Proper starting procedure with DT466?

[misterW]

Bus cranks over great, ran great just a month or so ago, but is not starting today for some reason. What is the proper starting procedure on a warm day? Should I give it a little gas while cranking it over?

[milkmania]

Not sure, but I'm thinking of it like a fuel injected car/truck...
You won't actually be pumping any fuel, because there's no pumped up pressure behind it.

[cadillackid]

does the DT466 you hasve mechanical? if so you may need to prime it up with the plunger pump on the driver side of the engine near the injection pump..

if its a DT466E it should hve a Lift pump to pump fuel out of the tank that is electric and may need to check a fuse..
-Christopher

[bluebird90]

Kill cable not pushed in all the way?

[Alan N]

Originally Posted by bluebird90

Kill cable not pushed in all the way?

Most likely the problem.
I tried to start a tractor for quite awhile yesterday, guess what the problem was!

[New2Skool]

I have a DT466 E or T in my bus and have no idea what these guys are talking about.
I jump in, turn the key to on or aux.
Long alert beep, indicators appear included "WAIT"
the needles cycle and reset,
wait icon turns dark
I turn the key to start and Vroom.
In these lovely northern Minnesota winters, I give it about 15 to 20 seconds to spark the glow plugs before turning it over.
At times in very cold weather, I hit the gas and you can hear it chug harder before it fires up.
Set idle for cold start on the dash and let it sit for about 10 minutes.
Normally when I do my walk around inspection.
Have a cig and shift and off like the breeze.

Hope it works out for you.

[misterW]

Some starter fluid got it going. My first time working with diesel engine. What is a kill cable?

[Brad_SwiftFur]

Originally Posted by misterW

Some starter fluid got it going. My first time working with diesel engine. What is a kill cable?

Many older mechanical diesel engines have a "kill knob" you pull out to shut down the engine. Electronic engines won't have this. Some older diesels have an electric (or air) "kill relay" that does this when you turn off the switch - yours may not, but for those who do, it will be handy to know this, and that when it fails, you can manually push back the mechanism to shut down the engine.

My bus has one of the last 9 liter IH engines (discontinued at the end of '87 due to emissions laws), and it has a kill cable.

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by New2Skool

I have a DT466 E or T in my bus and have no idea what these guys are talking about.
I jump in, turn the key to on or aux.
Long alert beep, indicators appear included "WAIT"
the needles cycle and reset,
wait icon turns dark
I turn the key to start and Vroom.
In these lovely northern Minnesota winters, I give it about 15 to 20 seconds to spark the glow plugs before turning it over.
At times in very cold weather, I hit the gas and you can hear it chug harder before it fires up.
Set idle for cold start on the dash and let it sit for about 10 minutes.
Normally when I do my walk around inspection.
Have a cig and shift and off like the breeze.

Hope it works out for you.

I do similar with my non-E. But we don't have glow plugs, FYI.

[cadillackid]

I'll use PB blaster or WD40 before I'll use starting fluid.. but sounds like your fuel system lost prime and the starting fluid got it to run long enough to pump its own tank fuel up to the system and good!..

if you dont have a kill cable, you have a DT-466E (electronic controls)... they are less prone to losing prime but still can happen...

but yeah I always kick mine over then do my walk around, pop the hood and make sure stuff is spinning and not spraying...

I still havent learned the art of the tire bat yet...

gives it time to build up air pressure since my air suspension always drains my air down to 55 PSI...

-Christopher

[Versatile]

Be very careful with that ether. You can destroy an engine very easily. Our tractors had quick start bottles with a t handle on the dash. Recommended was 3 seconds but just do it it as quick as you can. If the valves rattle and it doesn't start then wait 15 minutes.

[misterW]

Originally Posted by cadillackid

I'll use PB blaster or WD40 before I'll use starting fluid.. but sounds like your fuel system lost prime and the starting fluid got it to run long enough to pump its own tank fuel up to the system and good!..

if you dont have a kill cable, you have a DT-466E (electronic controls)... they are less prone to losing prime but still can happen...

but yeah I always kick mine over then do my walk around, pop the hood and make sure stuff is spinning and not spraying...

I still havent learned the art of the tire bat yet...

gives it time to build up air pressure since my air suspension always drains my air down to 55 PSI...

-Christopher

Why PB blaster or WD-40? Yeah, that's what it seemed like to me -- that it had lost its prime and then it came back as it caught w/ the starter fluid.

I was thinking about it after and it did seem to me that spraying the starter fluid down the throttle could likely cause some knocking as there wouldn't really be a way to time the ignition of the fluid when it's just being sprayed in there. Suppose there is another situation where the prime is lost -- what is an alternative to getting it going?

[ol trunt]

MW, just to add to the good advice above be very careful not to use too much starting fluid/ether to get your motor going. Dumping too much starting fluid in a diesel will cause the motor to go to warp speed and the big bang before you turn off the key or use the cable etc.

Here is an example of the result of using starting fluid. Enjoy! Jack

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_LWm4g35Jw

[cadillackid]

PB blaster and wd-40 are flammable but not as volatile as ether so tend to be easier on the engine as the burn off is slower so effiectively later timing less likely to fire too soon or turn the engine over backwards..... even so you dont want too much.. I always sprayed a couple seconds went in cranked the engine... if it didnt catch, cranked it dry about 3 seconds... then waited a minute and tried again.. (on my old peugeot diesel)....

im not sure on an 'E' engine... I know on my DT-360 mechanicasl and the Mechanical DT-466's there is a plunger on the side of the engine that you pump which is a manual primer... I dont know if on the 'E' engines there is a 1 second electric fuel p[ump run like on a gasoline vehicle by just turning the key from off to on?

someone else would have to answer that as I dont have experience with the 'E'..

-Christopher

[adic27]

I know its years later but im having the same issue. To the OP, did you spray the starter fluid directly in to where you sprayed or just above it at a distance as to let it kinda fall in like air freshener?