0' Degree Start Up Worries.......

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So I have a 2000 Honda Civic with 175,000 miles on it. I currently have a FRAM tough card and Max Life 5'30' in it. The thing is that it starts up in the morning but sounds horrible. I'm thinking it could be a belt but the weather seems to be brutal? Should I expect it to start up like my girlfriends 2012 honda civic?
 
In that same vein,would it be wise to use an 0w-30 oil in a cold climate, vs a 10w-30 which is what is recommended in my older vehicles?
 
Check the fluids, levels, and belts. Replace if needed. Change the oil to 0w-30 and then put the 5-30 back in during the summer. Have you always used Fram Tough guard? Just wondering maybe your model doesn't like that one and try an OEM filter, Fram Ultra, Napa Platinum, M1 filter?

Last week I changed my 2000 Neon's oil and going to have to change the Mobil 1 10-30 to a Franken stew of 5-30, 0-20, and German Castrol because Phx hit a low of 32. I know phx and the windy city are polar opposites. My car revs to 18xx or something on its own when I first start it up in the morning and takes several minutes before it drops to 1k. I also top of the water reservoir every other day to make sure its not that.

No 2000 and 2012 is an entire generation apart. The 2012 shouldn't have an issue.
 
Originally Posted By: rccraw
In that same vein,would it be wise to use an 0w-30 oil in a cold climate, vs a 10w-30 which is what is recommended in my older vehicles?


Yes 0w-30 is a must in the Midwest during the winter and then use a High mileage oil during the summer.
 
Not so sure I'd worry about it at that age. Could be a combo of many things....

My 2006 Cobalt has been [censored] about start up/running the last few really cold days. And it runs a full syn!

It struggled a bit during the polar vortex last year, so I'm thinking it hates the cold as much as I do....
 
Originally Posted By: daves87rs
Not so sure I'd worry about it at that age. Could be a combo of many things....

My 2006 Cobalt has been [censored] about start up/running the last few really cold days. And it runs a full syn!

It struggled a bit during the polar vortex last year, so I'm thinking it hates the cold as much as I do....

Move to So Cal then you will almost never see any temperature below 30-35F.

Here I can use dino 10W30 in my S2000 all year without starting problem.
 
I use a 0w-30 in S. Cal. I need a 30 weight oil and for the same price why not have a 0w-30 instead of a 5w-30? It's possible that during start up and getting to normal operating temp the 0w-30 is doing a better job even though it's only the slightest bit better. As you can see from my signature there's one car in my garage that I've had for a while and I'll take the difference no matter how small.
 
Originally Posted By: qwerty1234
So I have a 2000 Honda Civic with 175,000 miles on it. I currently have a FRAM tough card and Max Life 5'30' in it. The thing is that it starts up in the morning but sounds horrible. I'm thinking it could be a belt but the weather seems to be brutal? Should I expect it to start up like my girlfriends 2012 honda civic?


We need to differentiate what the symptoms are; does it turn over slow? Once it starts, is the engine making mechanical noise, like metallic ticking? Does it make a squealing noise?

Metallic noise on that particular engine would likely indicates excessive valve lash; it has manually adjustable valves. In the case of squeal, the belts need tightening, which are also manually adjusted. Most Japanese vehicles of that era have manually adjustable valves and belts whereas newer Japanese vehicles and most domestics have hydraulically adjusted valves and spring loaded belt tensioners.
 
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When it was 15 below my GM power steering pumps make most of the worst noise. M1 ATF for PS fluid helped slightly.
 
Originally Posted By: 285south

Yes 0w-30 is a must in the Midwest during the winter and then use a High mileage oil during the summer.


Interesting. I've never used a 0w-anything and have lived in the midwest my entire life. I currently use 5w-30 for all of my vehicles (which all started just fine in sub-zero weather this week) and 15w-40 in my tractor (which also started just fine with it's 6 volt 68 year old electrical system).

Can you tell me why 0w-30 is a "must"?
 
Originally Posted By: Pop_Rivit
Originally Posted By: 285south

Yes 0w-30 is a must in the Midwest during the winter and then use a High mileage oil during the summer.


Interesting. I've never used a 0w-anything and have lived in the midwest my entire life. I currently use 5w-30 for all of my vehicles (which all started just fine in sub-zero weather this week) and 15w-40 in my tractor (which also started just fine with it's 6 volt 68 year old electrical system).

Can you tell me why 0w-30 is a "must"?

It isn't a must, but it is a trend. Many old cars with hi miles sound like [censored] when started in 0F weather. Let it warm up a few minutes before taking off, be extra gentle until it's warm. 5W-30 works just fine IMO - I'd be worried about 0W-30 and almost any synthetic leaking out in many old cars. I think synthetic blends are more forgiving regarding leaks.
 
Originally Posted By: Pop_Rivit
Originally Posted By: 285south

Yes 0w-30 is a must in the Midwest during the winter and then use a High mileage oil during the summer.


Interesting. I've never used a 0w-anything and have lived in the midwest my entire life. I currently use 5w-30 for all of my vehicles (which all started just fine in sub-zero weather this week) and 15w-40 in my tractor (which also started just fine with it's 6 volt 68 year old electrical system).

Can you tell me why 0w-30 is a "must"?


Please count me in as well. And since it's a must, I would also like to know why my cars start just fine on 5w20 and 5w30 conventional even during below 0F temps and synthetic never made any difference as far as cold engine sound is concerned.
 
My older cars have done that as well, I am north of you.

If it still does it when it is 30 degrees, then worry.
 
Originally Posted By: Pop_Rivit
Originally Posted By: 285south

Yes 0w-30 is a must in the Midwest during the winter and then use a High mileage oil during the summer.


Interesting. I've never used a 0w-anything and have lived in the midwest my entire life. I currently use 5w-30 for all of my vehicles (which all started just fine in sub-zero weather this week) and 15w-40 in my tractor (which also started just fine with it's 6 volt 68 year old electrical system).

Can you tell me why 0w-30 is a "must"?


Yeah, I live in Iowa and have never used a 0wAnything either. I use 5w30 in my pickup and 15w40 in my semi and ag tractor. But inquiring minds want to know. My semi started at -11F this morning with a 15w40 just fine. Pressure up right away like normal.
 
I have run 5w30 during weather similar to yours and never had a problem.. I don't think the oil is the problem. I have heard somewhere that if you turn your lights on for 10 seconds, than turn them off and try starting the car that it somehow gets the electrolytes moving or something and makes starting easier.. I also turn keys to on position before going to start. I used both these things in conjunction with each other and it seems to start easier.. but again hard to say whether there is any proof to it or not. What kind of noise are you hearing? Squealing? Squealing would typically be a belt. I would say no.. you shouldnt expect it to start the same as a 2012 model car.
 
I just put Amsoil 5w30 SS in my frontier for this cold weather coming up. Was -2 this morning and to be honest I was surprised that there was some lag in the engine turning over. It did turn over but probably at 3/4 the speed of normal. Once it hit, off it went no issues. Makes me wonder if it was may 10 degrees cold how slow the turn over would have been, might not have made a difference.
 
Was -20F the other day and my Jeep with 5w-40 T6 showed little hesitation starting. Even my folks' WJ (also a 4.0) started alright and I think that's got some sort of 10w-30 conventional in it, not sure why when we use 5w-30 in almost everything else
 
It has to get pretty darn cold to gain any real "benefit" from a 0w, in fact many of them are thicker than their 5w counterparts at typical winter temperatures in many locations.

Nothing wrong with them either, they are usually a premium product.
 
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