Started my Audi A3 3.2L at -17 F a few years ago. Started right up, no drama. Had Rotella T6 5w40 in it. Still driving that car, the best winter weather car ever ! I've started our Dodge diesel trucks at -10 or so...No problems, even without the block heater. We run T6 in those as well.
Lowest temp you ever started an engine.
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Maybe 15F during one of the Atlanta freezes. Would have been 5w20. Started no issues
Minus 20 degrees F with an air cooled Chevy Corvair filled with straight QS SAE 30 oil. The car had two batteries in parallel. It barely turned over at first, then the starter stalled. I went back inside to warm up. Twenty minutes later it started up. That initial load on the batteries warmed them up enough for the car to start pretty easily on the next attempt.
Ah, the good old days of carburetors and breaker points; these kids today have no idea of what we dealt with.
Ah, the good old days of carburetors and breaker points; these kids today have no idea of what we dealt with.
Had some issues starting my 2012 Nissan Pathfinder 4.0 V6 today about "0"F outside and it would start then die, Start then die it did this about three times before I was able to get it running? Oil is QSUD 5w30.
worst was -40C ambient in my Tb. Block heater and the same old 5w30 PPPP. Nothing fancy. But it has many, many, many starts in the -20 to -35C range. A few times at -30 with no block heater and sitting for days.
And the Tb still runs great and I dont think it burns any oil. No battery warmers, oil pan heaters or fancy oil.
And the Tb still runs great and I dont think it burns any oil. No battery warmers, oil pan heaters or fancy oil.
The coldest I've personally started a vehicle with no assistance from a block heater, battery charger, jump start, etc. was my 4Runner, at -38° F after sitting for two days in temperatures which consistently were -20° F or colder. It had Mobil 1 10w30 in the sump, and an Optima Yellow Top battery. It cranked a little slow, but fired up fairly easily.
-48F. Timmins ON. 1993 GM 6.5 diesel with 15w40 conventional oil in it. 2 oil pressure gauges. The dash electrical one showed pressure within a couple seconds of fire up. The mechanical gauge with about 3 feet of tiny tubing took a nerve wracking 20 seconds to respond. I let the truck idle almost 30 minutes before even trying to move it.
Pittsburgh PA, January 19, 1994 -22F, I started my 1979 5 liter 8 cylinder Buick regal that had Mobil 5W 30 in the sump. It cranked slow but started.
A friend of mine had a new Cadillac that flooded the engine that morning. We tried jump-starting it with my Buick because it had an oversize Die-Hard battery. It cranked faster but would not start. He pulled the spark-plugs and they all were wet with gasoline, so he replaced all the spark-plugs outside in that freezing cold. With the new plugs it started.
A friend of mine had a new Cadillac that flooded the engine that morning. We tried jump-starting it with my Buick because it had an oversize Die-Hard battery. It cranked faster but would not start. He pulled the spark-plugs and they all were wet with gasoline, so he replaced all the spark-plugs outside in that freezing cold. With the new plugs it started.
Winter of 1976 in western Wisconsin -34. Ford F250 with a 460.
I engaged the starter a couple times and then let it start.
I engaged the starter a couple times and then let it start.
Back when I was growing up in the 70's in Fargo ND and Sioux falls SD My dad had big Ford V8s, he had a 72 Ranger and we had big Galaxy station wagon they both used regular 10w40 oil. My Dad liked Conoco oil and that is what he used. At least a couple of days every winter temps would be between -25 to -35 degrees and 10 or so warmer days between -10 and -20 degrees and then lots of short sleeve shirt type winter days that were about between -5 to +25. Anything above +25 in ND seemed downright tropical. My dad's vehicles always started pretty well he and he made sure battery had lots of CCAs. He also used a few shots of starting fluid sometimes. Also he dumped Heet in the gas tank as well. Now with ethonal gas there is no need, but back then there was no ethanol at the pumps. He did have a radiator hose heater on the car and I remember while in HS I drove off with it still plugged in dragging the extension cord behind for a few miles. LOL. dad chewed my rear end for that one. Big V8s struggle some in those temps. Just a few days ago here in Lincoln it was -17 and my 3 vehicles started instantly,but then again turning over a 4 banger is not nearly as difficult as cranking over a big V8 engine. Since living here in Nebraska I think the -17 is the coldest we have had here for many many years. Anyone with a weak battery is going to find starting difficult. Nothing exposes a weak battery like below zero temps.
4f....I was moving from socal to ohio. My 360 in my dodge truck had sae 40 in it. Fired right up.
Tacoma Wa. 1994. -10F. Well below the norms for that region as a Arctic blast straight out of the Yukon blew through. My 1985 Ford Ranger made a click when I turned the key and nothing else. Battery was good. This was 2am so I had it towed to a dealership near home 25 miles away. The tow driver took me home as well. He got a very generous tip that night.
