4BT Cold Start fail @14°, fail @18°, fail @25°, Success @28°!

[laserjock]

When I crossed the mountains this evening it was 7 on the eastern continental divide. With God knows what for wind chill. They were talking -20 to -30.

 

[F350camper]

14 this morning, and she lit! Off to work I go.

 

[needlenose]

What size cables did you use? I'm still having cold starting problems out of mine. When it was in the Dodge, I actually drove it for about a year starting it with the battery out of my Honda Civic. It started the same as with a full size battery. I just swapped it in anytime I needed the truck.

I'm currently running new cables from an auto parts store. Same as I had in the Dodge. It's got to be the starter.

 

[F350camper]

What size cables did you use? I'm still having cold starting problems out of mine. When it was in the Dodge, I actually drove it for about a year starting it with the battery out of my Honda Civic. It started the same as with a full size battery. I just swapped it in anytime I needed the truck.

I'm currently running new cables from an auto parts store. Same as I had in the Dodge. It's got to be the starter.

Yeah, the starter is a good bet. They wear out so slowly its hard to notice. I used 0 gauge for the cables. With the two batteries it just spins right to life. I'll try to get a video the next time its cold and light out at the same time.

 

[subway]

Glad you got it going, that sounded painfully slow in the video. I also noticed you did not seem to have any smoke coming from the tail pipe when cranking. I wonder if it was to slow for the injectors to fire off?

Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk

 

[F350camper]

Painfully slow is the best way to put it. There are plenty of guys that are running one battery on these with out any issue, but they are using the original 4bt starter. I'm using a 99 era psd starter I believe. Its a much smaller unit, and it spins really fast, but not when there is just one battery in the cold. Now with 2 it works like is should

 

[AcIdBuRn02ZTS]

Interesting... I'm running a single xs-power d3100 with a 6.0 starter on my 4bt. Without block heater, it'll start at 5F without much fuss. It may hit and die a couple times.. but it typically hits quickly without much cranking at all.

I use Delo 5w40 synthetic year round.. and all of my cables are 2/0.

 

[F350camper]

That's really good info.

xs-power d3100

Delo 5w40 synthetic

cables are 2/0.

These are all upgrades over my setup as videoed. Cheap ass advance auto group 65 battery, dino 15w40, and 1/0 cables. Sounds like you are getting your monies worth.

I havent had a single day this year below 20° where it was light enough out to get a new vid. But with the extra box has had no issues.

 

[AcIdBuRn02ZTS]

Lol.. well the d3100 I had due to the big stereo long before the swap (its 7yrs old now)... the 2/0 I was given for free (old welding cable that had splits in the jacket.. I cut it up and the lengths of good cable worked out).

I'm a tight ass. Lol

 

[needlenose]

I just upgraded all my wire to 4/0 welding cable from wireandcabletogo.com. I think it was around $120 for the cable and I have several feet to make jumpers in case I ever want to go dual. I spend another $60 for a nifty 16T hydraulic crimper with all the dies and another $12 on the ends.

6BT with '03 6.0 starter on a single Wal-Mart battery and it now snaps to life with commitment. I get about 1.5 revs before it lights. Of course, I haven't started it in 5deg weather....

The cable was much cheaper than I thought it would be. I could have done without the hydraulic crimper, but it makes pretty commercial quality ends. I hate the lug type terminals.