Starting a diesel engine, especially cold question

So after seeing a decal inside a swather with a cummins diesel in it I am wondering if I am placing my throttle in the wrong position when starting cold. I always just bump off an idle. This decal showed the universal sign for "choke" as running the throttle 3/4 of the way up. Now I understand that there is no choke on a diesel but does running the throttle up aid in the engine starting easier when cold? I've also noticed our Grasshopper dealer we use at work starts the little Kubota with the throttle wide open. I've always felt it's extremely hard on something to start like that but maybe I'm all wrong. What do you all do?

Our 8050 had a factory decal by the console that said something like To aid in cold weather starting fully open throttle. Return to idle at first fire

The cold starting technique varies with each brand of engine and what kind of fuel injection system it has on it. Some are better after throttling wide-open and others are better at a slow idle. Not the same for all is my point.

To me the best option is based on what method the equipment responds to. Do you plug it in? Everything I own of multiple brands if plugged in doesn’t need help from the throttle. If I need something that’s not plugged in, I’ll open the throttle but bring it down rapidly rather then letting it rev up right away, I hate that! I have one unit with a cold start mechanism that pours fuel to it automatically, but it changes other things so that it doesn’t rev. It sputters and chokes with smoke pouring then after a little bit runs perfect.

I wish I had put in a block heater on my XT when I was doing maintenance 2 years ago. Starting a warm engine to me is always easier on the components verses the intake heater. Usually takes anywhere between 30-60 seconds of the heater depending on the outside temperature. She starts pretty well after a few spins of the engine. Use half throttle on mine and pull back to a 1/4 after she is up and running. Would rather have a block heater instead.

Generally speaking, when starting an engine with a RoosaMaster system, I've always felt the throttle set at about 800 to 1,000 RPM starts best.  I've slowed down many a Gleaner combine from 1200 RPM to 800 RPM  and improved the cold starting.

My 175 diesel has a block heater that I plug in for 1 hour or a little longer so engine doesn't have to do a cold start.  This seems to be the easiest start in cold weather which I hope is the best method for the engine.  I place throttle about 1/4 open for starting.

for me starting a diesel at idle is always the best thing to do. a block heater for winter is a must. a lot of people just leave them plugged in during cold weather. it will save your motor over the long haul as warm oil is better for bearings and your motor will start quicker. a diesel motor works off of very small clearances for compression. excess fuel while trying to start it will wash down the cylinder walls. a warm motor turns over faster which is needed for compression. glow plugs do help with starting but they don't help bearings. just my thoughts.

Technically, on 8000 series with AmBach pumps, open the throttle wide open and pull back to idle and then start it.

I rebuilt a pump once for an Onan 3.4L 6 cylinder diesel in a gen set. Most genset diesel engines run 1800 for our 60 cycles, but this one was set up to run 3600, and it was locked in the wide open position. We didn't run it that way, I backed the low idle screw out so it would idle down. But I could not imagine starting a cold engine and having it go right to 3600! lol! They were supposedly piped warm water all the time so it wouldn't technically be cold upon startup. Most diesel engines are at start fuel when you start them, but moving the throttle to about 1/3 way up helps keep it in start fuel while spinning over with the starter, or as it begins firing and tries speeding up on it's own. Some inline pumps use a magnet to hold it in start fuel until you get to 1200 or more rpm, JD uses this. Not only is it holding it in excess fuel, it's also retart timing to start mode. You can pull slightly on the shut off knob to help "break" it off the magnet, but many times they will just die. 

DrAllis wrote: Technically, on 8000 series with AmBach pumps, open the throttle wide open and pull back to idle and then start it.

You can remove the magnet from the rack rod on the inline Bosch to lower the rev on startup.My 8070 is this way and still speeds up at start but nothing like the Deeres and like Blue says,you can crank while holding shut off and slowly release for no rev.....I'm not aware of any Deeres being short lived because of their start up method,just saying.

Running them everyday seems to help also. My primary feeding and snow removal tractor used to be a D282 powered Farmall 560. Good batteries,glow plugs, block heater and starts were no problem 😊.

Again, each engine design has its correct way of cold starting. Different fuel injection systems is one difference. Another is DIRECT injection or PRE-COMBUSTION chamber, of which there must be at least half-dozen different ways to do that.  Manifold heaters and actual glow plugs inside the combustion chamber is something else to consider. For those who think 15W-40 is a Winter use engine oil, try an oil change of 10W-30 diesel oil and you won't believe how much faster the engine cranks on a zero degree morning. Faster cranking means easier starting !!