Fuels, Lubricants, and Coolant Minimizing the Effect of Cold Weather on Diesel Engines John Deere diesel engines are designed to operate effectively in cold weather. IMPORTANT: Do NOT use ether when starting with air intake heaters. However, for effective starting and cold weather operation, a little extra care is necessary. The information below outlines steps that can minimize the effect that cold weather may have on starting and operation of your engine. See your authorized engine distributor or servicing dealer for additional information and local availability of cold weather aids. Fuel Heaters Two options are available with fuel heaters:
one location is at the inlet port of the primary fuel filter, while the other location is at the inlet port of the final fuel filter. Coolant Heaters Use Grade No. 1-D Fuel When temperatures fall below 5 ° C (40 ° F), Grade No. 1-D fuel is best suited for cold weather operation. Grade No. 1-D fuel has a lower cloud point and a lower pour point. Engine block heaters (coolant) are an available option to aid cold weather starting. Glow Plugs Cloud point is the temperature at which wax will begin to form in the fuel and this wax causes fuel filters to plug. Pour point is the temperature at which fuel begins to thicken and becomes more resistant to flow through fuel pumps and lines.
Glow plugs are used to aid cold weather starting on engines equipped with the 4 valve cylinder head (475 suffix). IMPORTANT: Do NOT use ether when starting with glow plugs. NOTE: On an average, Grade No. 1-D fuel has a lower BTU (heat content) rating than Grade No. 2-D fuel. When using Grade No. 1-D fuel you may notice a drop in power and fuel efficiency, but should not experience any other engine performance effects. Check the grade of fuel being used before troubleshooting for low power complaints in cold weather operation.
Seasonal Viscosity Oil and Proper Coolant Concentration Use seasonal grade viscosity engine oil based on expected air temperature range between oil changes and a proper concentration of low silicate antifreeze as recommended. (See DIESEL ENGINE OIL and ENGINE COOLANT REQUIREMENTS later in this section). Air Intake Heaters This option is available on suffix engines and later engines. Air intake heaters are located on the cylinder head. Continued on next page RG,RG34710,7529 –19–25FEB03–1/2 10-4 021604 PN=34