COLD START QUESTION?

[londoner1]

Hiya,

-3 this morning and car (110 HDI) was caked in frost/ICE, started on th ethird attempt but noticed a rattling sound coming from the engine bay (left hand site ahead of the passenger side). Warmed up the car after 10 mins and it dissappeared soon after an dthe car drove as normal.

Any ideas where the sound came from (i suspect something was frozen somewhere?)

[Pugman406]

cud be ur crank pulley! mine is making metallic clicking sounds first thing in the morning, when really cold weather. I wudnt care but its an original part and was only fited in Nov last year.

[mbell666]

i thought crankshaft pulley too, but that drivers side.

The gear box and stuff is on the passenger side. you sure it was passenger side?

[steve_earwig]

How about stuck starter motor pinion? Just a wild guess (rattling sound?) but I can't think of anything else on that side that could make a noise. I suppose if it does it tomorrow you could pop the hood and have a squint.

[Matt]

this is slightly off topic, but i've noticed that the glow plug light doesnt stay on very long at all even starting up after the coldest of nights, i didnt realise they heated up that quick.

[teamster1975]

this is slightly off topic, but i've noticed that the glow plug light doesnt stay on very long at all even starting up after the coldest of nights, i didnt realise they heated up that quick.

If you've got an HDi it doesn't need much pre-heating. It runs at such high pressures that the fuel virtually self combusts!

[Doggy]

On HDi's the glow plug light isn't necessarily on when then plugs are energised - typically it won't come on at all above 10 deg. and goes out after 2-3 seconds no mater how cold it is. The glow plugs actually remain on longer than this & stay on for a few seconds after it starts. Warning light is more of a driver aid than a true status indicator.

-3 this morning and car (110 HDI) was caked in frost/ICE, started on th ethird attempt but noticed a rattling sound coming from the engine bay (left hand site ahead of the passenger side). Warmed up the car after 10 mins and it dissappeared soon after an dthe car drove as normal.

My previous HDi 90 always sounded much harsher when started at low temperatures, (say less than -1), but always quietened down after a few minutes. Used to notice it starting in the evenings to come home, but never in the morning as it was in the garage at about 6/7 degrees.

[londoner1]

Hi all,

Well started the car this morning and all was well, i will have to wait for another very cold night to see if it happens again.

[mark21TD]

That'll be Friday morning then.

[SimonTNUK]

If you've got an HDi it doesn't need much pre-heating. It runs at such high pressures that the fuel virtually self combusts!

Virtually

It's a diesel, they self-combust.
Or to be a bit more accurate, they combust due to the compression ignition phenomenon