Hard to Start in the Cold

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CTiger

CTiger

Joined
Aug 9, 2004
Threads
21
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313
Location
Little Rock, AR
Website
pg.photos.yahoo.com
This morning it was 17 degrees here in Little Rock, AR (I know, but that's cold for here). It took my 62 about 5 times of cranking with no result before it finally wanted to start. When it's cranking, it sounds more sluggish than in normal weather. Is it my oil or what? I have in non-synthetic 10w-30 right now. Should this be changed?
I guess it could also be electrical... when I'm about to start it the volt gauge sits at about 9 or 10. When it runs it will be between 12 and 13.
Any advice? thanks in advance
 
same with me man... cold and it wont start as easily... wuh wuh wuh wuh ... is what it sounds like...
 
Optima, baybee
gotta have those cold cranking amps
 
I don't remember if the 62's fuel pump is mechanical or electric, but on my 60's mechanical fuel pump I have to pump the gas quite a few times to get it to start.
 
yea, cold cranking amps, gotta have it, my 60 starts with no hestitation, not an optima, but a good high quality battery...
 
Mine's getting hard to start too here when the temps drop down to the single digits and below. It really doesn't help that I only drive a mile or so to work, but letting it warm up completely at about 1200 RPM before leaving for work helps lessen the drain on the battery. Can't wait to get my Group 31 YTs installed. Just gotta get the second one and the Hellroaring isolator...
 
1984 FJ60

Mine is the same way. It was -9 here in Wichita KS on Dec 7th. She did not want to move from the driveway. After pumping the pedal a bit she finally caught and started. I have a brand new Fpump also. I put a battery tender on it now for the real cold mornings so I have a as much juise as possible.

Hayden
 
thats nothing, it was 5 in Lubbock for two days this last week, I burnt the solenoid out and killed the battery (one of those extreme Walmart batts) trying to start it on thursday. of course I had it turning for about 5-10 minutes before it finally gave up, had to wait for it to get over thirty before I got it to start up.
 
It was 17 below here in Wyoming day before yesterday. LC was outside, it started right up, choke out, pumped five times.
 
My 60 usually doesn't have a problem starting in the cold. It was -9 a few days ago and it started on the first crank. I just pull the choke and pump the gas pedal five times, but I think that every truck is going to be a little bit different about what it takes to start it up. It took me a couple weeks of starting it in the cold my first winter before I figured out what this one likes. Since then it's been problem free.

Edit: I just re-read bignose's message, and maybe choke out and pumping five times is a good place to start experimenting.
 
CTiger said:
This morning it was 17 degrees here in Little Rock, AR (I know, but that's cold for here). It took my 62 about 5 times of cranking with no result before it finally wanted to start. When it's cranking, it sounds more sluggish than in normal weather. Is it my oil or what? I have in non-synthetic 10w-30 right now. Should this be changed?
I guess it could also be electrical... when I'm about to start it the volt gauge sits at about 9 or 10. When it runs it will be between 12 and 13.
Any advice? thanks in advance
Click to expand...

check out the post titled "Electrical Problem" by ryanspeed -- some info in there that you may find helpful

-db-
 
mister bean said:
My 60 usually doesn't have a problem starting in the cold. It was -9 a few days ago and it started on the first crank. I just pull the choke and pump the gas pedal five times, but I think that every truck is going to be a little bit different about what it takes to start it up. It took me a couple weeks of starting it in the cold my first winter before I figured out what this one likes. Since then it's been problem free.

Edit: I just re-read bignose's message, and maybe choke out and pumping five times is a good place to start experimenting.
Click to expand...

Mine starts right up with 5 pumps and choke also.
 
I had the same problem this thanksgiving (10 degrees here in MN). My battery was new and the terminlas were clean. I ended up replacing the cable to the solenoid, and it now starts on the first try. I cut the old cable in half and the thing was eighty percent rust. Mine takes three pumps with the choke all the way out.

Patrick
85 fj600- rusty n' trusty
 
What i did...

Hey-

I have a rust bucket 89 FJ62 with 188,000. Never had cold starting problems at all, not even in -18 to -25 for 6 weeks straight in VT winters, until this fall. She never judt plain didn't start, but she was beginning to be a slow starter and it made me nervous.

I did a few things to correct the problem including, new fluids (amsoil), new fuel pump, filter, fpr, pcv, coil (made in mexico coil was hurting), ngk plugs checked and re-checked electrical, vacuum, serviced TB, cleaned and sealed cold start injector, all parts replaced with OEM. I run a yellow top optima as well. all that did not help very much, a little but not much.

What did the trick, (and I did this yesterday,) was adjusting my shift linkage. It took 15 minutes, including the downtime waiting for the pb blaster application to help free the nut. My linkage was a bit out of alignment and once it was back on point, she starts up like a happy camper. I don't know why this helped so much, but it did. all that other stuff needed to be done and probably helped as well. let's hope she likes her new innards and continues to start nicely.


re:optima batteries. The yellows are deep cycle and the reds are starter batteries that are supposed to perform flawlessly in the cold IIRC. The reds give higher CCAmps than the yellows which are actually under spec for our trucks. the yellow top did not give me better starts than the POS crusty old batt. that was in there when i got the truck but the juice is always going and going and going. Maybe the red top would actually give faster starts?

good luck.
 
i may try to go with a red top. all the TB and injectors and plugs and dist and spakrwires are all new. timing is right on. hmmmmmmmmmmm shift linkage is fine. even replaced the bushings not too long ago.
 
I don't know...I looked up those batteries and for the yellow it shows 780 CCA and for the red it shows 800 CCA. I don't know if that's enough of a difference to just fix the problem. If someone had a walmart or sears battery I could see getting an optima, but I don't think it'd be wise to spend the $$ on a red when you have a yellow. Besides, the yellow will give more power for longer once the car starts.
 
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