Best product to help cold weather starts

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Would I be best served getting an engine oil heater or a battery warmer? I don't have a garage and my 2001 Toyota Sequoia kinda struggles a little to start when it gets near zero. Battery is only a few years old and it was tested and is fine. It offers plenty of CCA and CA. I just wonder if anything can make the start a little easier on those zero degree mornings. Once started it warms up surprisingly fast. Thanks!
 
I would say both are overkill on the few zero days you might have. A good Syn 0w or 5w oil would allow it to start easily.
 
I’d go battery warmer.

Just a matter of time before battery starts to struggle, then it becomes a fairly big deal vs waiting a couple minutes for car to warm up a bit.

I remember back in the day my dad used to place a small lantern under the car and we had an electric/heated dip stick. I wonder if a drop light placed near/directed at the oil pan would have any impact? Sure would be a lot cheaper

For that matter, drop lite aimed at battery with a blanket or something over partially-opened hood
 
Originally Posted By: ZZman
I would say both are overkill on the few zero days you might have. A good Syn 0w or 5w oil would allow it to start easily.


+1. I live in Illinois and 0-20 helps my engines to spin over very well in the coldest temps we see here. -10F.
 
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Originally Posted By: Finz
I’d go battery warmer.

Just a matter of time before battery starts to struggle, then it becomes a fairly big deal vs waiting a couple minutes for car to warm up a bit.

I remember back in the day my dad used to place a small lantern under the car and we had an electric/heated dip stick. I wonder if a drop light placed near/directed at the oil pan would have any impact? Sure would be a lot cheaper

For that matter, drop lite aimed at battery with a blanket or something over partially-opened hood


Why the "partially-opened hood?"

With a combustion-based heater I can see it would reduce explosion risk and vent condensation, but with an electric source (I assume a "drop light" is like an inspection lamp) you're just losing heat.

I have a wee drink warming hot plate I might use if I had electricity, but I don't, so I don't. Doesn't really get cold here anyway.

I do sometimes use butane into the air cleaner, instead of using choke, which seems to be broken anyway. I'd guess a FI car is going to ignore that and over fuel anyway, but with a carb it avoids fuel wash down.
 
I would check your battery cables (and the starter cables) and make sure the connections are all clean and tight. Clean them with a wire brush so they are nice and shiny.

What oil are you running?
 
Yep. Good battery, good quality cables and synthetic oil. I don't worry about my Suburban starting at zero degrees.
 
plug in if the temp gets insane. That's all I use and I live where Garak lives... well more north. I make sure the battery works, if it can hold a good charge it wont freeze... too bad.

The ambient was around the -30C the other morning. Plugged the Cummins in for 3 hours and it fired right up. Which is surprising since it runs PetroCan 10w30 semisynthetic, not Amsoil 0w40 PAO based ultra priced oil changed at 3000 miles with a bypass filter.....

Sorry, I like to volley some shots out from time to time.
 
Not tha t my oil needs help, but the 1+ qart of fuel in there helps thing along nicely.
 
Hard time at 0 degrees? Yikes. -8 here this morning and the beast fired right up. It was so cold the thermostat wasn't even open after 20 minutes of highway driving. Brrr
 
Ohh don't worry.... It will be -20°F to low as -35°F in Minnesota in just a few days.... Holy cow it is getting cold up your way. That's for sure.
 
Originally Posted By: Ducked
Originally Posted By: Finz
I’d go battery warmer.

Just a matter of time before battery starts to struggle, then it becomes a fairly big deal vs waiting a couple minutes for car to warm up a bit.

I remember back in the day my dad used to place a small lantern under the car and we had an electric/heated dip stick. I wonder if a drop light placed near/directed at the oil pan would have any impact? Sure would be a lot cheaper

For that matter, drop lite aimed at battery with a blanket or something over partially-opened hood


Why the "partially-opened hood?"

With a combustion-based heater I can see it would reduce explosion risk and vent condensation, but with an electric source (I assume a "drop light" is like an inspection lamp) you're just losing heat.


Because the electrical cord for drop light (inspection lamp) would be crushed if you closed the hood all the way.
 
FYI: We solve a lot of starting issues by using a load tested on the starter stud.

Amazing how many times we find 200CA at the starter and 1100 at the battery.

Test your amperage at the starter. If it's drastically less than the battery amperage, replace your starter battery cable.

Nice synthetic 0w will probably help as well.
 
Here in Minnesota, running a good group 4 or group 5 oil is the way to go, plus a newer large as can fit in the battery cartel battery. So Amsoil SS 0w-20/30 or or Redline 0w-20/30 and call it a day.
 
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