Truck won't start at low temps

[dray]

This has happened twice now at very low temps. My truck will not start - the engine just spins. The first time this happened, I plugged the truck in and it started in 4 hours after plugging in. The truck ran fine - I changed the fuel filter and found some water in the fuel when I drained the filter can. This happened again last Thursday, same thing. How am I going to get this water out of the system short of draining the whole tank. I have never had any water problems before. Is there any additives that would help with this?

Thanks.



2003 4x4 automatic

 

[JHenry]

My son has been struggling with this problem with his '03 6 speed. Same symptoms. Other posts have been made with similar symptoms. Scroll down and you will see the suggestion.
I doubt if it's ice in the filter if plugging the block heater in works. I don't think heating the block will affect the filter. But I may be wrong. I will post the solution to my son's problem as soon as one is found. JH

 

[jelag]

You don't say where your at... . or what ""cold"" is to you...

Cold to us is anything below 10*F... we have no problem starting I suggest you look at your intake air heating grid... .

The fuel filter has a 12V. heater in it to prevent icing...

I assume you have no smoke at the tail pipe... with no smoke, the ECM is not turning on the fuel... I would consider the crank/cam position sensor... if the ECM can't find the crank/cam it won't turn on the fuel...

If you have smoke, than the fuel is on... and you don't have enough heat to fire the fuel off...

JHenry... in Sandpoint is Browns Northside... . they are Cummins certified and know their stuff. . Tell Jeremy that you spoke to me... .

 

[dray]

It was about 10 to 15 degrees on both days. Nothing out of the exhaust. The heater grid seems to be working. The truck sat outside both days for 8 hours. It acts like the fuel line is frozen w/ water somewhere, because after warming, it starts. This has never happened before and I have operated this truck in Montana during the winter.

 

[GaryOwen]

I would probably try some Power Service 911 additive. Supposedly removes water from system. Wouldn't use on a regular basis though.

 

[jelag]

I assume it cranks normally... sometimes if the battery is low (batteries) and the engine cranks slow, there is not enough signal for the ECM to turn on the fuel... its sees such a poor condition and slow cranking that the fuel never comes on... . this of course would be nothing but connections and the life left in the batteries... .

IF there is no smoke, there is no fuel... Its easy enough when its warm after its ran to open the drain on the filter and catch what runs out... . if there is water there you will see it in the catch container... . and that should take care of it... .

If there was water in the fuel filter... plugging the truck in overnight or for 4 hours usually won't put enough heat into the filter system... the block heater is to warm the water and block to a point where the fuel will ignite sooner and I don't believe there is enough heat to melt any frozen water in the fuel filter assembly... . and I don't recall a water jacket in or around the filter...

You grid heaters might be working... a diesel will smoke when it doesn't have enough heat to ignite the fuel. . but if there is not enough fuel there is no smoke...

SO I think your back to a no fuel condition, and I'm going to guess that there is no water in the fuel... IF you have fuel that is not blended down it could gel, however you have to warm the whole truck, (tank - Lines) to get passed gelled fuel... To test for gelled fuel, you remove the fuel filter and check the fuel with a flashlight... . it should be clear as water... anything that looks like a cloud floating around in the fuel is gelled fuel... . BTW another term for gelled fuel is clouded fuel...

I'm still back to an ECM problem at this temperature not turning on the fuel... .

One last thought... low compression is the same as no heat, or no fuel... but since the engine seems to run fine and has normal power once started I can only assume that the compression is good... .

Hope this helps...

 

[JimB1]

To test Jelag's idea of low batteries, put a trickle charger on overnight and leave block heater unplugged.



Start or no-start possibly proves or disproves battery issues.



Also do you happen to recognize pretty close to where grid heaters pull the voltmeter needle down to for normal good start and is it dropping lower still for non-start, all as a clue to batteries being too low.

 

[dray]

Thanks for the help guys. The batteries are the original but they still seem to turn the engine over strongly. That is a good point about the fuel Jim, maybe it is not fuel after all. Not sure how to check the ECM but I will go through the fuel system and see what I can find.