Is it OK to use starter fluid on a diesel truck engine?

dd15 owners manual states injectors damage can occur if ether is used that being said ive used it a few times its best if someone is cranking engine while a small shot is given.. local mechanic states i couldve bent rods not sure if i believe him

 

Ether is not as volatile as it used to be, used in moderation there is nothing wrong with it. Its typically the people that use half the can or more at once that end up destroying engines.

 

You guys ever hear of a thing called a head gasket?

The first truck I bought was screwed up because the idiot owner used a can of ether to get it started, blew the head gasket and gave up on the truck. I bought it cheap and replaced the head gasket and one valve that had some damage to it. The problem it wouldn't start was the cam sensor was bad.

 

Uh no, I will defend Mikeee, as he is no troll.

However. The use of starting fluid on diesel engines should be best limited to seldom used. On some farm tractors they do have an ether injector for cold starting diesel engines. Yet ether if used too much can destroy the rings on a diesel piston.

Just a word of warning.

 

Just a shot usually doesn't hurt I have seen old John Deere tractors get addicted to it. Need it winter or summer miss use is the culprit in these cases. On engines with glow plugs or intake heaters turn the key on and let the warmer or glowplugs cycle don't turn key back off at that point, as that will cause them to cycle. Seen a road service man last winter put a fuel filter on and used it to get the truck started, had a runaway when the truck did start. Didn't come from together but it was wound tight. As with anything a little common sense goes a long way.

 

In single digit temps it might be best to just leave the engine running.

 

i would hate to see the responses on using starting fluid to bead a tire, done it many times. started all sorts of vehicles over the years with starting fluid, beaded tires , removed adhesive residue, and killed wasps with it. good stuff and very useful, but like anything else , dangerous in the hands of idiots.

you do know you just use a squirt or two and not the whole can right?