Easier starts in the cold temps.

in cold weather diesel gels up and sometimes causes a no start issue..a cetane fuel additive helps with this issue. if temps go below 20 degrees, add a quart per tankful of cetane to the fuel to help start on cold mornings. also diesels require more amperage to crank than gas engines do..thus a stronger battery is needed..

What you need to do is make sure the key is off, remove glow plugs, hook a set of jumper leads to your battry, put the negative lead around the threaded part of the plug, hold the + jumper lead to the top of the plug where the power rail bolts on. DO NOT TOUCH glow plugs as they will heat up hot & fast. If the light comes on 6 - 8 sec thats how long you need to hold the power on. The tip of the plug should be nice & red hot in this time. Repeat for all plugs & see the diffrence If more than 2 are dead (no red heat) or noticably slower than the others It will be very difficult to start & the plugs should be replaced. AGAIN carefull not to get burned.

Run the plug's a couple time's instead of one. For an example on my work truck I run the plugs 3-5 even more depending the outside temp. Also I don't crank more then 20 second's. This work's even in extreme temp's such as -25F. And if you don't have the patience for this there's always starting fluid.

The ''glow plugs'' preheat for starting but also cycle off and on on a cold engine to help with more complete combustion before the engine reaches a certain temp. This usually takes more more often during winter but is norrnal if it goes off after a while.

Hey mate,

I have a Mazda B2200 from 1985, which has the same R2 diesel motor, and I had this same problem, which was exacerbated by the cold of winter....even here in a mild Melbourne.

Each time you turn the ignition on, the QSS (Quick Start System) powers up the glow plugs for about three seconds. This recycles again about three times, then.....nothing. The QSS reckons that you ought to have the bugger running by now!

In my desperation, I located the cable to the four glow plugs, and ran a second wire from the battery (+) via a push-button switch which I installed on the dash. This is my glow-plug BOOST circuit.

Now, when I want to start from c-c-c-cold, I push the button (with the ignition on) for about ten or fifteen seconds, which gives the glow plugs a goodly time to heat up the combustion chamber, and when I hit the starter, she usually fires up with a rattle, and a cloud of grey exhaust smoke.

BINGO!

(Of course, once the motor has warmed up, there is no need to use this BOOST circuit, for the combustion chambers are already hot enough to detonate the injected fuel.)

Have a go at it, as I know that it works!

John.