First Sub-Freezing Start!

[jbd5015]

This morning was the first sub 32F start of the winter for wolfie. Last winter wasnt very good for him, and the winter before that was just AWFUL.

2 winters ago, it would take 5 minutes sometimes to get him to start. Last winter was a little bit better, but not by much.

So far, with the average morning temp around the freezing point, with today being about 25F, he starts up B-E-A-UTIFALLY. Also goes straight to normal idle. Before it would always hang out around 1200RPM for about a minute or so.

Just letting yall know how well he's been doing. Hopefully when it gets cold he'll keep doing the same thing!

-Jeff

[Bentsdl]

Haha nice, I'm going to start mine next week in the cold for the first time (first winter I have it). And it's going to be -13F! We'll see.....

[jbd5015]

Yeah we'll be getting into the below zero F mark in the mornings quite soon i suppose.

I know the manuals recommend 20w50 in the summer and 10w30 in the winters (depending on how cold your winter is!). Im running 15w40 which is the perfect median betwixt the two. Anyone see any problems with this? Alternatively, has anyone run Rotella T all year? This would be the first time for me. I started running it this spring after SESF and im on my 2nd oil change of it. I like it and its pretty cheap over at Tractor supply for $11/gallon. Thats the only problem though, they sell it by the gallon because its predominantly used in commercial diesel engines which have multiple gallon sumps!

-Jeff

[bimmerjo]

It was 20 degrees here... with that block heater she started first click :)

[Alex E24 E30]

Congrats on the reliable starts!

My '83 has not been enjoying the cold starts (couple days at 13-18F). Gotta give it the gas to keep it alive, but she will live on!


Alex

[PRJKTGRMN]

Its been 10 below zero here and apparently my battery must have a dead cell since it won't hold a charge...so its frozen. That will be this weekends project.

[CW6er]

What was the problem with the cold starts, the cold start valve? Or have you done so many fixes that you don't know now what did it? :shifty :D :cool


Yeah we'll be getting into the below zero F mark in the mornings quite soon i suppose.

I know the manuals recommend 20w50 in the summer and 10w30 in the winters (depending on how cold your winter is!). Im running 15w40 which is the perfect median betwixt the two. Anyone see any problems with this?

The Manual says 15W - 40 is good from 86ºF down to -4ºF.


I like it and its pretty cheap over at Tractor supply for $11/gallon. Thats the only problem though, they sell it by the gallon because its predominantly used in commercial diesel engines which have multiple gallon sumps!Our Walmart caries Rotella T in the quarts. I think the Auto stores do too.


I always had the opposite problem when I would shoehorn a DC3 into some small airport that had never seen one. You see, the Three has a 26 GALLON sump! :eek: And when I would ask for 5 gallons of oil added, it was amazing how many times we got 5 QUARTS, thinking that I had made a mistake! At the very least, the look on the lineman's face was priceless, :cool but it was painful watching some poor lineman pour 20 quarts of molasses like oil while sitting on top of the engine with blowing snow and winds in freezing temperatures because they didn't carry oil in gallons or barrels.

[Stoffie]

Mine still starts beautifully, despite being driven only once a week or less, for now. It's in a non heated garage, and ambient temp was around 32F. You can hear the starter goes around with less easy, but she jumps to life after a second every time.

[BoldUlysses]

I always had the opposite problem when I would shoehorn a DC3 into some small airport that had never seen one. You see, the Three has a 26 GALLON sump! :eek: And when I would ask for 5 gallons of oil added, it was amazing how many times we got 5 QUARTS, thinking that I had made a mistake! At the vary lest, the look on the lineman's face was priceless, :cool but it was painful watching some poor lineman pour 20 quarts of molasses like oil while sitting on top of the engine with blowing snow and winds in freezing temperatures because they didn't carry oil in gallons or barrels.

Ah...radials. I miss flying. Granted, I've never flown anything other than a 172, but there's nothing like it. During flight training we'd walk out to the flight line some cold winter mornings to find the block heater pigtails plugged in. I remember waiting on the ramp what seemed like 15 minutes for the oil temp to rise so I could do the run-up...

Back on topic: The OBC read 29° this morning and the 6er started just fine. It took 10 seconds or so for all the cylinders to wake up, but the cold temp didn't seem to faze it at all. Running Mobil 1 15W-50.

-Matt

[JimPA]

Rotella T all year in Penna. I don't drive it that much it the winter but oil viscosity hasn't been a cold start issue for this car.

[scottswash96]

x2 on the Rotella 15x40 all year round, although my car is tucked away all winter.

