[eXDee]

Hey all,

My 2009 i30 FD CRDi takes notably longer to start in cold weather. You hear the engine turn over several times, enough to be concerning before it starts.

Anywhere below 4-5 degrees it seems to be unhappy. In warm weather it starts a lot quicker.

Sometimes you hear and feel it rumble/shake halfway through the engine turning over, or just at the end before it starts, which sounds unhealthy.

As an aside I have Havoline 5W-40 Fully Synthetic oil in it.

Glow plugs? Battery? Something else? I don't know when either were replaced as I've only had the car for a few months.
Or is this just normal?

[sundiz]

That is not how you start a diesel! You should let the glow plug light switch off before you start.

This is not a petrol. It is a diesel! You don't allow the glow plugs heat at all!

[rustynutz]

Yes,  you need to wait for the glow plug indicator light to go off BEFORE cranking the engine... 

Try that and see if it then starts more quickly... 

[eXDee]

When I just called up, the  mechanic suggested that, however I didn't know it was the normal thing to do    they just said it helps. Whoops!

Up until then no one had told me otherwise - other Hyundai diesel has push button start and it starts the engine immediately!
 I know diesel owners of other brands of cars too and none of them do this either :o

So you should always do this, regardless of temperature?

[rustynutz]

From the i30 handbook....

[eXDee]

Ah. Of course it's in the owners manual - something that's missing from the vehicle (as is all other paperwork).

Thanks for the info, I'll keep this in mind in the future. How long do you typically warm the glow plugs for during winter? Wondering if people have a particular routine or just wait until the light goes out.

[rustynutz]

This article may also help you understand the role glow plugs play... 

Diesel Engine Glow Plugs: Not Just For Starting Anymore - Engine Builder Magazine

[rustynutz]

Ah. Of course it's in the owners manual - something that's missing from the vehicle (as is all other paperwork).

Thanks for the info, I'll keep this in mind in the future. How long do you typically warm the glow plugs for during winter? Wondering if people have a particular routine or just wait until the light goes out.

Cheers eXDee 

If you want a copy of the manual, you can download it here

As for the glow plug question, just waiting for the light to go out is sufficient...

[Paolo5]

 How long do you typically warm the glow plugs for during winter? Wondering if people have a particular routine or just wait until the light goes out.

Just turn the key until the dash lights come on...the glow plug light will turn off after a few seconds. Once it goes out, the glow plugs have warmed and it's time to turn the key further to activate the starter motor.

[The Gonz]

As above. I've always just waited for the glow plug light to go out. I remembered that from my early Air Force training for a Ford Econovan 3-sp Diesel.

[sundiz]

How long do you typically warm the glow plugs for during winter?

Wait until the light goes out before cranking the engine. That sould work in your "winter". In real winter when the temps are low you might want to do glowing more than once 

Hyundai i30 -08 1.6crdi cold start - YouTube

[eXDee]

Wow that is insanely cold. And that engine rumble, sheesh.

Glowing them every time i start does make a major difference, though yet to have any cold ~0 degree mornings in the past week or so. We'll see how it fares when i take it to the mountain, should be 0 to -10 there, not quite like Finland temperatures however!

[cleid]

No modern car should be started like that, petrol or diesel. Generally all lights will be lit when you turn on the car and will turn off as the relevant system (e.g airbags, ABS) passes the startup checks. Lights remaining on tends to indicate a problem and should have you looking at your user manual.

In a diesel car there is the added concern of the glow plugs, which you've already learned about.

[eXDee]

So update, i was waiting for some decent cold temperatures, either around zero or negative. I glow it once regularly, and if it's around zero, ill glow it a couple of times for good measure. By doing this, it starts fine even at the snow - carpark ~1650m (5400ft), though up there it idles at 1500.

[Asterix]

At zero degrees you should be able to start the engine first time the glow plug light turn off. If not, 1 or more glow plugs are most likely not working.