CK in cold weather

back2earth · May 18, 2009

Based on his experience, a local dealer I spoke to did not think that a block heater was needed for the CK series tractors (at least here in Maine). Does anyone else living in a cold climate share that experience? I assume that a glow plug is intended to help heat up the combustion chambers, is that correct?

BJN644 · May 19, 2009

The dealer I bought my CK35 from last summer said he would install a block heater for free if my tractor wouldn't start in the winter. I never got the free heater. When it's extremely cold out the tractor has a position on the ignition switch so you can keep the glow plugs on a little longer. I tried mine this past winter during a -20 deg morning just to see if it would start, and it did. I'm also a firm believer in synthetic oil especially for cold weather starts so I'm sure that helped too.

Yes, glow plugs heat up the combustion chamber air, which is why you should never use starting fluid (ether) on a glow plug equipped diesel engine.

IXLR8 · May 19, 2009

I bought my CK used from a dealer in northen NH, it already had a coolant heater in the radiator hose. In the 2 winters I have had the tractor, I have never seen a need to use the heater. Turn key on to glow plug, wait for GP light to go out, turn key to start... let idle for a minute or two, cycle FEL and 3pt and go to work slow until motor up to temps. If it is below 0F, then I will cycle glow plugs twice before attempting to start.

jimmyj · May 19, 2009

My CK30 started every time I asked it too last winter. Even below -30.
I have to let it warm up a good while at those temps though and prefer to wait another day till it warms up if I can.

Dmace · May 19, 2009

No problems here in southern NH even when it was -15F and I needed to snowblow the driveway since the heavy wet 18" of snow proved too much for the plow truck. A little trick my dealer's mechanic told me was to turn the key to on and wait for the glow plug light to go out, then start it and as soon as the engine caught turn the key to the glow plug position again and hold it for no more than 5 seconds or until the engine idle smoothed out. I only needed to do this a few times and it worked great.

The idea behind this is that cycling the plugs more than once just drains the battery and is not giving the plugs full power anyways, with the engine running the alternator is making the power and not draining the battery. I have a coolant hose heater that I have never needed to use but it's there.

The 18" storm: (click for larger image)

KiotiDave · May 19, 2009

Look at those PAW PRINTS in the snow?
KiotiDave

MichiganIron · May 19, 2009

On the newer series KIOTI's with Glow Controllers, the glow plugs go on automatically after the engine starts. No need to hold the key switch to the manual glow position.

Dmace · May 19, 2009

KiotiDave said:
Look at those PAW PRINTS in the snow?
KiotiDave

Yup and those are loaded Industrials (R4?), no need for Ag (R1?) tires here.

Of course the next day we got another 6", gotta love New England winters.

MichiganIron said:
On the newer series KIOTI's with Glow Controllers, the glow plugs go on automatically after the engine starts. No need to hold the key switch to the manual glow position.

That is good to know, it's a good upgrade to help with cold starts.

mrutkaus · May 20, 2009

well...even if not "needed" the ck30 certainly sounds better when my radiator hose heater is used for an hour or two before starting. it must be easier on things to use the distantly generated electricity to warm oil and metal rather than the local diesel in the tank.

mike