled 14,000# from Brownsville Texas to Caribou ,ME It is all factory 7.3 turbo. No mods and it pulled like a champ at 60-65MPH.


Attachment 3499

whats that got to do with plugging ur truck in???

[Gebby]

about the same thing as your truck specs do redstroker_2002.

[ns954]

[Strokethis9]

i live in central florida and i got to tell you i think its getting down to 53 tonight in the morning its going to be a tuff start for the old 7.3 lol sorry you have crap weather

[dieselcrawler]

Gebby... looks like you're new... welcome!

Redstroker... didn't he start the thread, I would think he can post anything he wants... looks to me he just wanted to share a pic... good idea, as much as people keep saying "this thread is worthless without pic's!"

I keep my diesels pluged in as much as I can... start so much easier, and there's heat right away!