Almost winter time. It actually got to 49 degrees in S. Ga earlier this week. And the 310c would not start with out a snort of ether. All summer it has been extremely easy to start. It is due for an oil change. Presently it has 10 w 30. Would going to 5w20 help the cranking any? Would a block heater help? The magnetic one that attaches to the oil pan. be worth it . Any help or comments are most welcome. David d.
Holy crap, 49 degrees and it wouldn't start? We don't start plugging our backhoes and loaders in until it gets below 30, and they don't need ether
I have a 310C and live in Northern Manitoba. I had to look up a celcius to farenheit converter to make sure I had the numbers right. I do my best not to start mine at all when its colder than -10c or 14f. Anything approaching freezing, and the block heater makes a big difference. I was told by the previous owner of my 310C (who is quite an experienced owner/operator) that this unit just doesn't like the extreme cold. Keep in mind that winters here can go as low as -40, at which point farenheit and celcius are exactly the same. We use 0w oil here in the winter and it is fine for light/occasional use in warmer weather. The block heater helps a lot as do fully charged batteries. The hydraulic oil takes a while to warm up, but cycling the loader seems to do the job.
David, Cool weather is telling you, you have a problem, unnoticed all summer long. Maybe something as simple as low cranking speed; there are many other causes. Phil
Yep, starter getting tired, old batteries. Deere provides a block heater for that engine that works way better than magnet heaters that cook the oil in the pan.
A simple check with no cost. Let your machine sit overnight. Do not start it or turn anything on. Put a volt meter across the battery post. Your need at least 12.4 volts to call your battery good. It may start in warm weather at 12.1 volts but not in the cold. A real good or new battery will read 12.6 to 12.9 volts after sitting overnight. Next, if you wish to test the charging system, start the engine. Then put your meter across the battery. You should get 14 to 14.6 volts. If so your alternator is working well. Less than 14 volts will eventually result in a bad battery.
My backhoe won't start without ether below 50 degrees farenheight. But I know that the engine compression is really low. It is due for a major overhaul. In regards to oil,I use 15W-40 in the warm months and 5W-30 when it gets colder. If I need to use the machine in freezing weather for snow removal I plug an extension cord onto factory installed block heater. It has the freeze plug style. It works really well. The engine starts as if it were 80 degrees out.
One thing I forgot to mention is that my 310C has what appears to be an aftermarket battery disconnect switch. Perhaps it is common for these to have a parasitic draw on the batteries. Low batteries obviously will make starting a challenge regardless of temperature.
Put new batteries and cleaned all connections including the grounds down to shiny metal on my 580K and it starts instantly now. The grounds get corroded over time and the cables also start to breakdown. New cables on my John Deere solved the starting problems when I bought it years back.