My Jeep sounded different when I had to start it in -8* F weather a few days back, but it started just fine. Last summer I bought a die hard battery with like 935 CCA's. They had it listed online at $170. The store price was $230, but the guy matched it for me. Plus it has a 4 year free replacement warranty. Had it been my old battery.. It wouldn't have started..lol
ever had a car fail to start because of the cold
- Thread starter ram_man
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My ex-girlfriend in college up north had a diesel Rabbit.
Even with the block heater plugged in overnight, it would crank slowly at first gradually speeding up until it started to run on what felt like two cylinders. (block heater was a strange concept to a Southerner like me) Shake the whole car. I thought the car was going to disintegrate into a pile of rust sometimes from the paintmixer like shaking.
"CROKCROKCROCKCROK!" It sounded like internal components were going to fly out of the side of the block at any moment.
Then the 3rd cylinder would get warm enough to allow compression ignition. A little less shaking. A little higher idle.
The 4th would finally start firing and while still loud, it wasn't nearly as much vibration. And away we would fly in a blinding cloud of soot.
To this day, I do not know what, if anything, she used to keep the diesel from gelling.
The plug through the grill ran a freezeplug and battery heater wired together with what looked like Romex.
Even with the block heater plugged in overnight, it would crank slowly at first gradually speeding up until it started to run on what felt like two cylinders. (block heater was a strange concept to a Southerner like me) Shake the whole car. I thought the car was going to disintegrate into a pile of rust sometimes from the paintmixer like shaking.
"CROKCROKCROCKCROK!" It sounded like internal components were going to fly out of the side of the block at any moment.
Then the 3rd cylinder would get warm enough to allow compression ignition. A little less shaking. A little higher idle.
The 4th would finally start firing and while still loud, it wasn't nearly as much vibration. And away we would fly in a blinding cloud of soot.
To this day, I do not know what, if anything, she used to keep the diesel from gelling.
The plug through the grill ran a freezeplug and battery heater wired together with what looked like Romex.
Thin oil, well maintained with all electrics off should start at -40.
About 35 years ago I had an old 75 Dodge Dart slant six refuse to start at about -35C/-31F, spraying aerosol starter fluid 'Quick Start' into the air intake did the trick.
In older worn engines with reduced compression the start is less likely to happen.
About 35 years ago I had an old 75 Dodge Dart slant six refuse to start at about -35C/-31F, spraying aerosol starter fluid 'Quick Start' into the air intake did the trick.
In older worn engines with reduced compression the start is less likely to happen.
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Not lately but on Jan 21 1985 it hit a all time record of -3F here... Excepting for a '72 Country Squire Sta wagn with a 400 and 20W-50 & STP in the crankcase, nothing of mine or the company vehicle(Luv truck) would start...
I ran the Luv's battery down(cranked maybe 30 seconds, had been setting for two days and was +3F the night prior) so while it recharged I baked the plug wires and dist cap in the oven for probably 20 minutes and it did start...
The 6cyl Granada we had wasn't interested so I charged it's battery overnight and it did start the next morning, which was good as someone bought the sta wagon that evening...
I ran the Luv's battery down(cranked maybe 30 seconds, had been setting for two days and was +3F the night prior) so while it recharged I baked the plug wires and dist cap in the oven for probably 20 minutes and it did start...
The 6cyl Granada we had wasn't interested so I charged it's battery overnight and it did start the next morning, which was good as someone bought the sta wagon that evening...
Yeah, back in the early 1980s when I was a new driver. My mom's 1978 Mercury Zephyr wouldn't start. We ended up bringing the battery in the house and re-installed it in the AM. It was a pretty small battery, so it didn't take much to cause problems.
My '66 Nova would start in the same conditions. It was pretty cold, say 5 or 10 below zero.
Even on the best days, the 200 cubic inch Ford inline 6 was a tough cold start. Especially if you didn't follow the procedure to set the automatic choke. Combine the ridiculously small battery with the questionable carb and it made for some interesting winter mornings.
Originally Posted By: ram_man
Curious as to how cold it has to be before cars in good health cant start right up easily?
My '66 Nova would start in the same conditions. It was pretty cold, say 5 or 10 below zero.
Even on the best days, the 200 cubic inch Ford inline 6 was a tough cold start. Especially if you didn't follow the procedure to set the automatic choke. Combine the ridiculously small battery with the questionable carb and it made for some interesting winter mornings.
Originally Posted By: ram_man
Curious as to how cold it has to be before cars in good health cant start right up easily?
I had this same car, an 81 Rabbit Diesel. (Acceleration measured with a calendar.)
It had the same issue, wouldn't start on all four cylinders. I replaced 3 of the 4 glow plugs as I wasn't about to remove the injector pump to replace the 4th one, IIRC. It would eventually start on the first three and the fourth cylinder would catch up.
It had what looked like a choke, but was an injector advance. Pull out that knob and you would advance the fuel injection timing just a bit. Not sure it really did anything as far as I could tell.
Originally Posted By: Spazdog
My ex-girlfriend in college up north had a diesel Rabbit.
Even with the block heater plugged in overnight, it would crank slowly at first gradually speeding up until it started to run on what felt like two cylinders. (block heater was a strange concept to a Southerner like me) Shake the whole car. I thought the car was going to disintegrate into a pile of rust sometimes from the paintmixer like shaking.
"CROKCROKCROCKCROK!" It sounded like internal components were going to fly out of the side of the block at any moment.
Then the 3rd cylinder would get warm enough to allow compression ignition. A little less shaking. A little higher idle.
The 4th would finally start firing and while still loud, it wasn't nearly as much vibration. And away we would fly in a blinding cloud of soot.
To this day, I do not know what, if anything, she used to keep the diesel from gelling.
