[mlscontractcleaner]

It's been both a good day and a bad day.

First my van wouldn't start. For some reason, even with a brand new, tested, big bugger of a battery, my 2.5L Diesel Transit van is a sod to start if the weather is cold. It'll usually start with the aid of my booster, and once started is fine for the rest of the day; it's just a pain at 5am mornings

Next I connect my pump up to the battery in the back of my van and NOTHING

It turns out the battery is dead and I have to fork out on a new one

Tonight I receive a very nice e-mail to tell me that we've just won a contract to clean two four story office blocks in Plymouth's City Centre each month, starting at the end of February

It's funny how your luck can change isn't it

[mlscontractcleaner]

With regards the van battery problem would it help if I doubled up on batteries, joining the two with proper battery wires?

Surely two batteries would start the van on a cold morning

[Ryan @ Transparent, Carlisle]

tested the glow plugs & alternator mate?

[mlscontractcleaner]

Yeah, I had the RAC out and they did that. The guy just said, " It's the cold weather"; very helpful :

[Mike_G]

42 office blocks never mind whats wrong with the tranny go get a new one

[Ryan @ Transparent, Carlisle]

the cold weather can cause starting problems, ie; diesel not heating enough.

next time, go to start the van as normal [wait for glow plug light to go out] but WAIT a bit longer till you hear a click. Dont turn the engine over now, repeat the glow plug process another time or two, then try turning over.

to test glow plugs yourself, get a length of wire.  put one end on the positive terminal of the battery, then touch the tip of the glow plug where the positive wire connects, if you get a little spark, the glow plug is fine, if not its knackered.

It only takes one faulty glow plug to increase the difficulty of starting

[Spruce]

the cold weather can cause starting problems, ie; diesel not heating enough.

next time, go to start the van as normal [wait for glow plug light to go out] but WAIT a bit longer till you hear a click. Dont turn the engine over now, repeat the glow plug process another time or two, then try turning over.

to test glow plugs yourself, get a length of wire.  put one end on the positive terminal of the battery, then touch the tip of the glow plug where the positive wire connects, if you get a little spark, the glow plug is fine, if not its knackered.
It only takes one faulty glow plug to increase the difficulty of starting

But you need to disconnect the wire to it first.

[mlscontractcleaner]

There are no glow plugs lads, it's all " direct injection " these days. Apparently they call it progress

[Ian Lancaster]

You lads don't know what you're missing.  Cold days like these we use to soak a bit of cotton wool in diesel and poke it in the air intake (air filters were easy just to lift off) then set fire to it.  Give it a couple of seconds to really get going, then swing the engine - it sucked the flames and the vapourised diesel into the cylinders and away she went!!

Failing that we had to wake up the horse

[Helen]

42 office blocks never mind whats wrong with the tranny go get a new one

think he said "2 four storey" otherwise I would agree

[AuRavelling79]

You lads don't know what you're missing.  Cold days like these we use to soak a bit of cotton wool in diesel and poke it in the air intake (air filters were easy just to lift off) then set fire to it.  Give it a couple of seconds to really get going, then swing the engine - it sucked the flames and the vapourised diesel into the cylinders and away she went!!

Failing that we had to wake up the horse

And it was tea and cakes in Berlin by 4 pm!

[David Kent @ KentKleen]

hi,  does it turn the engine over slow ?? if its a transit di it wont have glow plugs but you need the starter motor to turn the engine  quickly for it to start. Its probably a bad connection on the back of the starter motor or the motor itself. Check ya connections first b4 ya buy a new battery!! hope this helps, regards
Dave