[Seeker]

Its been 10 below zero here and apparently my battery must have a dead cell since it won't hold a charge...so its frozen. That will be this weekends project.

dang! and I thought the 9* morning we had yesterday was bad!


but she did start up.. battery is a little weak and I gotta crank it for about 3-5 seconds, but she fires up and idles fairly good..

but last night the idles been acting up.. see my recent thread.. and it seems to idle a bit high all the time.. around 1.1k rpms.. seems to me it should be somewhere around 800 rpms or a lil less.

[jbd5015]

What was the problem with the cold starts, the cold start valve? Or have you done so many fixes that you don't know now what did it? :shifty :D :cool



The Manual says 15W - 40 is good from 86ºF down to -4ºF.



Im not really sure what the problem was the last 2 years. I had a new CSV, ICV, battery, spark plugs, cap/rotor, plug wires, 10w30 GTX oil, and a new CTS.

Ever since i did the fuel lines and intake manifold gaskets it seemed to make the biggest difference.

Whatever it is, im not complaining, i like the reliability factor now. I also dont spin out of the gravel driveway anymore with the new diff, even with some ice mixed in! The car is really starting to become easy to drive!

-Jeff

[sixseries]

This morning was the first sub 32F start of the winter for wolfie. Last winter wasnt very good for him, and the winter before that was just AWFUL.

2 winters ago, it would take 5 minutes sometimes to get him to start. Last winter was a little bit better, but not by much.

So far, with the average morning temp around the freezing point, with today being about 25F, he starts up B-E-A-UTIFALLY. Also goes straight to normal idle. Before it would always hang out around 1200RPM for about a minute or so.

Just letting yall know how well he's been doing. Hopefully when it gets cold he'll keep doing the same thing!

-Jeff

i started my car in about 17 degrees wit no problem at all! are you sure the 1200 isn't normal? i believe these cars are supposed to have a high idle for cold starting purposes. mine is about 900-1000 RPM for about a minute before droppin down to the 750 normal idle.

[av8r4aa]

What was the problem with the cold starts, the cold start valve? Or have you done so many fixes that you don't know now what did it? :shifty :D :cool



The Manual says 15W - 40 is good from 86ºF down to -4ºF.

Our Walmart caries Rotella T in the quarts. I think the Auto stores do too.


I always had the opposite problem when I would shoehorn a DC3 into some small airport that had never seen one. You see, the Three has a 26 GALLON sump! :eek: And when I would ask for 5 gallons of oil added, it was amazing how many times we got 5 QUARTS, thinking that I had made a mistake! At the very least, the look on the lineman's face was priceless, :cool but it was painful watching some poor lineman pour 20 quarts of molasses like oil while sitting on top of the engine with blowing snow and winds in freezing temperatures because they didn't carry oil in gallons or barrels.


Fill the oil, check the gas!

[Zack01GC]

I have Mobil 1 15w50 Synthetic in mine right now, good stuff. Doesn't seem too bad in the cold so far, the manual says its good from 0 to 100 degrees or something like that. We rarely get below 0.

I was thinking about using Rotella, but I don't think I can switch back from synthetic, or is that just a myth?

[bimmerjo]

I have Mobil 1 15w50 Synthetic in mine right now, good stuff. Doesn't seem too bad in the cold so far, the manual says its good from 0 to 100 degrees or something like that. We rarely get below 0.

I was thinking about using Rotella, but I don't think I can switch back from synthetic, or is that just a myth?
Absolute myth

[cleeves]

Rotella T all year.

mine's been having a bit of trouble in the super-cold--like the other day when it was 2 degrees. took about 10 seconds of cranking to get going. also it sounded terrible at first but after like 10 seconds it went back to normal. wonder why? make thick oil?

Henry

[Seeker]

Rotella T all year.

mine's been having a bit of trouble in the super-cold--like the other day when it was 2 degrees. took about 10 seconds of cranking to get going. also it sounded terrible at first but after like 10 seconds it went back to normal. wonder why? make thick oil?

Henry


sounds like your cold start injector isnt functioning.

[cleeves]

sounds like your cold start injector isnt functioning.


interesting. i'll have to figure out more about this. i started it today and it was about 40 degrees and it did fine--only has trouble in extreme temps.

[Flash635]

What is this "sub freezing" of which you speak?

10W 50 semi synth all year 'round, baby.

Have you ever considered starting a twitter account for Wolfie?

[CW6er]

Have you ever considered starting a twitter account for Wolfie?

I think I'm gun'a puke :shifty

[Flash635]

I think I'm gun'a puke :shifty

He he he :evil2