GREEN DIESEL AND COLD STARTING

wally123 · **Joined:** Sun Dec 08, 2013 8:00 am **Posts:** 3

Hi I am new to Lost jeeps and my first post... I am looking for some help.
I own a 06 Liberty crd and recently purchased the ecotune from Green diesel, after which I had the injectors replaced by the dealer.
I can say I am amazed by the performance and economy of the Ecotune but my cold starting is now very bad and I have to crank and crank and crank.
I took the Bosche relay off and put an ohmeter across the four connectors for the glow plugs , I think numbered 61, 62, 63, 64, and got continuity on all.
I talked to Keith from Green diesel and he seems to think the Ecotune has nothing to do with this.
I was thinking of installing the original program in the vehicle BUT I am afraid that since I had the injectors replaced will it work now knowing that each injector is programmed into the ECM.
I dion't know what to do.
The temp here in Ontario Canada is quite cold right now but even down to -20 I never had trouble before, now even at around -2 I am having trouble.
Any ideas???

dgeist · **Posted:** Sun Dec 08, 2013 9:13 am

Hi, Wally (and welcome). First, I moved your post to the regular CRD discussion section. The place you posted it is for technical writeups and howtos only (but you get a pass being a new guy).

Now, as for the starting: if there were something amis with the injectors and the tune, it likely wouldn't run at all. Also, the fact that it WAS running fine says the GDE tune has little if anything to do with the problem. Do you know what else was done when the injectors were replaced? I'm assuming they had to disconnect the fuel filter to get in there. If you haven't "solved" the bubble in fuel filter issue (search for air in fuel filter), that might be the culprit. That'll make a hard start in any weather, but worse in cold. Also, you might have glow plugs failing or gone, making the cold start taking longer to "kick-in". Are yours original. Finally, are you using the block heater, and is there any difference in behavior when you do?

Dan

wally123 · **Joined:** Sun Dec 08, 2013 8:00 am **Posts:** 3

Hi Dan thanks for taking the time to reply.
I had the injectors replaced as every time I did a cold start I would get a parking lot of white smoke BUT it would start and smoke went away as soon as I drove off.
now after Ecotune and new injectors almost impossible to start .
with block heater no problems at all.before replacing injectors it would start without block heater even at -20 Deg, now no way.
Because I had the injectors replaced after Ecotune I don't know if I can go back to the original program that is still on the loader as now the injectors have been entered into the Green diesel Ecotune and might not work.
Without the Ecotune the vehicle is a major guzzler but I need to be able to start after work which is twelve hours sitting outside.
any Ideas?
Thanks.

Jay ne Ohio · **Joined:** Sun Dec 12, 2010 5:49 pm **Posts:** 216

I would suspect that one or more of the injectors are not properly seated in their bore. The copper seal (on the end of the injector) is missing (fell off during installation) or was damaged during installation. This would result in low compression of a cylinder (or cylinders) and would result in hard starting. You might be able to see some evidence of fuel or exhaust around the injector while starting. Have someone start it while watching the area around the injectors. Or pull the injectors to see if the copper washer is there or damaged.

Also, I would not worry about the ecm being programmed with the correct injector codes. There is very little difference between injectors, so a slight variation in fuel delivery will not be noticeable in normal driving.

fool4wheelin · **Posted:** Sun Dec 08, 2013 10:36 am

This is my 2nd winter on the Eco-Tune, just started last night after sitting out in -20F for 3 hours. It would be easy enough for Keith or your dealer to put the OEM code back in your ECU to narrow down the possible issues.

Other possibilities:
- Are you using winter fuel?
- Glow Plug Issue (as Dan suggested)?

wally123 · **Joined:** Sun Dec 08, 2013 8:00 am **Posts:** 3

Thanks guys I will look at these reccomendations.
I have just purchased a new Bosch glow plug relay on Ebay just in case.
Thanks again.

jlgail4309 · **Posted:** Sun Dec 08, 2013 5:47 pm

Have u changed your Fuel filter. I run the GDE tune and it starts better than it did before the tune. If it was a Glow plug it would have a engine light on. I would think at -20 you would need to plug it in to get to start at all. I'm not for sure on that but -20 is very cold.

laplaya · **Posted:** Sun Dec 08, 2013 10:32 pm

I am in Ontario as well. Both my CRD's had\have cold starting issues. I did not have the eco tune on the first one. I switched to the etecno glow plugs on this one hoping it would change things but no luck. If you find what is causing your cold start issue let me know. I have no leaky injectors and new fuel filter. I do cycle the key a few times to kind of pre-warm the glow plugs. Seems to help.
I plug in whenever possible cause it scares me when I don't. It will start but starts rough and not on all 4 but slowly they all join in.

dirtmover · **Posted:** Mon Dec 09, 2013 10:52 am

I've gone a full winter with the GDE tune and the only difference I notice is that it's a lot rougher on cold starts but it also smooths out a lot quicker. By cold I mean below -15°C.

MRausch82 · **Posted:** Mon Dec 09, 2013 11:20 am

Run a winter diesel fuel additive such as Power Service Diesel Kleen white bottle, and plug it in. If you cannot plug it in, then still run the PS additive. If the fuel filter has not been changed, change it and fill the new filter with Diesel Kleen (or equivalent) before instillation. Then bleed the air out (which is nearly impossible to keep out anyhow...). I do not have the GDE tune, but I changed my GP's and relay to the new Bosch 5v steel units and the ECM flashed accordingly. Seems that under 15 degrees or so, Fahrenheit, it coughs and farts for a few seconds until the other cylinder(s) come to life. I just started to put PS DK in again as I was out of it for a few tank fulls. It may help, but it will certainly help keep the fuel from gelling or "waxing" or clouding up, which causes starting issues, power issues, and running issues in the extremely cold weather.

Dennis MacGyver · **Posted:** Mon Dec 09, 2013 7:30 pm

Try this glow method. Turn key to glow, when lamp goes out, wait 5 seconds (as plugs continue to heat up though glow lamp is off) Then turn key to off position. Repeat this a 2nd time and then attempt to start after waiting the final 5 seconds.

As another issue, are you positive the dealer did not re-flash the ECM back to factory ?? An ECO tune will rev to about 1100 rpm's when you start the engine (and it drops back down to the standard 750) whereas the factory tune will only bring it up to the idle rpm's of about 750.

Srytrucker · **Posted:** Tue Dec 10, 2013 1:00 am

It has been a week that in Vancouver area temp dipped to -9 C or 24 F and my CRD doesn't like it it starts rough and sounds grumpy even has thrown couple of codes with CEL but after a proper warm idle runs smooth

GREEN DIESEL AND COLD STARTING

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