Lowest temperature a car can start?

[rc5]

Say, do people living in arctic and anarctic have trouble to start their cars in winter, or do they drive at all?

 

[TheoriginalWJB]

i think they use dog sleds

 

[Thegonagle]

Yeah, in fact the Antarctic natives prefer to ride on the polar bears backs.

 

[Rent]

They use penguins as sleds

 

[Antisocial Virge]

I saw a CD article where they cold weather tested Porches. They had to keep them running all night while they slept. Most had to have tires refilled in the AM since the rubber got so hard it lost seal with the rim. They interviewed cold weather ralley guys why they kept a can of dogfood in the glovebox instead of something good tasting.

"you won't eat the dogfood unless you really really need it"

 

[T2T III]

When I lived in N.D., the cars were fine down to zero (F) degrees. This was with 10w30 oil. However, anything lower than that, you had to plug your car in so the frost plug heater could warm the coolant allowing you to start your car.

 

[veryape]

A car can basically start at any temperature you throw at it providing it has adequite anti-freeze, although you'd likely need some heavy duty anti-freeze for anything too far below zero. Oh, and as someone already mentioned, you'd need to put a oil warmer in your oil pan or put a heat lamp under the car overnight if you want it to start in the morning. They sell stuff specifically for that.

 

[Thegonagle]

But seriously, in my experience, I'd say that most any naturally aspirated gasoline engine in good tune, with a strong battery and the right oil, will start down to -20F, and most will start when it?s colder, even without a block heater. ?30 F is pushing it, but my old Honda Civic wagon would start up. It?s been a long time since it?s been that cold here though.

I had a turbo Mazda that wouldn't start if it was less than -15 F. I suspect that the low compression ratio of the turbo engine had something to do with that. Diesels also have trouble in very cold weather because of the compression ignition. Sometimes the glow plugs aren?t enough.

 

[bunker]

My old Ford Ranger started when it was -60°F with the wind chill. The temp was around -30°.

A lot of people living in very cold temps use engine block heaters. If you ever see what looks like the end of an extension cord sticking out of the grill, then you know they have an engine block heater.

 

[maxoi1]

I've seen an old Volvo starting in -45C, I think its = to -49F.

Darn, will the yanks never convert to the metric system?

 

[Scootin159]

I've had my car start as low as -32 (-64 windchill) - gotta love upstate NY

 

[bunker]

<< Darn, will the yanks never convert to the metric system? >>



NEVER!!!

 

[Viperoni]

<<

<< Darn, will the yanks never convert to the metric system? >>



NEVER!!! >>



They don't wanna hint at a possible Canadian takeover
(That was meant as a joke, not a connection to 9/11, please dont take it that way!!)

 

[Thegonagle]

Wind chill does not affect cars, except to cool them down to the air temp more quickly. The car will never get below the air temp. Wind chill is irrelevant, except to objects (like your body) that produce heat.

 

[notfred]

I've never had to starrt my car when it's below 28F or so. I like california

 

[TallBill]

http://www.microsoft-sucks.com
that link in yer sig rc5 is just there so the site owners make some dough sellin t-shirts

 

[Flaredair]

The engine starter also comes into play. Fords tend to use later starters than GM and consequently will start in colder temp's.

 

[N8Magic]

You guys realize that the windchill temps some people are throwing out there are completely meaningless. The car will never get colder than the ambient air temperature, no matter how windy it gets.

 

[ultravox]

All 3 of my vehicles start easily in -20 -30C without being pluged in. Lower than that I do plug them in only because it's not as hard on the motor. Cold oil tends to thicken and at the start up is where the engine gets hit the worst. I 've seen temps so cold that a car wouldn't start even when pulled behind another car with a cable....the spark just wasn't hot enough to get the car to kick over and it had to have a tow truck boost for the extra kick. AHHHH Quebec !

 

[resinboy]

it's not the spark: the colder it gets, the more fuel loses it's volatility. That's what starter fluid is for: most idiots use it on an ALREADY flooded engine: ideally you should use it before the first crank, when it's cold as a bitch out, because Ether lights off easier than gasoline when it's really cold.

Resinboy

 

[stonecold3169]

hehe, sweet Scootin, I know the upstate NY cold oh too well, I hate my old '88 ford ranger start when it was -50 something or other... and people thought they could only go to 0, HA

 

[resinboy]

I'm in Albany, where are you guys from??
Resinboy

 

[VTrider]

I've been living in Northern New England NH/VT for over a decade now. I've had to start my vehicle numerous times below zero degrees F, probably the coldest was about -25-30F. Some cars start right up, some need a little help like dry gas, jumper cables, hi-test gas and a lot of coffee.
I work in the Ski Resort industry and the funniest thing is watching the faces of these people who have $60,000 SUVs trying to turn their car over when it's -25F, while my POS $2,500 Ford starts right up and get's me warm

-VTrider

 

[Scootin159]

I live/lived in Binghamton area, Syracuse area & Rochester area.

 

[MaxDSP]

<< Yeah, in fact the Antarctic natives prefer to ride on the polar bears backs. >>



Ha! Polar bears only live on the north pole


...at least I hope they do

"I am so smrt"