Diagnosis: the main computer module had fried. This was the third one, the first two replaced under warranty. It was fixed the next day and my wallet was $500 lighter.
Two weeks later I stopped off at my mothers house to drop off some things. Went back out and...click, she was dead again. Computer module #4. I promptly fired that truck which had been a royal pain since I owned it and bought a 1995 Toyota Tacoma. That proved to be a very reliable vehicle.
Diagnosis: the main computer module had fried. This was the third one, the first two replaced under warranty. It was fixed the next day and my wallet was $500 lighter.
Two weeks later I stopped off at my mothers house to drop off some things. Went back out and...click, she was dead again. Computer module #4. I promptly fired that truck which had been a royal pain since I owned it and bought a 1995 Toyota Tacoma. That proved to be a very reliable vehicle.
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For me it was about 1997 or 8 in Crawford Notch NH. I was solo winter camping and it was so cold I thought i would die if I stayed. Ended up coming down off Mt. Webster and it was -28F and when I started my Chevy S10 Blazer (last Chevy I've owned) it turned soooo slow I can still hear it in my head. But it did turn over and it ran. I let it warm up for 10 min. Back then it was Dino every 3k for me.
-35f or so, ford power stroke. The truck was plugged in overnight but below 0 was supposed to leave it runn8ng 24-7. Got cold quick. The ones that didn’t fire got towed to a shop and got a trunk heater to the pan until they started..once start d in winter those trucks were kept running.
Startling a diesel at that temperature. Sounded horrible..I just walked back inside to the camp ate breakfast and when I came out it was running nicely. Even idling with the heat on,low fan they would get ice cold inside..
Lol slope life.
Startling a diesel at that temperature. Sounded horrible..I just walked back inside to the camp ate breakfast and when I came out it was running nicely. Even idling with the heat on,low fan they would get ice cold inside..
Lol slope life.
AZjeff
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Somewhere in the low -30s, the 350 Chevy wasn't happy about it.
-8F Twice, several years apart here in the piedmont of NC. I do believe those are the only times i remember negative temps around here in the 50+ years i have lived here.
-40 something, February in North Dakota.
1970 Ford Maverick, 200 cube straight 6,
it cranked VERY slow but it started.
I hand-crank started a 1951 Farmall M that had been parked
with "summer gas" in the tank to pull someone out of the snow with,
It was -38*F.... the 30W oil took a long time to build oil pressure,
though the gauge started moving immediately.
I think it was the thick oil in the oil pressure gauge tubing that was slowing it down so much.
1970 Ford Maverick, 200 cube straight 6,
it cranked VERY slow but it started.
I hand-crank started a 1951 Farmall M that had been parked
with "summer gas" in the tank to pull someone out of the snow with,
It was -38*F.... the 30W oil took a long time to build oil pressure,
though the gauge started moving immediately.
I think it was the thick oil in the oil pressure gauge tubing that was slowing it down so much.
You people in the south who think 32F is cold, don't know cold. I have seen -40F three times in my life. Starting is more dependant on battery condition, and state of engine tune than oil. We had -40 for four days on a snowmobile trip to Quebec in the 90's, and my high mileage Dodge van with a carbureted six started every morning (on 10W30) Some guys from the US had a Chev Suburban that started up, but the tranny was frozen and wouldn’t shift. They jacked up the rear axel and let it idle in Drive for four hours before it thawed out. It you have never been in those type of temps; it's like going to another planet.
I think -5f If remember correctly for me. Let it run for 5 min and drove conservative for miles.
When I was young, one Christmas to go to my aunts as usual, the car would not start. Either actually. One being a 1974 Ford Grand Torino, the other a dodge dart, unsure of the year. Turned wayyyyyy to slow to catch and start.
My dad had a dipstick heater, which he never used, cause I never saw it until then. He did that, along with two drop lamps, by the oil pan on the ford. I remember him being all [censored] off, but I was happy cause I thought I could stay home and play. Nope, about 4 hours later, we left on time, with dads window 3/4 down, cigarette in mouth, freezing us out in back for the hour ride. Not sure of the temp but it was cold. Probably colder driving with the wind. Good times
When I was young, one Christmas to go to my aunts as usual, the car would not start. Either actually. One being a 1974 Ford Grand Torino, the other a dodge dart, unsure of the year. Turned wayyyyyy to slow to catch and start.
My dad had a dipstick heater, which he never used, cause I never saw it until then. He did that, along with two drop lamps, by the oil pan on the ford. I remember him being all [censored] off, but I was happy cause I thought I could stay home and play. Nope, about 4 hours later, we left on time, with dads window 3/4 down, cigarette in mouth, freezing us out in back for the hour ride. Not sure of the temp but it was cold. Probably colder driving with the wind. Good times
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