hard starting

[janetlynn]

My jinma 284 has recently developed a hard starting issue. After i energize the glow plugs,,, it seems to crank longer than it use to. Have roughly 30 hrs on it. Lots of blue and white smoke while cranking. If and when it does fire up, it runs great,,, no smoking or anything. My dealer " Affordable Tractor" has sent 3 new glow plugs. I have not installed them yet. Just thought I would throw this out on the forum for input.

 

[RonMar]

Could use a little more info:
What does the ammeter show while heating the glowplugs?

How long do you heat the glow plugs before cranking?

How cold is it where you are trying to start the tractor?

 

[janetlynn]

the ammeter goes down significantly and then slowly recovers. I think this is normal.
I have tried heating them for 20, 30 or even 45 seconds.
And the temp is between 40 and 60 degrees.

 

[SPIKER]

3 good/working glow plugs will draw about 30 amps on the amp meter (-30 amps actually), when first clicked ON then drop back to about 25 amps when fully heated. don't hold them on for more than 25 or so seconds!

one thing is to try using the de-compression lever.
2nd thing is to clean up all of the battery terminals to make sure they are all good contact. the grounds are notorious for getting rusty/goobered up on these tractors.
also check the type of fuel you are using for winter additives, though I suspect the blue/white smoke says you are getting GOOD AMOUNT of fuel it does not say it is GOOD fuel. a little K1 (kerosen) works well and no more than about 1/2 gall to 5 gall fuel is what I mix for winter but I'm starting at or below 0 degrees a lot of the winter.) If I am above 40 or so I do not use the mix fuel...
Next item a block warmer, or a heat lamp will help a lot. when I'm below 30 I use a 500 watt halogen shop light and shine it onto the injector pump and lines that feed the head/injectors, to warm the fuel this helps A LOT!

I don't have any other form of block heater, but was thinking about one of the in-line anti-freeze ones as they seem to be best idea or one oft he ones that replace a freeze plug, but not sure of the required size for that...

ok try those items then post back.

Mark M /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[RonMar]

Wow, 40-60F is not very cold, that thing should be lighting right off. The ammeter should peg on the lower 30A peg when you first turn on the glowplugs then creep up slightly to around 20A or so after 15-20 seconds as the plugs warm up. If you had one or two bad glowplugs, the current would not go this low, unless they are partially shorted(still pulling full current but making heat in the wiring and not in the plug where they are supposed to.

Where are you setting the throttle at when starting? I set mine when cold up near where it would run the engine at 1500-1800 RPM. As the engine starts and the RPM starts to increase above 900, I move the lever back to the idle position.

Mine starts reliably down to 30F this way without using the compression release. It dosn't typically get colder than that around here.

How fast is yours cranking? Is your battery fully charged? Have you tried to use the compression release(although you shouldn't need it at those temps)? A little drop in crank RPM could be causing your problems.

If yours is cranking over at normal speed then I would swap out those plugs and see if that helps.

 

[tiltbed]

my 404 is very hard starting when under 40 F even with the comp release and intake heater ...Installed a in line water heater (replaces by pass hose) fires up instantally even in sub freezing weather......Sid

 

[tiltbed]

To spiker....just noticed that you and I are neighbors (small world,huh?)..hope you saved a BMW from a bambi fate this year..lmao...Hope to run in to you one of these years..Just love to drink beer and B.S. about tractors,huntin,fishin and other godly guy things...Sid /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[joerocker]

I'm wondering where y'all set your throttle to when starting. I've only got about 12 hrs on mine and I've only started it maybe 3 times when cold (50-60 degrees). It never starts right up and I haven't developed a "system" yet to get it to start the first time. When its warm (been running) it starts up quickly.

I've tried throttle at about the 1000RPM setting and it didn't start up.

I tried no throttle and it didn't start.

I tried about 10 seconds of glow plug at those throttle settings and it didn't start up.

Each time I crank for 10, maybe 15 seconds.

Finally I let it sit for about ten minutes and dropped throttle to idle, used about 10 seconds of glow lug, turned of decompression for a bit, and "worked" the foot throttle and it started. Do they flood?

Is there a trick you use to get it started first try? Or is that the trick, idle throttle, glow plug, decompression, work the foot throttle. I'm getting a lot of white smoke while it tries to start.

Thanks...

