Your vehicle's diesel engine starts differently than a gasoline engine. Read the following pages to learn how to start, restart, warm-up, and stop your diesel engine.

The information applies to both Caterpillar® diesel engine and DURAMAX® diesel engine unless otherwise noted.

If you have a Caterpillar® diesel engine, also refer to your Caterpillar® diesel engine Operation & Maintenance Manual for the starting procedure.

Move your shift lever to PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N). Your engine will not start in any other position -- that is a safety feature. To restart when you are already moving, use NEUTRAL (N) only.

Notice: Do not try to shift to P (Park) if the vehicle is moving. If you do, you could damage the transmission. Shift to P (Park) only when the vehicle is stopped.

Move your shift lever to NEUTRAL and hold the clutch pedal to the floor while starting the engine. Your vehicle will not start if the clutch pedal is not all the way down -- that is a safety feature.

1. Turn your ignition key to RUN.

Observe the wait to start light. See Wait to Start Light . This light may not come on if the engine is hot.

If you have a Caterpillar® diesel engine, see your Caterpillar® Diesel Engine Operation & Maintenance Manual for proper wait to start light operation.

2. As soon as the wait to start light goes off, immediately turn the ignition key to START. When the engine starts, let go of the key.

If your vehicle is equipped with a DURAMAX® 6600 engine, it has a fast warm-up glow plug system. The wait to start light will illuminate for a much shorter time than most diesel engines, due to the rapid heating of the glow plug system.

Notice: Holding the key in START for longer than 15 seconds at a time will cause the battery to be drained much sooner. And the excessive heat can damage the starter motor.

Notice: If the wait to start light stays on after starting the vehicle, the vehicle may not run properly. Have the vehicle serviced right away.

3. If the engine does not start after 15 seconds of cranking, turn the ignition key to OFF. Wait one minute for the starter to cool, then try the same steps again.

If you are trying to start your engine after you have run out of fuel, see Running Out of Fuel .

When your engine is cold, let it run for a few minutes before you move your vehicle. This lets oil pressure build up. Your engine will sound louder when it is cold.

Notice: If you are not in an idling vehicle and the engine overheats, you would not be there to see the overheated engine indication. This could damage the vehicle. Do not let the engine run when you are not in the vehicle.

If your vehicle has the DURAMAX® Diesel Engine, the following notice applies:

Notice: The diesel engine has an electric air intake heater system which reduces white smoke and helps start the engine in cold weather. Do not spray starting fluid into the air intake where it can contact the heater elements.

The following tips will help you get good starting in cold weather.

Because the diesel engine uses compression ignition, it is harder to start in cold weather than a gasoline engine. The air intake heater and use of the proper engine oil, optional engine coolant heaters and optional ether injection systems help cold weather starting. See the Caterpillar® Diesel Engine Operation & Maintenance Manual for more information.

If you have to restart the engine while the vehicle is moving, you will first have to shift to NEUTRAL (N). This safety feature prevents starting the engine when the transmission is in a drive gear for more information.

1. Set the parking brake and shift to NEUTRAL (N) or PARK (P).
2. Turn the ignition key to OFF.

If your vehicle has a two-speed axle, see Two-Speed Rear Axle Electric Shift Control .

If you have a Caterpillar® diesel engine, see your Caterpillar® Diesel Engine Operation & Maintenance Manual for additional information.

Several factors affect how quickly your diesel engine warms up. These can include outside temperature, engine load, idle time and your vehicle's option content. Your vehicle may be equipped with some features that can help the engine reach operating temperature sooner. Some of these features are discussed below.

Also, remember that an automatic transmission adds heat to the cooling system through the heat exchanger in the radiator. Because of this, vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions are often able to retain engine coolant heat better than manual transmission vehicles.

See your Caterpillar® Operation & Maintenance manual for additional diesel engine warm-up information.

If you have run out of fuel, see Running Out of Fuel .

If you are not out of fuel, and your engine will not start, do this:

Turn your ignition key to RUN. Immediately after the wait to start light goes off, turn the ignition key to START.

If the light does not go off, wait a few seconds, then try starting your engine again. And, see your dealer as soon as you can for a starting system check.

If the light comes on and then goes off and you know your batteries are charged, but your engine still will not start, your vehicle needs service.

If the light does not come on when the engine is cold, your vehicle needs service.

If your batteries do not have enough charge to start your engine, see Battery .

Be sure you have the right oil for your engine, and that you have changed the oil at the proper times. If you use the wrong oil, your engine may be harder to start.

Be sure you are using the proper fuel for existing weather conditions. See What Fuel to Use .

If the engine starts, runs a short time, then stops, your vehicle needs service.

Caution: Do not use gasoline or starting aids, such as ether, in the air intake. They could damage the engine. There could also be a fire, which could cause serious personal injury.