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  #1  
Old 12-09-2005, 01:51 PM
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Join Date: May 2001
Location: Michigan
Posts: 1,373
Winter Starts = New Battery....Non-Negotiable

I've been running 4-5 MB Diesels through 4 Michigan winters now and am ashamed to say the following. Although I'd read a million posts about the necessity list for winter starting, I always thought my batteries were good enough.

Well, this winter, two of the batteries puked and I randomly replaced them with new ones from the AutoZone ($65 or so).

WOW !!! WOW !!!

Huge difference. I now make the following list for cold starts and in THIS order:

1. New Battery
2. Did I say New Battery?
3. Glo Plugs all functioning
4. Synthetic Oil
5. Valve adjustment

My cars are humming to life in single digits.

dp

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  #2  
Old 12-09-2005, 02:19 PM
Hatterasguy's Avatar
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Yep, when the temps get into the single digits all that stuff counts!

I have been noticing with the SD that when I start it in the teens, it will crank slower and idle low for a couple of seconds. I think the oil is getting pretty thick. I pulled the dipstick and yep its pretty thick. Currantly the sump is full of 15w-40 Delo but I think for the very colds months I'll spring for some Delvac 1. I'd prefer not to be stuck in a cold parking lot on a 0 degree night.
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  #3  
Old 12-09-2005, 06:13 PM
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Location: Los Angeles, CA
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Not sure that the pour point on a synthetic oil is more advantageous than a 10-40 standard oil, but anyway...

The battery is definitely key as it needs to deliver enough power to crank for a full minute or so. Also, BOSCH plugs and not some other crap plug.
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  #4  
Old 12-09-2005, 06:22 PM
JamesDean's Avatar
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Location: NE Ohio
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i've never had to crank for more than 20 seconds (maximum)...battery is 1 year old..GP's are good. 15w40 oil...the only fluids i got that are synth are the trans and rear diff.

well now im fighting my electrical system..either there a short somewhere or my alt is intermitently failing or the god of diesel engines doesnt like me.

Kris
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  #5  
Old 12-09-2005, 06:25 PM
84300DT's Avatar
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Location: Mass.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by diesel don
I've been running 4-5 MB Diesels through 4 Michigan winters now and am ashamed to say the following. Although I'd read a million posts about the necessity list for winter starting, I always thought my batteries were good enough.

Well, this winter, two of the batteries puked and I randomly replaced them with new ones from the AutoZone ($65 or so).

WOW !!! WOW !!!

Huge difference. I now make the following list for cold starts and in THIS order:

1. New Battery
2. Did I say New Battery?
3. Glo Plugs all functioning
4. Synthetic Oil
5. Valve adjustment

My cars are humming to life in single digits.

dp
yep those AZ batteries are supposed to be made by johnson controls. the best.

how about block heaters? are you using them too? i tried mine the other for kicks even tho it wasn't that cold (around +15 deg F) and the old gal started like a dream...
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  #6  
Old 12-09-2005, 06:31 PM
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Hey dieseldon, how's that motorhome with the Cat 3208 coming along? I'm looking at one myself with that same engine. Have you tried to start it in the cold weather? If so, how does it do? Does it have any cold start devices on it like an ether injector or intake heaters?
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  #7  
Old 12-09-2005, 06:45 PM
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Pour point w/ syn oils is supposed to be way lower than petro oils. In my experience, with no block heater, even at 10F the car cranks right up as if it were midsummer. This is due to:
1) Mobil Delvac 1
2) new Bosch glow plugs
3) Die Hard International 1000CCA
4) fresh valve adjustment (I do it before winter and early spring)
5) overall excellent compression
6) fuel lines that don't leak
7) a little Power Service in every tank
8) a PO that cared

I was lucky buying a car with no records. Thank goodness I came across this site.
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  #8  
Old 12-09-2005, 10:12 PM
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Mobil 1 15w-50 is thinner at 0 then dino 10w-30. Leave a couple of quarts outside and try it.

Now Delvac 5w-40 is real nice on those cold mornings. The engine spins over like its July.
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  #9  
Old 12-10-2005, 11:46 AM
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Lets go ahead and add good battery cables and winterized fuel to this

I melted my #4 wire... And now I'm going with a marine grade #1 with 99% pure copper, and thick copper ends... Just gotta make the sob first, soon as it gets here

~Nate
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  #10  
Old 12-10-2005, 02:23 PM
Brandon314159
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Yep its time to replace my battery in the 300SD.

It was in the high 20's yesterday..went to leave...gave it a 15sec glow...cranked it and it didn't immediately fire off (my inital "oh crap" sign that means the glow plugs nearly drained the battery) and then after about a solid 15sec cranking the battery was dead and the engine was turning so slow that there was no way it was going to start.

Off to autozone I guess...

What group battery does a w126 300SD take?
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  #11  
Old 12-10-2005, 02:26 PM
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The big, ugly, heavy sob 12 volt at the end of the rack that has your style of connectors on it... Dont even bother asking them what they think
Take a tape measure with you, and compair dimentions.

~Nate
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  #12  
Old 12-10-2005, 02:45 PM
RAYMOND485
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: CALIF
Posts: 508
Starting Cold

1984 300d Turbo 135 K
Check The Voltage Output Of The Alternator 14 + Volts If Low
Buy A Regulator, 2 Screws Diy 1/2 Hr MY OUTPUT WAS LOW 13.3 REPLACED FOR $20.00 OUTPUT
NOW 14.2 VOLT **************.COM HAS THE KIT WITH GUIDE BOOK AND TIE TO HOLD BRUSHES
IN.
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  #13  
Old 12-10-2005, 02:46 PM
Brandon314159
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Yep the alternator is known good working...its a AL129X and has a full rebuild (compliments of my hydraulic press). The battery is dead in no time...
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  #14  
Old 12-10-2005, 04:20 PM
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Location: Clayton, NC
Posts: 55
Battery type for SD

Brandon,
I think ours take a group size 49. Double check with AZ. Cheers.
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  #15  
Old 12-10-2005, 05:09 PM
Brandon314159
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Yep just went and scored one up at autozone. 69.99 + 8.00 core...

I got my core back by giving them the ancient battery out of our van

I enter the store and head towards the batteries,

"Welcome to autozone...can I help you with something?"
"No. I am just looking at a battery."
"Okay well how may I help you?"
"I'll be over here...I know the one I need"

As I pick through batteries garnishing a tape measure to double check.

"May I interest you in some felt disks to prevent corrosion?"
"No. I do not have a corrosion problem and never have."
"Still with an investment into a new battery it is recommended that you replace the felt disks."
"No thank you.

I get my core out of the car and flop it on the counter

"This isn't the same size battery..."
"I know...its out of something else"
"What year car do you have? Model? Etc.?"

I give him all that jazz.

"Well it looks like Group 49." Looks at battery "Yep it looks like you picked up a 49 off the shelf."
"Yeah"

I checkout and then the alarm goes off from me walking out the door with a non-deactivated theft tag. I just kept on walking.

Idiots.

If I have sense enough to get the exact battery I need off the shelf and brought a core WITH me...ya think you need to question my purchases?

We'll see how it starts later when it gets cold outside.

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