Gas vs. Diesel: Cold Start Battle – Which Starts Quicker? [Video]

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Gas vs. Diesel: Winter cold start test

Winter has a firm grip on much of the United States and the world. Colorado is going through a cold spell, and we wanted to see how some of our trucks would start after being parked for more than a day in temperatures that hover near 0 degrees Fahrenheit.

Participating in this battle are Andre’s 2002 Chevy Silverado 2500 HD Duramax with a 6.6L Duramax V8 and TFLtruck’s 1985 Chevy K10 with a carbureted 305 cu-in V8. The Duramax does have an engine block heater, but we did not use it over night for this particular cold start test. Diesels have a problem with jelling fuel at temperatures below 32F. This is why all modern diesels (including the 2002 Duramax) come equipped with glow plugs. Diesels do not have spark plugs for ignition, but the glow plugs are there to warm up each cylinder’s combustion area.

The 1985 Chevy K10 does not have any special provisions for cold starts. It has a carburetor with automatic choke, and that’s about it.

Which truck starts quicker at a temperature of around 5F? Get all the details in the video below.