rfg@hound.UUCP (R.GRANTGES) (12/04/84)
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The cold weather starting procedure for a diesel, at least for a 1977
Rabbit Diesel is quite simple. It consists of Preparation and Action:
Preparation:
1. Make sure you have an adequate size battery in good condition.
2. Make sure your glow plugs are operating (you can tell if they are
not because cylinders with dead glow plugs will not fire when starting.
If the engine runs ragged more than a few seconds, one or more glow
plugs have "gone west.")
3. Make sure your fuel is free of water and you have used a "pour point
depressant." Some areas provide "winterized fuel" at filling stations,
many do not. You cannot depend on the opinion of most gas pump operators.
They will almost surely say the fuel is winterized, even when it isn't.
Best to add your own. Only a couple of ounces per Rabbit tank does the
job (down to around 20 below, I understand. Below there you use block
heaters, semi-warm garages or let it idle all nite, I guess).
4. Make sure you are not using summer weight oil. Use at least a 10WXX
oil. In this area, Mobil 1 is the only 5WXX oil available. I use that.
(XX = 30 or 40)
Action:
1. Turn on "ignition" switch to plug heating position.
2. Depress accelerator pedal to the floor.Pull out "choke." Gears in neutral.
3. When glow plug light goes out (10-25 seconds) turn key to start
position. Release when engine starts (usually one revolution or less).
4. Keep accelerator pedal depressed until engine revs up fairly high
and all cylinders fire smoothly (1-5 seconds).
5. Let up on accelerator. Drive off (gently for the first 1/2 block).
This procedure is based on experience with two, 1977 Diesel Rabbits, mostly
in New Jersey, Indiana and Illinois, with a side trip to Alaska. Both cars
have about 95,000 miles on them, and are in good condition. There has been
no engine trouble with either car so far. Diesel mileage is about 45 mpg,
summer-winter, city-country.
--
"It's the thought, if any, that counts." Dick Grantges hound!rfgndsss@ihuxx.UUCP (Alfred R. Zantow) (12/08/84)
= =Preparation: =1. Make sure you have an adequate size battery in good condition. =2. Make sure your glow plugs are operating (you can tell if they are = not because cylinders with dead glow plugs will not fire when starting. = If the engine runs ragged more than a few seconds, one or more glow = plugs have "gone west.") =3. Make sure your fuel is free of water and you have used a "pour point = depressant." Some areas provide "winterized fuel" at filling stations, = many do not. You cannot depend on the opinion of most gas pump operators. = They will almost surely say the fuel is winterized, even when it isn't. = Best to add your own. Only a couple of ounces per Rabbit tank does the = job (down to around 20 below, I understand. Below there you use block = heaters, semi-warm garages or let it idle all nite, I guess). =4. Make sure you are not using summer weight oil. Use at least a 10WXX = oil. In this area, Mobil 1 is the only 5WXX oil available. I use that. = (XX = 30 or 40) = This is in regard to the last part of step 3. A little trick we used back on the farm in South Dakota (God's Deep Freeze) was to stick a 100 Watt light bulb under the oil pan (or under the hood) of trucks and/or tractors when the red stuff huddled in the bottom of the thermometer. This would keep the oil more fluid, so that it took less torque to crank over the engine (most oil at -20 F is like syrup or worse). You could get the same results with heat plates or similar equipment. REMEMBER: A light bulb gets things HOT within a few inches, so use your head if you do this, don't put it on a cardboard box to get it closer to the engine. Of course, flames will warm up the entire car and garage for a short time, and will give the fire department something to do on a slow night :-). Al Zantow