Cold start difficulty questions...

[fozzie]

Much thanks in advance - i'm a complete newbie when it comes to owning a diesel...

Two weeks ago i bought a '96 Golf, 1.9 turbo diesel...

Living in Toronto i'm having trouble starting when the temp is just below freezing.

The glowpugs have been replaced, the glowplug relay has been replaced and the fuel is Sunoco Gold (i'm told it's the best).

My question is this - what exactly is the choke supposed to be doing?

It seems to make no difference in engine startup / noise / performance if i have the choke on or off.  Even if i forget and leave it on, there's no difference in engine noise or perfomance...

(If anyone wants help on old school carb'ed domestic V-8's...i'm your man, but for now i'm a no-nothing....lol)

fozzie

[HP]

U only pull the choke to start the engine on cold temperatures (below 0ºC or something).

[chrissev]

Much thanks in advance - i'm a complete newbie when it comes to owning a diesel...

Two weeks ago i bought a '96 Golf, 1.9 turbo diesel...

Living in Toronto i'm having trouble starting when the temp is just below freezing.

The glowpugs have been replaced, the glowplug relay has been replaced and the fuel is Sunoco Gold (i'm told it's the best).

My question is this - what exactly is the choke supposed to be doing?

It seems to make no difference in engine startup / noise / performance if i have the choke on or off.  Even if i forget and leave it on, there's no difference in engine noise or perfomance...

(If anyone wants help on old school carb'ed domestic V-8's...i'm your man, but for now i'm a no-nothing....lol)

fozzie

the choke is actually a timing advance.  You pull it after the engine is started and running to smooth it out a bit.  If you pull it before you try to start the engine, it will be difficult to start.

[wyldman]

Have you actually verified the glow plugs are getting power ? Check it with a test light,to make sure.

[DubAllStar]

Interesting... my '93 starts MUCH better with the advance pulled, with less smoke and rattling and banging, much smoother.

My problem is with the handle itself, i hear a constant ticking noise coming from it, and it sounds like it's air leaking down the tube, if i push the handle hard in, it goes away, but it won't stay pushed in. Is there any adjustment to the cable?

[addautomotive]

Interesting... my '93 starts MUCH better with the advance pulled, with less smoke and rattling and banging, much smoother.

My problem is with the handle itself, i hear a constant ticking noise coming from it, and it sounds like it's air leaking down the tube, if i push the handle hard in, it goes away, but it won't stay pushed in. Is there any adjustment to the cable?

Mine does teh same thing... it's just transmitting vibration from the engine. There is a "sweet spot" on mine, if I twist it clockwise just a little it goes away.

FWIW, I when I'm starting mine in the cold I wait till it catches and THEN pull out the cold start. I'm pretty sure that's what teh manual says to do. If I pull it out before I crank the engine, it doesn't start as easily.

[BlackTieTD]

check glow plugs are working.
check compression numbers.
if those two are fine, switch to a lighter weight oil, will help cold starts.

as a point of comparison, i have a 1.6L TD motor from a 1990 jetta and i live in toronto. i haven't had a single instance of a tough start yet this winter and i haven't had to plug the block heater in once yet this winter. your 1.9 should start just as well if not better if everything is in working order.