Winter-what to expect from your Truck...newbie must read!!!

[straycat]

I think your just fine the way it is now, if you set it to come on 3-4 hours before you are going to drive it, it should have it warmed up so it will start up nice.

Gord.

[Jorkon]

Cool im just alittle nervous this being my first winter with a diesel. About 90 percent of my family kept telling me don't get a diesel cause you'll have nothing but trouble with it in the winter time, heck some just flat out told me it wouldn't start when it gets real cold out.

One more thing I forgot, if your truck dose gell up can you fix it in your driveway easly and how would you go about doing so?

Sorry for all the questions but as I said I come from a family that has nothing but negative information for me on diesel and cold weather.

[straycat]

No problem, we are all here to learn about our trucks, ask away. I live up in B.C.. When I go up to the interior, it's been about -15 or so, and I haven't pluged in yet. I haven't had any problems with starting at all. but you have to make sure you glow plug system is working properly. As far as gelling goes You shoulden't have a problem with that unless you spend long periods in extreme cold. Make sure you use a good additive in the tank and run it through the system, I put it in every time I fill up. there are several different makers-Diesel Clean-Stanadyne-Hawes etc. its up to you which one is right for you. I use Diesel clean myself. Just make sure it says it helps prevent gelling on the bottle and you should be fine. When fuel gells, it's just to cold, you have to heat everything up to get it back to it's normal state. Hope that helps you out.

Gord.

[Ditty]

That was an OUTSTANDING writeup!!!

Your going to have some trouble in the morning starting 'er up if you don't have the truck plugged in. It was like 16 degrees here the other day and I was getting off a Mid-Watch. It took me 3 trys to get it started but once I started it, it ran rough for about 3 mins....then it was about perfect.

If your fuel is jelled, about the only thing you can do is get the fuel warm. There was one post on here yesterday I think about the fuel jelling. If you want to get inventive, you could use a Nitrous Bottle warmer and wrap it around the tank. That way you can warm the fuel off of the battery. I haven't done it but it's a logical fix.

[straycat]

Any kind of a heating unit uses juice like crazy, if it's cold you may drag the batteries down to the point were they can't start the truck that way, your better off with an AC powered heating element of some kind. just my opinion.

Gord.

[Turbodude]

There is good ole DIESEL 911 from power services...just open your fuel filter and dump some in then dump some more in your tank...wait 10 minutes or so then try to start the truck...This stuff is made for ungelling a gelled fuel system

[Dave]

just so you know that stuff has alcohol in it

[Turbodude]

Yeah i know...but thats how it ungells by drastically lowering the gel point. I think a small dose of alcohol is cheaper than some of the things that gelling can hurt. Good point though...gotta watch those additives.

[Wino]

Another thank you for a great write up.
I've seen guys mention the EBPV and was curious about what it was. And since I put a 5" exhaust on and it's gotten pretty cold here in OH I now know what the strange noise is.
Good job man

[bigolhunter69]

you dont even know how much this helped me i could of swore i needed a new turbo wheel or rebuild due to the hissing sound. Now i've heard if you take a tube off the turbo and check the wheel: if its loose then it needs a rebuild. FACT OR FICTION another thing i'm dealing with is from what i've read on here my injectors are leaking and its getting bad, i drive a lil tacoma to school and work due to the distance and decreasing fuel, wear, and tear of my powerstroke. I walked out to crank it and then let it idle for about an hour since it hadn't been ran in about 4 weeks. i went out and there was about a good 2 ft x 1.5 ft puddle and it was slowly dripping with just a little hesitation. I NEED HELP!!! COULD POSSIBLE END UP BEING MY SENIOR PROJECT IF A LOT OF LABOR IS NECESSARY AND DUE TO THE FACT I HAVE 140000 MILES ON IT I FIGURED I'D THROW A CLUTCH, INTAKE, AND 4'' DOWNPIPE ON IT TO FINISH MY 20 HOURS OF MENTOR WORK TO GRADUATE HIGHSCHOOL. thanks hope i'm not bothering you but seems like you know what your talkin bout