 

[tiltbed]

You can use the foot or work the hand throttle till you are blue in the face...lol..as Diesels have NO accelerator pump.I useally set my throttle about 800-1000 rpms fire it up let run about 3-5 minutes then un plug the water heater....With out the heater my simptoms are the same as your`s..white smoke and very hard starting...The best thing for you is to install a block/in line water heater..world of differance.Do NOT use EITHER with glow plugs as it will fry them in a heart beat.If we has semi`s parked in sub zero weather that weren`t plugged in we would have to use (very,very carefully) a mixture of either and gas sprayed in to the intake..wakes up a cummings or detroit in a wink...Sid

 

[JINMA224XR]

<font color="blue"> Is there a trick you use to get it started first try? Or is that the trick, idle throttle, glow plug, decompression, work the foot throttle. I'm getting a lot of white smoke while it tries to start. </font>

Hey Joe,

First things first.

What is your Indash Ammeter Guage, indicating, when you engage the glow plug circuit?

Have a nice day,
Joe /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[joerocker]

The glow plugs peg the ampmeter.

I was just wondering what you people with Farmpro or Jinma tractors do when you're starting them. Where do you put the throttle, do you pump the foot throttle, do you use the glow plugs and for how long, do you use decompression...stuff like that. I'm asking for YOUR starting procedures to maybe quicken up my starts a bit.

I don't THINK there is anything wrong with mine unless y'all just turn the key and off you go...

 

[SPIKER]

Hey TILTBED:

where are you at? try filling out you're profile for more people to see where ya are.

starting procedures varry depending on temps for me for sure.

I usually will use the foot throttle though PUMPING does nothing, I usually push it down 1/2 way and start heating the plugs, colder temps longer I hold em. I WATCH the AMP gauge, when the amp used starts creeping UP into LESS used amps, say 25 or so them I know they are good and warm, I also count while doing this. making sure to not run them longer than 20 or so sec. I crank the engine with the 1/2 foot on for 15~20 sec if it does not start then I let it set a few sec, with the glow plags on again I start over...

Watch the exhaust stack, lots of WHITE means too much fuel and will QUENCH the heat out of it... let up some. every tractor is a bit different from what I've seen.

in full on winter I use a mix as mentioned above.

I usually do not use the decompression lever as it seems to not help on mine... I have HEAVY gauge battery wires and keep the connections all good so cranking speed does not seem to change enough to make sacraficing the glow plug heat a worthwile item.

extreme cold I plug in the heat lamp or a shop halogen light and shine it on the fuel pump & the lines above it which warms the fuel helps it's ignition...

mark M

 

[JINMA224XR]

<font color="blue"> The glow plugs peg the ampmeter.

I was just wondering what you people with Farmpro or Jinma tractors do when you're starting them. Where do you put the throttle, do you pump the foot throttle, do you use the glow plugs and for how long, do you use decompression... I'm asking for YOUR starting procedures to maybe quicken up my starts a bit.</font>

Hey Joe,

I wanted to make sure that your glow plug circuit is at least working.

Some diesel engines are notoriosly hard to start and in cold weather they are even harder to start.

I am surprised at how my particular tractor starts easily, and ususally first time everytime.

This is my starting procedure:

1. Little bit of hand throttle, not too much, but above idle speed.
2. Out of gear and depress clutch pedal, to reduce drag.
3. Engage Decompression with Lever straight up. All the way to the other side, disengages the Decompression. The decompression lever helps the starter and battery to last longer also.
4. Engage Glow Plugs-- length depends on how cold it is, but not more than 20 to 30 seconds.
5. Engage Starter
6. When you hear the engine spinning over, release the decompression lever.
7. After it cranks, Throttle back to a comfortable idle to warm up.

If it doesn't start, then wait a little bit and repeat.

Merry Christmas
Joe /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[joerocker]

Joe,

Thanks...

That's what I was looking for. And that is how I'll start it now too. Like I said earlier, I've only started it like 3 times when cold and each time I tried different things to do it. I did have my best luck the last time when I did almost exactly what you described except I think I gave it too much gas.

Thanks to the previous poster saying that a lot of white smoke is bad, too much fuel.

You guys are great!

 

[tiltbed]

Spiker,I have everything but my street address listed...9 miles north of Ashland...but have my farm in Gurnsey county....send me a email sometime...see if we can get to gether as i`m retired (no life)..lol...Sid