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Cold start problems
I have a 6x4 diesel gator that doesn't want to start without a lot of cranking if it's anything below 40 degrees F.
The glow plug indicator light comes on and shuts off but I don't know if the plugs are bad and need to be replaced or what.
Does anyone else have cold start problems like this?
How do you test the glow plugs?
Any assistance is appreciated! Thanks in advance.
~Cen
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Cold start problems
Until someone familiar with the gator comes in, I'll try. (Is there no decompression control? Fuel flow good? Battery strong enough to spin it fast enough to ignite?)
Various ways of testing, but here's a simple and general way. Disconnect the plug wire. Attach a testlight wire to the battery + and touch the probe to the plug terminal. If it lights, should be good.
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Cold start problems
Fuel is good and battery is good. It starts immediately when it's not cold outside. I believe your test will only test the fact that there is power going to the glow plugs and not the plugs themselves? correct? And wouldn't the test light be used between the glow plug wire and ground rather than +? (unless I'm reading something wrong)
I have not even dug in there at all to look yet, maybe I can just pop em out and turn the ignition on and see if they're getting hot. I figured I'd get a quick idea on here before I even started tinkering with it. I think it's supposed to get a little warmer sometime later this week so I'll fool with it then. I hate mechanicing when it's cold outside. Fortunately I've got my trusty old Snapper Grounds Cruiser to get me by till then. Gutless little thing (10 very abused horsepower with 2500 or more hours on it)but it NEVER fails.
I'll keep checkin in here and if nothing comes before I dig in I'll post the results.
~Cen
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Cold start problems
You read it right. But I have been wrong before. (As my wife often reminds me.)
I suppose you could pull the plug, connect + to terminal and the body to ground and see if it heats. Or, since plugs don't have a recommended replacement spec and they can fail spontaneously, if it's old you might replace it just in case.
Maybe cold-weather oil would help. Some synthetics have a low number of "5" (if it's not diesel rated, change it more often).
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Cold start problems
ok the ez way to check glow plugs is to check the ohms from the top of the plug to a good ground. if you dont have a ohm meter then you can take the plugs out and take them to your deere dealer to test them or even (with them out) put power to the top and ground the body and place to heat element to a pice of wood. i hope this helps
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Cold start problems
The normal problem with a glow plug is the element burns out, like a light bulb, so it is an open circuit.
All you need to test for that is a 12v. light bulb and some wire. Run one wire from the bulb to the battery, and the other to the top of the glow plug.
If the bulb doesn't glow, the glow plug is an open circuit.
Best of luck.
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Cold start problems
And AB and Murf gave you two ways and tools to test that open circuit.
If you remove the glow plugs to test if they get hot be sure you ground them to complete the circuit. If not, you may end up replacing good glow plugs.
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Cold start problems
Sounds good, I'll check it out...thanks guys!
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Cold start problems
hi ,just to say we ave problems with cold start problems,and we just get a hair dryer,take of the manifold pipe, and in sert the warm air in to the manifold and turn the engine over and its starts straight away.... worth you aveing a go ??? saves us chargeing the battery up and burning the wires up !!!!
tommy
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Gas Generator Weather Protecti
11-13-2008, 15:33 
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