Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) cold weather start

[captaindean]

I just moved to wyoming the jackson hole area truck in the morning starts fine when plugged in all night i work about 50 miles from home so i know batteries are charged did load test on

them this evening and show to be fine but when i got off work today it was about 19 out and truck just barely started thaught for a minuite i was going to have to get a jump meter dropped on second cycle of heaters to almost 8 volts any ideas i thought about hooking up a 1000watt inverter on timer to turn on block heater 2hrs before i get off but dont know if i will still have enough battery to start and it is not even that cold yet -30 is not uncommon here for weeks at a time:{

 

[bmoeller]

An invertor wouldn't help your batteries any.



They're not cheap, but have you considered an Espar heater? Would probably be your best choice. Diesel fired, uses only a little batt. juice, and and has a timer that you can program it to come on anytime you want.



http://www.espar.com/htm/applies/pickup.htm



There are several members here who have one. Could do a search on them here.

 

[johncameron]

Put a good synthetic oil in her and that'll make all the difference. I run 0w 40 rotella t and am verry happy. We get better than -40 up here!!!!!

 

[Breck]

I have had the same problem; after the grid heaters run their course the batteries are way down. I just put in new Optima red tops after trying a new set of Sears Die Hards and that didn't seem to help. I have to wait about 30 seconds before it will even crank. I get nothing if I try it after the "wait to start" light goes out.



I never had this problem before my starter went out and I had to do the TSB for the starter relay?



Maybe someone with more knowledge on this will jump in?

 

[ntillm01]

Pulling the truck voltage down to 8 volts in "wait to start" mode is pretty normal for mine and others I think.



I start to notice a big difference in cranking effort/speed at 30 degrees and colder. If you're around 0 (like we are), plugging in and/or running 10W-30 or a synthetic is going to help. The factory propaganda (owner and service manual) both recommend 10W-30 with temps consistenly around zero with no heater.

 

[Breck]

I had a 95 (sold with 240K) and now have a 2K (w/107K). Last year the 2K it would crank during and after the "wait to start" light was on or off. This year I have to wait for about 30-60 seconds before my 2K will even crank over now and on top of that, nothing happens (cranking) for the first few attempts? I rebuilt the starter, put new batts. and did the starter relay TSB.



I am not sure why this year it won't even crank. The 95 started when it was -20 with no problem and the 2K, last year, started fine at -10. For some reason this year it is another story



FWIW it doesn't matter if it is pluugged in or not, it won't crank on the first few attempts, and I have syn. oil.



I am wondering about the starter rebuild? Can the contacts be out of adjustment or wrong ones? To heavy of a grease put in it? Not sure, but I know something is not right.

 

[ntillm01]

Breck-you've got a starter issue, by the sounds of it. Does it grunt at all when you have the "won't crank", or is it a click-and-do-nothing?

Others can help more on this, but you could have a dragging starter that demands more than the batteries have after running the grid heaters.

 

[Breck]

I hear a click (maybe the solidnoid or something in the fuse junction box) and then nothing, like when a stater in going south or the batteries are low. If I turn the key (not all the way off) a couple of times it will finally start like there is nothing wrong. The starter, when it decides to work, turn the engine over like nothing.



I have started it this way at -5, it is just disconcerning when you turn the key and nothing happens .