[Iowa]

Happy Holidays!
As most are aware we have had brutal cold in the Midwest. Here in Iowa we had 3-4 day run of -9 below F. Wind-chill 30-50 below F. I had the baby MAC on class B roads in northern Iowa where this a great pheasant population hunting. Temp was averaging around zero degrees all day. Not sure about wind-chill but my guess around negative 20. Of course had to bust through a few snow drifts throughout day but used judgment because of being in such a remote area. We left at 6:00 AM hunted all day. Drive around find a spot and shut the truck off 40 minutes at a time. Keep in mind flat Terrane and nasty conditions. Truck performing well all morning. Had lunch, and went to fuel station to top off with fuel. About 4:00 we decided to head home. At lower speeds the baby MAC started to vibrate more than normal. Hwy speeds no problem but noiser than normal. I came to stop sign and things got bad. The engine started vibrating violently. I put in neutral, and this helped. I got my buddy home. This morning I cranked it off, still cold, started up but definitely a grumpy start. Happy to report it's running great today. I called the dealer and they said in these extreme conditions unfortunately this can happen to any diesel. I have a feeling that when I filled there may of been moisture in the fuel. Long winded message but just keeping all informed.

 

[DieselDrax]

Something that happens when it's really cold is it seems like pilot injection is reduced or disabled which makes the engine a bit rougher and noisier, I've experienced this every winter since new when the temps are, say, 20F or colder. I've never had problems with it not wanting to run well, though. If there's water in the fuel then eventually you'll get a WIF warning, but you shouldn't be getting any water actually in the injection system because the fuel filters are also water separators.

I do recommend using a winter additive, like Hot Shot's Secret winter additive (Diesel Winter Anti-Gel Fuel Additive | Hot Shot's Secret) or Diesel Kleen winter additive. Will help with gelling issues if the stations don't have fuel properly treated for the temps and the cetane boost helps the engine run smoother and better throttle response.

 

[Iowa]

Thank you for the input which is why I posted.

 

[6speedTi]

A winter additive would be a quick cheap start. Hot shot was mentioned. I would also pull the fuel filter housing drain plug and let it drain out for a bit. Just precautionary to remove any possible water accumulation in the filters. Or if time passes and it warms up soon see how it runs then. Good luck. Sounds like a definite fuel related issue.

 

[graphMtL17]

Late response, but I had a similar vibration experiance during extreme cold and snow events. It was actual accumulation of snow packed into the frame cross members under the engine/front diff area and the transfer case outputs.. The packed snow turned from snow to slush from the heat of the engine and drivetrain and then subsequently froze into encapsulating ice after shutting down for a while. Upon the next start-up.. vibration. The packed ice and snow transfers all the vibration from the engine and driveline directly to the frame, so you feel and hear everything. Especially noticable on the diesel trucks. Next time you go blasting thru snowbanks, snow drifts or drive thru deep snow, check those crossmemebers for build up after a cool down cycle if you have new vibration. Carefully chunk out the ice (brittle plastic electrical connectors and shift solenoids under there).. vibration gone. Cheers

 

[Iowa]

Dude that makes total sense. Good to know!!