Cat engine, T-15 engine,diesel hard starting40degr

[CourierDriver]

T-15 cat engine 2002,,hard starts at 40 degrees without engine block heater. Should it spin and start within 10 seconds or less. It just spins and spins , then finally starts after 3 or 4 tries , is this normal in your alls opinion. We are using Rotella 5w40 T-6, sump holds 10 gallons of oil..........we put on a new starter 6 months ago.

 

[Danno]

Have you checked the injectors or fuel injection pump? Sounds like a fuel delivery issue.

 

[Panzerman]

C-15 Cats ussually are really good cold weather starters. They will ussually start down to 0, using 15w40. Cummins forget about it. But they still are diesels. I dont think I would be really worried about it. Try a different fuel source, your fuel may not be cut for wintertime use.

 

[Chris142]

Does it have some sort of heating grid that's not working? It should start on just a few spins unless thats not heating. My 50 yr old cummins was not happy about starting below 30f but it had no heating grid or glowplugs.

 

[Doog]

Fuel. Run some cleaner through a few tanks before you do anything else. Lots of guys use Lucas since you can get it at WalMart.

There is a manual here: http://www.getbookee.org/t15-cat-diesel-engine-service-manual/

 

[CourierDriver]

I have made a typo,,,the engine is a C-15

 

[yucca]

Electric or air starter?

 

[CourierDriver]

Originally Posted By: yucca
Electric or air starter?
electric start on an international rig

 

[CourierDriver]

found some answers,,,possible back flow fuel filter seal problem, and o rings on injectors can be bad. When its cold out side the Caterpillar engine starts hard, when it hot weather the engine starts easily, the tech said its your injector seals going bad and usually that is the main problem on the cat engines in the winter months..............but what ever it is, it will have to go to the shop to have that looked at.................thinks to all for your input.

 

[yucca]

Do you maintain a UOA trend analysis on the unit? If so has your fuel dilution started trending upward or is it holding steady under 4%?