Told you all I would make a movie so here it is. Timing is at around 16.5* and it was 18f this morning.

As a reference, heres how it started with the stock 13.5* timing at -2f.

Hmmm... This brings up a valid problem for Taz's truck its just like you 16* advanced timing... several rev's before it even pops. I'm starting to wonder if we should back the timing off a tad... :confused:

Yeah I don't understand why things advance to improve starting, obviously doesn't help matters. The 1st gens also advance timing even more during cold starts, 5* more.. The P7100 doesn't do this so I am always at 16 but he would be around 21 which would explain why it won't start. If you could disable that cold timing advance so it would stay at 16 it would probably start. They say it advances timing during cold weather because it gives the fuel a longer time to burn (since its shot in sooner) because it needs it when everything is cold and this prevents smoking yadda yadda, I got the EXACT opposite! My truck starts worse obviously and smokes like a steam engine. That -2f start, it didn't smoke at all, it never did.. The only thing I can think of happening is the fuel is shot in so early that the piston hasn't come up enough to get much heat going and by the time it finally does get enough heat at the top of the stroke, it lights the fuel off the top of the piston giving horrible start characteristics. With the timing retarded, when the fuel finally shoots out of the injector, there is enough heat that it spontaneously ignites like it is supposed to rather than shooting in fuel then trying to light it off the top of the piston. I think having all the fuel on the top of the piston or wherever it lands also cools it off making it even harder to start. If the air is hot from compression and the injector fires then it will ignite before hitting any metal which will steal heat from the fuel making it impossible to light until the air AND piston wall and piston top reach a higher temp. If they think that advanced timing thing works, they need to advance it after the engine has ran for at least 30 seconds, NOT when it is trying to start! This is the only reason I can come up with for it not starting worth a damn. They say this is the electric cold start timing advance thing so you might unplug it and see what happens. I would think it would have a spring in there to keep it from advancing when unplugged. http://contrails.free.fr/images/Diesel/dsc05348.jpg Hmm, and a pic of one without the cold start thing. http://contrails.free.fr/images/Diesel/dsc05415.jpg

Edited December 4, 200915 yr by ISX

New movie, 2 cycles of the grids.

Still a bit stuborn at twisting over... I noticed you battery voltage is quite low during the grid heater cycle...:eek:

Sureeeee, make me go out and test the voltage why don't you!Alright the grids aren't even turning on. Woulda thought after 4 hours of sitting in 32* it would turn them on but whatever floats it boat. I'll check it in the morning. What is your voltage when they're on and the truck is off?

Edited December 12, 200915 yr by ISX

Alright it's 33*F out this morning, voltage is rock solid at 12.62V. Turn grids on and it dropped to solid 11.09V. Now, what does yours drop to?

Sureeeee, make me go out and test the voltage why don't you!

Alright it's 33*F out this morning, voltage is rock solid at 12.62V. Turn grids on and it dropped to solid 11.09V. Now, what does yours drop to?

Sureeeee, make me go out and test the voltage why don't you!

I thought you would have already had it charted and graphed months ago knowing you

No... I'm the one that run around all summer long without grid heater remember? But for the sake of the thread I'll go out and test the voltage on mine...

You realize I been sitting here dieing to know what your voltage is :ahh: Yes I remember you disconnect yours :p

Well crap... My truck has been sitting for 4 days in the shop plugged in. I went out and Toggle the ScanGauge II to show voltage and with the key off and nothing one is floating 12.0 to 12.1 volts. But since the block heater is plugged in there was no voltage drop because the manifold is 112*F... So I got to leave the truck outside... As for the batteries it looks like new batteries will be coming soon... If the voltage is falling off during a 4 day park...:shocked:

Wait wait, your telling me, you have been making me wait, dieing to know, and all you had to do was turn the scan gauge on and turn the key! How old are your batteries?

hahaha...that is awesome(not about your batteries ) i had been waiting to hear the voltages also! lol

D'Oh! :bang: Ok... Batteries charged up... 12.8 Volts Then using my high idle (3 cylinder mode 13*F at the IAT) drops to... 11.5 Volts After the grid heaters kick out... 12.2 Volts Geez... It nice just push SG II menu button and flip a switch for the worse case...

Alright I still am curious, cause it seems you have a charged up voltage, a running with grids going voltage, and a voltage of it running with the grids off. I wanted to know the voltage of it when the engine is off and the WTS light is on with both grids going, that is where I got my 11.09..

Ok... I just got back from Taz's place tonight I parked my truck in the shop no block heater and no battery charger and I'll do the voltage check again...:rolleyes2:

There we go. And keep that truck off! Drain them batteries :biggrin: BTW, with nothing major on and truck driving down the road, what voltage you get? I get 14.2v no matter what when driving.

Depending on temp outside... I normally see roughly 14.3 (hot day) to 14.7 (cold day). Opps... I just relize the fire radio still on in the truck...:rolleyes2: More the voltage run I guess...

With my 12v I run 20 degrees of timing in it all year long,no matter what the temps are outside and have a big set of injectors.When it sits outside at work all night long unplugged I do what was shown here cycling the grids twice and then light her off.It will normally rip and snort a bit then clean out and purr while I am in turning my paperwork in from my trip and walk back out.I also watched my digital volt gauge(its a Cyberdyne) when the grids are cycling and the charging system drop down to 12 after the first cycle and then will dip from 12-14.2 until the grids kick out.My truck has Red Top Optima's in it and a 200amp Mean-Green Alternator to help ease the burden on the charging system somewhat.I have a set of Flex-A-Lite electric fans,A FASS 150/200-1010@45psi and a big stereo and installed the big alternator to ease the load on the electrical system.Since I did that and the Optima's I have had zero issues with my charging system and starting in the cold is a breeze.The one thing I am glad I did was the fans as in the Winter time it sure allows for the truck to warm up alot faster and when you drive it in the winter months they almost never run.......Andy

Places that are required to run certain persentages of Biodiesel Like Minnesota is causing people to have to readjust the timing again, Some guys that are over 16.5 are backing off to 16. They are getting even higher mandated blend of Bio in 2010 so they are all playing with timing to keep milage and performance in check with the new fuels.