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Why so hard to start the truck in the mornin??

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XHitman396

1/2 ton status
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May 3, 2002
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well i was just sitting here and someone mentioned on a thread about how cold it was that they were having trouble starting their vehicle.. so... why is that?? is it cuz of the oil is cold and thick making it hard to turn over or what?? fuel problem?? just thought it was odd that everyone (well, those of us with older trucks) has trouble with it and ive never heard the explanation... thanks..
 
Most of you fairweathered fellows probably have weak batteries to begin with and don't even know it. Up here for about 6 months of a the year, a fully-charged battery is a must.

Basically, it's a combination of what you suggested, plus since you don't see extreme cold too often your cold starts seem that much worse. And a lot of you have probably ditched your thermatic air cleaner setup in exchange for open air cleaners, which allow the carburetor to ice-up a lot easier.
 
Well, my 6.2 Diesel truck hates the cold. I put an in-line heater on one of the heater hoses and now it starts fairly easy.

Cold and thick oil can make things difficult to spin over. Also in my 4spd manual trucks, I always make sure my clutch is in to eliminate any drag from gear lube in the tranny.
 
This morning it was about -35. For every degree below freezing, your battery loses a percentage of its cranking power. Add into the mix, summer weight oil and probably a choke that's not 100 percent , and you end up with a problem. My old 6 popper Blazer fired up this morning, but the clutch pedal stayed on the floor till it had run about 45 minutes. Also, even with Mobil 1 oil, it took about 20 minutes before my factory oil gauge would show the normal reading. My 460 Ford has 2 good 800 CCA batteries, and it would not spin fast enough to start till the temp got up to -15.
 
so is what we're saying is this: thick oil and the loss of CCA?? yeah yeah, i know we're not canada but it is 10 degrees right now, and im more than a couple hundred miles south, and not in the mounains... and it's only december... i love it :cool1:
 
Carburated trucks have it worst. Because when the intake manifold is cold the gasoline doesn't get atomized well and mixed with air. It tends to stay in liquid form, or condense on the cold metal, and just dribble around inside the intake. So until the right fuel/air ratio gets in there to ignite it's tough. Once it's running it will run crappy until it has warmed up enough that the vasoline is vaporizing on contact with the intake manifold. For me, my truck is not driveable until the coolant temperature has reached about 100 degrees when it is cold outside. The combination of ambient coolant temperature, and the engine running long enough to heat up the manifold (while bringing the coolant up to that temperature) are both factors. Even at that temperature it will heisitate for several more mintues of driving (until it reaches about 150 degrees).

Fuel injected engines, especially multiport, don't have this problem nearly as bad (to the point where it is not really noticeable at all) because they intentionally spray a fine atomized mist of fuel. This is why FI systems don't use a choke, they don't have to richen the mixture to compensate for lack of fuel vaporization. The FI systems where each cylinder has an injector are better because it gives less time for the fuel to attempt to condense.

I think this is what people are really talking about when they say that they're having trouble getting it started.
 
What ive experienced is that when a older motor has carbon bulidup on the intake runners, valves, pistons, whatever gas when it enters the intake will absorb into the carbon and never make it into the combustion chamber. Thus taking more gas and a lot more motor rotations to start. Once the carbon is soaked in gas, then it will start.
 
here's how goes in the morning:
1st time - starts, for 3 seconds then dies.
2nd time - starts, for 3 seconds then dies.
3rd time - might to able to get clutch out with it in neutral
4th time - i can in some revs right when it starts and it'll usually stay running.

this only after it's been sitting for 6+ hours. if it's only been sitting for a few hours, it'll start easier.

88 sammy, a new adventure every day.:wink1:
 
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