The plug through the grill ran a freezeplug and battery heater wired together with what looked like Romex.
It had the same issue, wouldn't start on all four cylinders. I replaced 3 of the 4 glow plugs as I wasn't about to remove the injector pump to replace the 4th one, IIRC. It would eventually start on the first three and the fourth cylinder would catch up.
It had what looked like a choke, but was an injector advance. Pull out that knob and you would advance the fuel injection timing just a bit. Not sure it really did anything as far as I could tell.
Originally Posted By: Spazdog
My ex-girlfriend in college up north had a diesel Rabbit.
Even with the block heater plugged in overnight, it would crank slowly at first gradually speeding up until it started to run on what felt like two cylinders. (block heater was a strange concept to a Southerner like me) Shake the whole car. I thought the car was going to disintegrate into a pile of rust sometimes from the paintmixer like shaking.
"CROKCROKCROCKCROK!" It sounded like internal components were going to fly out of the side of the block at any moment.
Then the 3rd cylinder would get warm enough to allow compression ignition. A little less shaking. A little higher idle.
The 4th would finally start firing and while still loud, it wasn't nearly as much vibration. And away we would fly in a blinding cloud of soot.
To this day, I do not know what, if anything, she used to keep the diesel from gelling.
The plug through the grill ran a freezeplug and battery heater wired together with what looked like Romex.
I never lived where this was a problem, the only reason cars wouldn't start was due to batteries that reached the end of their lives.
I knew a customer who had a 1980s Peugeot diesel and loved it. She used to live in New Jersey. However, she said that below 20F, she needed to use a block heater to start it. The only reason she sold the car was because after about 10 years, repair bills got huge for a number of reasons.
I knew a customer who had a 1980s Peugeot diesel and loved it. She used to live in New Jersey. However, she said that below 20F, she needed to use a block heater to start it. The only reason she sold the car was because after about 10 years, repair bills got huge for a number of reasons.
My 99 chev with a 5.3 would start without being plugged in until -40. I would start my truck and let it warm up enough so the seats weren't rock hard then drive up my block basting my horn or just stop at the cars with the hoods up and boost them.
That truck is easily the most reliable I've ever owned. If it was too cold for it to start it's too cold to work,so I never needed to plug it in.
My charger is brutal. New battery this year and if it's not plugged in at -30c it will not start.
The starter clutch engages so just as it starts firing the starter cuts out,killing the engine. Do that a few times and the battery dies. I now carry a 100' cord and a 50' cord with me just in case, otherwise in -30 or colder I have to start it every 6 hours and let it idle up to operating temp.
The charger plugged in starts first turn. The block heater heats the oil too. At -30 this morning my oil was 55f which is significant.
And the heat blows fairly quickly however it's not steerable. I need 2 hands to muscle the wheel and the squealing power steering pump is screaming loudly that it's not ready.
In the temps we are experiencing right now I let my car warm up for a half hour at least.
I have a choice. I can drive a frozen car where it and I are both miserable and breathing frosts the windows so badly I cannot see,or I can let it warm up and the whole car sounds right and operates perfectly.
Which adds more wear. Easy idling with no load or moderate load on all the systems which due to the wind while in motion actually takes just as long to get warm.
I'm picking the latter as more potential wear.
That truck is easily the most reliable I've ever owned. If it was too cold for it to start it's too cold to work,so I never needed to plug it in.
My charger is brutal. New battery this year and if it's not plugged in at -30c it will not start.
The starter clutch engages so just as it starts firing the starter cuts out,killing the engine. Do that a few times and the battery dies. I now carry a 100' cord and a 50' cord with me just in case, otherwise in -30 or colder I have to start it every 6 hours and let it idle up to operating temp.
The charger plugged in starts first turn. The block heater heats the oil too. At -30 this morning my oil was 55f which is significant.
And the heat blows fairly quickly however it's not steerable. I need 2 hands to muscle the wheel and the squealing power steering pump is screaming loudly that it's not ready.
In the temps we are experiencing right now I let my car warm up for a half hour at least.
I have a choice. I can drive a frozen car where it and I are both miserable and breathing frosts the windows so badly I cannot see,or I can let it warm up and the whole car sounds right and operates perfectly.
Which adds more wear. Easy idling with no load or moderate load on all the systems which due to the wind while in motion actually takes just as long to get warm.
I'm picking the latter as more potential wear.
If any of you guys have a big rig you might want to have a look at this new technology product:
http://www.maxwell.com/products/ultracapacitors/products/engine-start-module/
http://www.maxwell.com/products/ultracapacitors/products/engine-start-module/
Originally Posted By: Dwight_Frye
If any of you guys have a big rig you might want to have a look at this new technology product:
http://www.maxwell.com/products/ultracapacitors/products/engine-start-module/
or DIY
If any of you guys have a big rig you might want to have a look at this new technology product:
http://www.maxwell.com/products/ultracapacitors/products/engine-start-module/
or DIY
Patman
Staff member
One of my co workers has a 99 Civic that wouldn't start yesterday morning in -24C weather. The battery is good, it was cranking, it just wasn't firing up. Took him at least an hour to get it going. This morning in -15C weather it started just fine. He figures it's on it's last legs, but he got his money's worth out of it, he only paid $150 for it and has had it for 3 years now!
Just to show how tough we've got it in Oz, we are having an unseasonal cold snap. Had to move the Caprice around the back yard to try to get the balancer off for CPS replacement (works great in winter, summer dodgy)...alas didn't get the bolt off.
Conditions 22C, with my syn blend 10ishW40ish, and Fram XtendedGuard oil filter.
Conditions 22C, with my syn blend 10ishW40ish, and Fram XtendedGuard oil filter.
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