Starting a Frieghtliner in freezing conditions

well the first thing is get another key made .
then if it has a block heater in it bring it home and plug it in .
third if they fire him because the truck wont start he shouldn't be working for these idiots to start with !
fourth have him start looking for a better place right now !!!

there is no sense letting anyone treat you like this for any amount of money period !!!

 

The block heater has nothing to do with oil only the coolant. It aids in starting but you're still getting metal on metal contact. Because your turning over molasses in that pan. Weather out trucks are plugged in or not they still take longer to build oil pressure in winter than summer. If your batteries are charged, you shouldn't have to use an aid to start the truck. I use WD40 when my truck loses prime and that's about it.

We've cold started old 12 valves without being plugged in and let them sit overnight never had a problem getting one to crank over and fire. One even had the grid heater deleted. I'm not a huge fan of cold starting a truck but sometimes you have no choice. If his truck usually idles anyway he'd have to do it what? Maybe 3 times a month for 3 months. No big deal and if its a company truck who gives a flying leap. I can understand idling all night if you need heat. But if you're idling because you're too lazy to start a truck and don't want to crank it a little longer get off the road. 4 750CC batteries is more than enough to turn over a diesel in the winter. And to this day even at -10 with 15-40 in the pan I've never had a motor take longer than 5 seconds to build oil pressure. And that was one of the 12 valves.

 

You said the reason for not bringing it home was bothering the neighbors. So just bring it home, shut it off, and plug it in.

 

I haven't seen this mentioned yet so....

Condensation in the fuel tanks are a major reason for no starts in cold weather. I've seen quite a bit of water come out of a tank. I like to crack the tank drain loose in late fall to get as much water out as I can. Worst no start I ever saw was water icing the filters.

 

Condensation happens because we as drivers are lazy. Yes I admit it I am as well. If you fill your truck before you stop for the night this can help keep condensation to a minimum. There will of course still be some however it will be much less than sitting there all night with 1/4 tanks and letting it condense.

 

You're correct in the physical cause of condensation but a bit off on the root cause. Many companies only allow refueling at certain times and places. No matter how much a driver might want to top off if the company says no then you're out of luck. Luckily my company learned the lesson after the first time.

 

You're much better neighbors than I am. I've cranked mine over at 2am before to leave didn't really care what the neighbors thought. When they start paying my rent or my taxes they can tell me what to do as far as I'm concerned.

Neither here nor there plugging it in isn't a bad idea but it shouldn't be a necessity. Depending on what motor it has in it it may have a starting aid (glow plugs or a grid heater). I don't bother plugging my dodge in during the winter for the most part the grid heater takes care of my cold start issues. And the block heater on my Pete doesn't work well if at all as I said before. My truck was on 2 batteries last year instead of 4 and I only had 1 day that it wouldn't start for me. If all 4 were hooked up it would've started and it was all of about 2 above that day.

Running anti gel and taking care of the water issues is the main thing to getting them to crank in the winter. You'll have a truck gel once when its all of about 3 degrees outside and spend 30 minutes trying to get it started and learn your lesson. Need anything else were here for you. Take care and happy Thanksgiving.

 

I know the area she lives in. They are full of hateful HOA's. It's ugly I don't want to look at it type snoots.

If you can't plug it in then yes get another key made. I assume the Minooka Pilot? Not the best place to leave a truck. If he is bobtailing tell him to park directly in front of the pumps or someone will back into it. That truckstop is set up backwards and it's kind of a zoo watching trucks park there.

Buy a good set of 16-20 foot 4 gauge jumper cables and a can or two of starting fluid just in case because he might run the batteries down cranking. If he has to like Pablo said I would remove the air filter cover. While someone is cranking give it 2-3 quick shots of starting fluid to get her going. Don't over do it or the engine will race. As it starts dying you might have to give it another shot or two. It's not the best thing for a truck but it'll get her going. If the company is too cheap then do what you have to. They should supply a place to park and plug in.

 

uh.... Wrong. Your freedom to be you includes their freedom to be free from you.

It's attitudes like yours that get trucks banned from a neighborhood. My hometown has a commercial vehicle parking restriction in residential areas, but its rarely enforced unless they get noise complaints. I sometimes bobtail to the house but when I start up before 6am I start rolling just as soon as I get oil pressure. The truck can warm up idling through the neighborhood. By the time I hit a major street it's ready to go.