Hard starting in the winter

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Hard starting in the winter

Ross	Hi everyone just a quick question here My 155D is pretty hard to start in the winter Yes I now it's cold and thats normal but it wont start unless I use the forbiden starting fluid in the air intake. any pointers out there to correct this. (block heater, glo plugs, rebuild?)
fatz	A couple of years ago I had to start mine on a frigid morning when the power was out--no chance of recharging the battery if the tractor did not start. I had never tried the thermostart, so I had the wife hold a propane torch in the inlet (air filter removed) while I started it, using the decompression lever. The tractor started like normal. Shortly thereafter I checked out the thermostart.
eric	I have a 240D and based on some help from this forum I've found it consistantly starts (provided battery is up to snuff). First open decompression switch and spin engine over to get oil around the cylinders. Make sure TS has diesel in the little reservoir and hold ignition on TS for 30 seconds. With clutch in and throttle at detente turn immediately to start. Using this procedure (given me from contributors to this forum)mine has started up to -20 deg. Oh yeah I also have a magnetic heater on the side of the block for 30 minutes. Yanmars seem to be cold blooded machines. I'm just outside Toronto and we got going this morning at -15. Good luck and let us know how it goes.
Ross	Ok call me dumb but what is the ts stand for and how should you play with the decompression throttle? Tractors are a little knew to me still. Pardon the inexperience.
Mark	Ross, The "TS" position on your ignition switch indicates ThermoStart. While the key is turned fully left, it powers the igniter inside your intake manifold while your small diesl bottle drips fuel onto the igniter. The process creates a warm fuel/vapor cloud and provides much better atmospeheric combustion ignition for your cold diesel engine.
Craig	Ross, A couple weeks ago I installed a 400W block heater in my 155D. Now it starts like it was the middle of summer. The picture shows where the 1" NPT plug was removed (air intake and starter removed for access). This picture also shows the TS bottle. The TS has worked marginally for me last year. Maybe there's something else going on in my case like corrosion in the cables or poor compression or something. The heater is Yanmar part number 2358980. Good luck.
Al	Excellent answers all. All I can add (besides a plea to avoid flames and starting fluids) is a word about the battery. To start, a diesel doesn't just need to spin, it needs to spin fast. Winter-weight oil helps, but that mainly needs initial decompression and good battery power. Batteries get weaker as they get older, lonely (from just sitting) and especially colder. And Yanmar alternators are small (these tractors were dsigned to be run all day at a time). Yanmar batteries are not very accessible or large (it doesn't get very cold in Japan). I hardwired a connection from the battery to the outside of the hood for attaching a "smart" charger and/or turning on a warmer. I have those, plus the block heater, on a timer that I set the night before.

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