6 Quick Tips for Starting a Cold Diesel Engine This Winter

Feb 17, 2020

For those planning to work throughout the winter months, it’s essential to learn the ins and outs of starting a cold diesel engine. Doing so is essential to keeping your engine in working order for seasons to come. With this in mind, here are six tips for starting a cold diesel engine and maintaining your equipment over time.

1. Do Not Underestimate Warm-Up Time

Giving your cold diesel engine time to warm up is essential. Ideally, you should always allow your equipment to warm up for at least five minutes before operating. Failing to do so can make the engine work harder than necessary.

2. Consider Heating Options

There are several options available to you when it comes to heating your machinery and keeping it running smoothly. An electric block heater, for instance, can heat up the coolant in-stream. A diesel-fired coolant heater can allow you to heat up your engine in an area where electricity may not be readily available. Glow plugs can help you ignite cold fuel, and ether can heat the fuel-air mixture inside of a large-sized engine.

3. Keep Your Diesel Exhaust Fluid Thawed

If you intend to add DEF to your machinery at a later time, make sure that it is kept at a temperature above 12 degrees Fahrenheit to prevent it from freezing. Freezing does not affect the uptime of your equipment, but having the DEF prepared can ensure that it’s ready to be dispensed when necessary.

4. Address Frozen Fuel

In the event that your fuel has frozen or gelled together, you’ll want to change the fuel filter and warm the fuel before you start the engine, according to the University of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service. This will prevent the frozen fuel from blocking the flow from the tank to the injector pump.

5. Keep Your Engine in a Warm Area

If possible, store your diesel engine in a warm area where it will not be exposed to elements, such as sleet and snow. Keeping the engine in an area where the temperature is even a few degrees warmer can make it quicker to warm up.

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Video: From Conventional to Regenerative: Will Groeneveld’s Journey Back to the Land

"You realize you've got a pretty finite number of years to do this. If you ever want to try something new, you better do it."

That mindset helped Will Groeneveld take a bold turn on his Alberta grain farm. A lifelong farmer, Will had never heard of regenerative agriculture until 2018, when he attended a seminar by Kevin Elmy that shifted his worldview. What began as curiosity quickly turned into a deep exploration of how biology—not just chemistry—shapes the health of our soils, crops and ecosystems.

In this video, Will candidly reflects on his family’s farming history, how the operation evolved from a traditional mixed farm to grain-only, and how the desire to improve the land pushed him to invite livestock back into the rotation—without owning a single cow.

Today, through creative partnerships and a commitment to the five principles of regenerative agriculture, Will is reintroducing diversity, building soil health and extending living roots in the ground for as much of the year as possible. Whether it’s through intercropping, zero tillage (which he’s practiced since the 1980s) or managing forage for visiting cattle, Will’s approach is a testament to continuous learning and a willingness to challenge old norms.

Will is a participant in the Regenerative Agriculture Lab (RAL), a social innovation process bringing together producers, researchers, retailers and others to co-create a resilient regenerative agriculture system in Alberta. His story highlights both the potential and humility required to farm with nature, not against it.