Lowest temp you ever started an engine.

[Uphill_Both_Ways]

Originally Posted By: Bailes1992
I don't think I've ever experienced anything below 0 degrees F.

Well, to be fair, after 30 below F, it all feels the same.

 

[Astro_Guy]

Originally Posted By: Bailes1992
I don't think I've ever experienced anything below 0 degrees F.

You should really get out more.

 

[spasm3]

Originally Posted By: Bailes1992
Some of these temperatures sound insane.

I don't think I've ever experienced anything below 0 degrees F.



Same here -1 or -2f is as cold as i have seen.

 

[Virtus_Probi]

Believe I started my car at -25F on a ski trip, it was long enough ago that that might have been the overnight low but things wouldn't have been a lot warmer at about 7:15am in January or February in northern NH. Probably had 5W30 conventional in my RAV4 at that time, the start was not that hard but the car shuddered and generally seemed to be suffering for a long time. Pretty sure that the battery was brand new as I think it was the previous fall I got stranded at work quite far from home when the temps suddenly dropped from about 60F to 30F and exposed the poor condition of what was in my car (a very nice cop gave me a jump).

 

[BJD78]

I am a bit late, but Happy new Year to you as well sir. Gonna be a couple of brisk days and nights coming up. I have been through Columbus on a few occasions. I would expect that the temp would be a few degrees colder since it sits a couple hundred feet in elevation down in that Platte River Valley. Typically the Platte river area east of Lincoln is often 2-3 degrees cooler sinc ethe cold settles into the Platte river valley.

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: Astro_Guy
Originally Posted By: Bailes1992
I don't think I've ever experienced anything below 0 degrees F.

You should really get out more.

Where he's from, they simply don't get a lot of ridiculously cold weather. It's like saying I should get out more because I've never experienced a monsoon or tsunami.

 

[Doublehaul]

-41F two days ago!
The F350 cranked a little slow but started just fine. No knocking. That was Rotella 5w40

I have a 95 Toyota Tacoma hunting rig with 300,000 miles on it. I had to jump that truck with the super duty. Even fully charged it cranked too slow to start. I had to spend at least 45 minutes before i could get it to start. That has Rotella 15w40 in it...so no wonder.

My wife drives a Malibu with a 4cyl. It has AC Delco blend 5w30 Dexos in it. Cranked and started completely normal.

At temps this low, the radio volume nob and climate control nob in my 2016 F350 would not turn and the cd player was making a screeching sound lol.

Temp is 30 today...a 70 degree swing!

This is actual temp...not wind chill. Fortunately there was no wind. Wind is the real killer in the cold. I shot skeet around noon and the temp had come up to -20 or so and it was actually pleasant and sunny out.

 

[FCD]

Me, a family member's 2003 Corolla Vvti in -35C, we forgot to plug it in that night too

It started after a fair bit of cranking and made a nasty whine for a few minutes.

Then a family member of mine was in the town of Kittilä in North-West Finnish Lapland in January 1999, it just so happened that that day the coldest temperature ever registered in Finland was measured, -51.5C ( -60.7 Fahreheit ).
Even for Northern Lapland that is truly very very very cold, he was driving a 1990 Ford Transit 2.5D, plugged in it managed to start he told me, but it barely ran and had to wait a good 30 minutes to be able to drive.

 

[hominid7]

I won't get the award for lowest temp, but I used 20w50 year-round in my old 1989 VW Jetta 1.8 (Gas). It cranked many times in the lower double digits (14*F was the lowest). It cranked slow, but it started! I used Valvoline AllClimate (white bottle) 20w50. It never used any oil and ran fine when i sold it with 225,000 miles on it. It was a SOHC engine, so that might have made for less issues with oil flow at cold temps. It was always parked outside overnight.

 

[jayg]

-56F, Chena Hot Springs, Alaska. 2015 Prius with 0w20 TGMO.

No block heater since it somehow got unplugged overnight. Started right up with no strange noises (It also helps there is no power steering fluid).The screen for the display too about 20 minutes to start working correctly, about the time I could drive it when the frost inside the car melted.

 

[bbhero]

Wow... Holy cow. That's exceptionally cold.

 

[Serge]

-20F. 10w30 cheap $2 synthetic. No issues. Same goes with 5w30 and 0w20. Didnt see any difference, maybe even seemed like 10w30 started better.

 

[Bighorn2500]

-19 Fahrenheit two winters ago, unplugged with 5w40. Turbo squealed for a second, worried me a bit. All good after that

 

[Nyogtha]

Also around -19°F during a Polar Vortex winter in NW Ohio for me. Had horrible screech followed by lots of lifter tap in my 5.7l Hemi with PPPP 5W-20 & a Mobil 1 M1-210 oil filter. This happened whenever I started the engine after sitting overnight in temperatures 10°F or lower.

Gave me a whole new appreciation for 0W-20 and base end bypass as an oil filter feature. Switched to PPPP 0W-20 & a Mopar MO-899 oil filter the following winter and never heard such noises again. Still using up my stash, currently running PPPP 0W-20 & a Mopar MO-899 oil filter in San Antonio. Plus you never know when I might take a trip north.

 

[CaptainBiggles]

Originally Posted By: Nyogtha
Also around -19°F during a Polar Vortex winter in NW Ohio for me. Had horrible screech followed by lots of lifter tap in my 5.7l Hemi with PPPP 5W-20 & a Mobil 1 M1-210 oil filter. This happened whenever I started the engine after sitting overnight in temperatures 10°F or lower.

Gave me a whole new appreciation for 0W-20 and base end bypass as an oil filter feature. Switched to PPPP 0W-20 & a Mopar MO-899 oil filter the following winter and never heard such noises again. Still using up my stash, currently running PPPP 0W-20 & a Mopar MO-899 oil filter in San Antonio. Plus you never know when I might take a trip north.


Good ol NW Ohio

I'm Toledo born and raised. I was in CBus for the vortex by that point but it was still a brutal winter.

 

[Nyogtha]

We were in Findlay at that time (Marathon). I chauffered folks that worked with my wife whose cars wouldn't start and wanted a ride to work during those times.

 

[wemay]

16°F Annandale, PA
Govt Chevy Malibu

 

[Ammofirst]

-27 : Turned over a bit slow but not terrible in a 1995 Chevy blazer 4dr 4wd. 5w-30 dino

 

[willistheguy]

2000 Continental 4.6 DOHC 5w30 @ -23F started right up as if it was summer. Boring.

It's been 0F practically every morning here for the past week and every car has started up no drama. Healthy batteries and EFI baby!
2010 Ford Fusion 2.5L 0w20
2007 Subaru Outback 2.5L 5w20
2003 Ford Focus 2.0L 0w20

 

[3putter]

Got down to nearly zero here in memphis last week. A record !

My '09 Malibu with 2.5 L engine fired right up with Quaker State 5w30 dino in the crankcase. Used remote start so was nice and toasty when my wife climbed in to go to work.