Cold Start question, is this normal for a diesel?

Went to start my car in the morning , was around 55 or so first time car in the cold. Went to crank it took a little longer than normal maybe like 2-3 seconds, she started and puffed a little smoke for like 5 seconds or so. It never does this when it was warm, I recently changed my IQ setting to correct the slowdown shutter and it fixed that, or is that normal for diesels to start like that in the cold?

I am up here in Vermont and when its about that temperature it usually takes a few seconds to fire and when its even colder, sometimes its evel longer than that.

It's typical for the cold starts to be roughest right around 45-55 F(not counting REAL cold). This is probably a function of the low-cetane fuel we get in the USA. The car doesn't give quite enough glow time for the temp/cetane.

One thing you can try is waiting a few more seconds after the GP light goes out before you crank. The light goes out, but the plugs stay on, so the combustion chamber can soak up a little more heat that way.

Try and start it at -40 celsius!!!! Glow plugs have to cycle about 2-3 times and stay on for about 10 seconds each time. Then, if the vehicle starts watch out for the cloud of smoke that will pour out of the pipe for about 1-2 min. The car will shake and clatter loud for about a minute. Drive for about 30 mins on the highway and then you will begin to feel heat. The touque and mitts don't come off till about 45 mins of driving!

Try and start it at -40 celsius!!!!

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How bout -40 F?

Oh wait it's the same temp, 233 Kelvin.

Try and start it at -40 celsius!!!! Glow plugs have to cycle about 2-3 times and stay on for about 10 seconds each time. Then, if the vehicle starts watch out for the cloud of smoke that will pour out of the pipe for about 1-2 min. The car will shake and clatter loud for about a minute. Drive for about 30 mins on the highway and then you will begin to feel heat. The touque and mitts don't come off till about 45 mins of driving!

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I use stanadyne and even though it's still a tough go to get it to start, it does, but with far less drama. Only smokes like a chimney and clatters for about 30 seconds, and then she's fine. After 10 mins. on the road, I get heat. Not gobs of it, but enough that I can take off my gloves and toque (woolen hat). 10 minutes after that, I'm opening up the jacket.

The 40 t0 50 % range seems to be the area everyone has a little more of a starting problem (if you can really call cranking 4 0r more sec. a problem) I find mine except when warm the colder the better and i never have had to cycle to plugs. That should not really be needed unless the weather is really cold say below 0 F. a little smoke is normal on the first start of the day.

The plugs continue to glow for some time after the light goes out. It's been theorized that waiting the extra time would be just as effective as turning the key off-and-on, but I dont live in a place where it gets godawful cold so I cant really test that theory. I have, however, seen improved starting behavior in the 40-something degree range if I do a "five count" after the light goes out, before cranking.

There is also a "starting parameters" section of VagCom that may allow you to fiddle with the startup behavior.