This Is What a New Ford Super Duty Diesel Sounds Like on a -30 Degree Cold Start

You might have noticed that it's been pretty cold, well, everywhere lately. (I'm not talking to you, Florida.) I guess that's what January is good for, but still, it isn't a fun time to be a diesel truck owner. I thought it was bad where I live in the Ozarks with temps dropping below zero this week, but I've got nothing on this new Ford Super Duty owner in Calgary, Alberta. If you want proof, check out this cold start video where the pickup rattles and clangs to life around -30 degrees Fahrenheit.

The clip was shared on the Alumiduty Instagram page, where they tagged the truck's owner, Daryl J Hall. He's a professional transporter who uses his 6.7-liter Power Stroke for work, making this weather even more stressful. I'm sure he's used to it, living in Canada, but such frigid temps are hard on machinery. There's no question about it.

Hall says he plugged the Ford's block heater in about nine and a half hours before attempting the cold start. That explains how it was able to fire up so quickly, but as you can hear, it still makes quite a bit of noise before high idle kicks in and things smooth out. Even with additives, diesel fuel can get extremely thick in temperatures like that, not to mention the engine oil. Hall hopped into the comment section to say he's running 5W40, which is apparently the lightest that Ford recommends.

Conditions like this can wreak havoc on a truck. The part that may be most at risk is a diesel's high-pressure fuel pump, especially if you aren't mixing in Hot Shot's Secret or something like it to improve lubricity. When the pump is whirring and fuel isn't moving through, it could be just seconds away from burning up. You also need to watch out for high-pressure oil pump problems and cylinder wear.

For other tips on owning and operating a diesel truck in cold temperatures like these, I defer to The Drive commenter Kabouter's list from a previous story:

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