Afternoon from sunny England.
Another one for you Mog lovers!
My U1000 is fitted with a Start Pilot.This is the oojamaflip that you fill with starter fluid under the bonnet, and prime it from the cab, for starting on extremely cold days( not that we get them in the UK).
Any of you guys use it?What exactly is the fluid that is put in?
Mine is a good starter so I don't ever feel the need to use it,but I am curious!
I have the user manual but it leaves more questions unanswered!
normal, yes I use it if I need to start when it's well below 0C. Saves wear and tear on the starter and battery from cranking.
You use a "special" fluid, made by Black Forest elves with good labour contracts. The bottles press into the top of the reservoir to unload their contents.
All of the USA dealers have the stuff. A while back, it got more difficult to buy because of changes in the transportation rules (it was considered hazardous cargo) but, they've either changed the rules again or people have found other ways to ship it.
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A word of warning - it's recommended that one begin cranking the engine at the same time you pump the Start Pilote. Pumping before cranking can lead to problems due to the volatile nature of this stuff, building up in the intake.
Reminds me of the Jack Russell story of a MB4-94 operator using excessive starting ether, sprayed directly into the snorkel. Upon "ignition", the explosion not only blew apart the intake and snorkel, but tore the entire fender off the rig.
I'm also interested in using this feature, mine looks like it has a little bit of fluid in it but when I pump it, it doesn't seem to inject any fluid, what is this starter fluid called, and when you mean dealers have it, what dealers; mercedez dealers or unimog dealers?
What other things do you do to help start in the cold weather? I put a magnetic heater on the oil pan to see if that helps.
I went through the cold weather blues, Montana-style, and I found that
cranking speed seems to be the critical thing for me. If the battery is warm and charged, it'll turn over enough to catch. If it is going to be below 10 degrees or so, I'll pull the battery and keep it in the garage. A little bit of a pain, but it works.
I tried the magnetic heaters, putting two on the pan, but if the battery was cold, they didn't seem to do enough to matter.
I think a coolant heater, either the 110V plug-in, or the diesel-fired style is the ultimate solution, but I haven't done that as yet.
Vehicle: 1984 300GD "G" Wagen, and 1998 Steyr Puch 290GD "G" Van & a 1988 MB Trac 1000
Location: Co Antrim, Norn Ireland
Posts: 697
That is why the 1970's Lada car we had recommended.
( i ) First turn the engine over a few times with the starting handle as supplied.
( ii ) Then SWITCH ON THE HEADLIGHTS for a few minutes to draw some current off the very cold battery and hence WARM IT UP
( iii ) Then simply turn the key.
Talk about "counter intuitive"
So, do you have to use a special fluid or can it be purchased locally? I have used mine a couple times and it works great...usually only requires a pump or two and it fires right up. I just want to know where to get more fluid before I run out on a cold morning. Still trying to get the MOG inside. The forms are made and almost ready to pour the slab for the UNIMOG garage!
I remember reading that other "starting fluid"-type products can be used, if you pull the spray cap off and are lucky enough to have a pipe that mates w/ the Start Pilot receiver...But the North American UNIMOG suppliers all have it, I think, and even though it isn't super cheap (due to the ELVE'S Union contract, and, now, the EURO's dominance over the Greenback), I'd say spend the money and call one of the guys---every single thing they bring from Europe
has gone up by a considerable amount over the last year...
As far as the Trabant, and cold weather, I found this guy in Eastern Europe that has crafted, hand-made, Snow Tires. Very old school and SOLID , using a very old-world approach...still waiting to hear if he has them in UNIMOG sizes.
Like Reinhart said, you can "adapt" a regular starting ether can to fill the Start Pilote. I did it a few years ago with a flexible tube and a plastic nozzle off some other bottle. I was able to get fluid in but ended up losing probably as much as I added.
I decided it was easier (although more expensive) to just order a few cans with the proper fill device. I got them from either Ince or Sean - can't remember which. I seldom run my Mog when it's VERY cold so I still have a whole bottle+.
The "real stuff" is supposed to have a magic mix of volatiles, lubricants and troll blood that not only starts your OM352, but heals rust on your cab floor, polishes your portal gears, cures your gout AND ups the compression on any nearby Trabant...
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