Diesel won't start- bad batteries or bad starter?

[69charged]

Diesels do not like the cold especially below freezing. I would think a new starter and warmer temps will help out. Do you use anti gel in your fuel? I would not rely on winter blend fuel to take care of gelling.

My reply read like I was coming off snarky. Sorry about that. Wasn’t intended that way!!

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[Jteakus]

Check your oil level and see if it has risen and/or smells like diesel fuel before you start it.

 

[69charged]

Check your oil level and see if it has risen and/or smells like diesel fuel before you start it.

I had asked the dealer that. She said it was a bit low. Which I knew it would be as I’m 4000km from my next change. But don’t know if she smelt it or what. I planned to do that when I went to pick it up.
They were going to do an oil change on it but I told them to hold off. She also said I doubt it could fill a cylinder with that much fuel in the amount of time it sat after driving it.
Hence the reason I asked her to go out to the parking lot and try turn it over by hand.
We’ll see.

 

[Jteakus]

Best of luck, I've got almost 90K miles on the 2020 JL Eco and all it has needed is a battery, I hope your problem is something simple.

 

[Lost1wing]

My reply read like I was coming off snarky. Sorry about that. Wasn’t intended that way!!

I wouldn't let a reply on a forum get me upset. I didn't take it as a snarky reply, no worries.

I do think it is cold related. I do not have a diesel Gladiator. But I do know a thing or two on general diesel tech.

When it is cold out, batteries suffer, oil thickens, fuel gels and starters take a big hit. I have replaced several starters on diesels and most of the time batteries along with it. Some of the batteries pulled from these vehicles never recovered after charging. Another thing to think about when starting a diesel in the cold is the starting rpm. A few manufatures require a minimum rpm to open the fuel valve. I don't know if the Gladiator diesel has a minimum rpm requirement but I believe it is a Bosch pump so it is possible. Over 250-300 rpm is the requirement my Vw and my tractor. I don't know if my Duramax has a minimum rpm requirement, but it has the same cp4 pump and Bosch electronics.

 

[69charged]

Another small update. I went to the dealer and paid my diagnostic bill. 213 bucks.
I went outside with my tools and turned over the motor. It turns over both ways no problem. So there is no issue there. Tried starting it quite a few times and all the starter does is click. So it’s either seized or has a dead spot in it. I crawled under and banged on the starter with my breaker bar handle to try the old school tricks, but no go. I’ll be driving by the dealer on my way back from hockey tonight, so for shits and giggles I’ll pull in and try again. But as it is right now, I have a car hauler rented for Saturday morning and I’ll go get it.

As for why I couldn’t turn it over before, the only thing I can come up with is the starter bendix was still engaged in the ring hear and I was rotating it and it put the starter in a different spot. I left it at that and when they had it they just hit the starter butting and it worked? I don’t know. That’s all I got!! Sounds like voodoo when I say it out loud!!

 

[69charged]

Sorry boys and girls. Picking it up didn’t happen. The truck I was going to use doesn’t have a brake controller or the 7 pin harness. Which I didn’t know. Well shit.
I’ll admit defeat this time. I called the dealer and said screw it, you change it. So they are trying to do better on the starter price. We are so crazy busy right now, and I was all pissed about the whole situation and didn’t want to pay them any more money to change what I can do. But I talked it over with the wife and we both decided this way would be easier on our family. Plus I hope that if the same thing happens again after they change it, they can eat that cost. I don’t know.
Anyway, the saga drags on…..

 

[BillyP]

Sorry boys and girls. Picking it up didn’t happen. The truck I was going to use doesn’t have a brake controller or the 7 pin harness. Which I didn’t know. Well shit.
I’ll admit defeat this time. I called the dealer and said screw it, you change it. So they are trying to do better on the starter price. We are so crazy busy right now, and I was all pissed about the whole situation and didn’t want to pay them any more money to change what I can do. But I talked it over with the wife and we both decided this way would be easier on our family. Plus I hope that if the same thing happens again after they change it, they can eat that cost. I don’t know.
Anyway, the saga drags on…..

Makes sense. They should definitely work with you better after you paid for a new starter, per them saying that is the problem.

 

[69charged]

Good morning.
So a final update. Picked up the truck yesterday. 1400 dollars later. Around 800 for the starter, and almost 500 in labour plus taxes. Starts every time!!
It definitely starts faster. Like it turns over faster. Either the new batteries or the new starter itself, or a combination of. It also sounds a bit different after it starts. Kinda like the starter is slightly staying engaged a split second longer than it should.
I asked to see the old starter but they said they had sent it back for the core charge already. Although the tech said she bench tested it and the bendix came out, but would not turn at all. Seized solid she said. Would have loved to have kept it and taken it apart to see what happened.
Anyway, thanks for the suggestions everyone.
Clarence

 

[1945gpw]

Glad to hear it turned out to just be the starter even though that all sounded like a complete PITA.

 

[brsnow2585]

Glad to hear you finally got it back, sucks that you got run around and fleeced. I'm getting that same kind of nervous feeling, I get the 'battery low, Aux switches not available' messages more frequently. Not looking forward to a main and Aux battery replace, and probably takes out the alternator on the way out.

 

[69charged]

Glad to hear you finally got it back, sucks that you got run around and fleeced. I'm getting that same kind of nervous feeling, I get the 'battery low, Aux switches not available' messages more frequently. Not looking forward to a main and Aux battery replace, and probably takes out the alternator on the way out.

My battery replacement was extremely straight forward. Remove old, aux is right underneath on the diesel, take that out and replace. The company I work for gets a discount at the battery place, so the replacement main battery was 100 bucks, and the aux battery was sitting in his shelf for a bit of time so he gave it to me for free. Said it will probably not last as long as a brand spanking new one but would probably last a year or more. So I jumped on that deal. Walked away with both batteries for a 100 and change.

 

[69charged]

For anyone looking in the future if this comes up, here is the 3.0 diesel starter part number.

 

[Jteakus]

Thanks for following through on the results. It's hard to believe the starter didn't last longer than it did, or its price. It could always be worse though.

 

[69charged]

Thanks for following through on the results. It's hard to believe the starter didn't last longer than it did, or its price. It could always be worse though.

I hear ya. I felt the same way, and kinda noticed I was getting short with the girl behind the counter as I talked to her. But I caught myself. It’s not her fault. Nor is it her fault I put on almost 70k in the first year.
Also, I don’t like it when people don’t follow up after to find out what happened or how something was fixed.
All good. Moving forward now!
Clarence

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