# Diesel engine setting through the Winter without being run.



## Hoodoo Valley (Nov 14, 2006)

And it's a cold Winter at that. Anyways, it hasn't been started since September, and won't be started until later in the Spring. What am I going to encounter? Massive problems? or nothing to worry about? I'd start it at regular intervals but the batteries are gone and I see no path to buying new batteries for awhile, although I keep looking at used batteries on craigslist. More than likely though, it will be after Spring thaw (April May) before I can afford batteries.


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## Hoodoo Valley (Nov 14, 2006)

The tank was empty, I've been filling it up little by little. Another 10 gallons will top the tank, and I'm buying 5 gallons tomorrow. Thank you guys for any advice.


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## willys55 (Oct 13, 2016)

put anti gel in the tank, truck should be fine, I normally would put antigel in mine and run it for 20 minutes then pretty much do nothing till spring, my horse truck sits through every winter because I dont haul during that time


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## willys55 (Oct 13, 2016)

only thing I do other than that is that I keep a small 1.5 amp trickle charger plugged in all bloody winter


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## Hoodoo Valley (Nov 14, 2006)

When I switch out the batteries, I'll be doing that for sure. These that I have now, are either toast, or something is drawing them down. Either way, they are so gone that not even the dome light comes on, and right now, it's zero out, so fairly certain they are done. I will be installing a cut off switch when the batteries get updated. Well, it's good to know that everything should be fine then. Thanks Doc!


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## Thomas (Nov 1, 2006)

Good cold range of antifreeze.
Motor connected to transmission like HST??? if so push down and peg the peddle this might help clutch from sticking.


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## Ultradog (Feb 27, 2005)

Such is the beauty of a diesel.
No fuel to get stale, no points to fuss with in the spring.
I usually put my 3000 Ford in the shed up at my land in October and don't even see it untill the end if April.
I bring the battery home and charge it occasionally in the winter.
When I go up to put in deer plots in the spring I bring the battery along, put it in the tractor and it fires up and I put it to work.
Simple.


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## Guest (Dec 28, 2017)

Opinions are free and always worth at least what you pay for them....but here goes mine. My suggestion is that you should bite the bullet and put new batteries in it and run it to town once every 2 weeks. Fixing properly almost always is less expensive than "jury rigging" in the long run. You're gonna buy the new batteries in the near future anyway (or deal with the worn out batteries from craigslist....why are they for sale on cl and not in use?). My NAPA store doesn't like to sell batteries with a build date earlier than the current month even. Sitting in place for 7 months never did any machinery any good. Trickle charger is a good idea though and Stabil in the fuel tank.


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## Hoodoo Valley (Nov 14, 2006)

Yes, I absolutely agree on the batteries. Plus, I'd like to have the warranty. I need to be sure I have the coolant additive and new oil in it before I fire it up too. The coolant filter looks new so I'm hoping it's fine. I'm going to spin off the filter and see if it feels heavy enough to indicate it has the treatment in there.


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## MHarryE (Oct 28, 2011)

In our area we are shut down from around November 1 to April 1. Tractors, combines, excavator, are stored inside. Nothing special done. Batteries generally crank them over come spring but if they crank slow, we'll use a charger. Coldest we have had so far this winter is -41F. People talk about trickle chargers but we've never had problems like finding dead batteries in the spring.


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## DK35vince (Jan 22, 2006)

MHarryE said:


> In our area we are shut down from around November 1 to April 1. Tractors, combines, excavator, are stored inside. Nothing special done. Batteries generally crank them over come spring but if they crank slow, we'll use a charger. Coldest we have had so far this winter is -41F. People talk about trickle chargers but we've never had problems like finding dead batteries in the spring.


I work for a paving company and we do the same thing.
Equipment gets shut down around the middle of Nov thru beginning of April.
No battery tenders, nothing special done.
Early April its gets started up and run daily through the summer.
My tractor can set for weeks at a time through the winter, never had a battery tender on it (original battery lasted 11 years).
I bought my street bike new the beginning of 2009. It sets from mid Oct- mid April.
I don't do anything to it to set that long (other than Stabil in the gas). Never had a battery tender on it.
Starts right up in the spring and still running the original battery.


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