Ongoing General Automotive Thread 2.0

[InglewoodFan]

I've got one car in the garage and the other, new-ish one on the street. Yesterday the new one struggled a bit to start but after driving it around a bit it seemed ok. Just to be on the safe side I am remote starting it every 6-8 hours. And it was plugged in over night. Bad idea to let it idle 15 mins a few times a day or manageable for a couple days? I know it really doesn't come up to temperature without load.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by InglewoodFan

I've got one car in the garage and the other, new-ish one on the street. Yesterday the new one struggled a bit to start but after driving it around a bit it seemed ok. Just to be on the safe side I am remote starting it every 6-8 hours. And it was plugged in over night. Bad idea to let it idle 15 mins a few times a day or manageable for a couple days? I know it really doesn't come up to temperature without load.

That’s hard on the battery, and after 8 hours it’s probably no different than if you were to leave it for 24. Best to just plug it in a few hours before you’re going to need it (or just leave it plugged in).

[Izzle]

Rate my plan:
Just got back from Mexico. Car had been outside for a week. Need to get groceries. My plan is to plug in the car for 4 hours before heading out. That should be enough time for the battery to warm up eh?

Also, I plan to hit up Coop to top up air in the tires. Im pretty sure they're low. Hopefully not dangerously low.

[Fuzz]

Plugging in the car (assuming you mean block heater) doesn't warm up the battery. I suspect you will need a trickle charger or boost. I give you a 30% chance of success on your plan. You may want a backup plan of food delivery.

[keratosis]

Originally Posted by Izzle

Rate my plan:
Just got back from Mexico. Car had been outside for a week. Need to get groceries. My plan is to plug in the car for 4 hours before heading out. That should be enough time for the battery to warm up eh?

Also, I plan to hit up Coop to top up air in the tires. Im pretty sure they're low. Hopefully not dangerously low.

It won't warm your battery much but 4 hours should loosen the engine up enough to turn over.
Also stop at Canadian Tire and get one of these for your trunk.
https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/c...%20Compressors

[Izzle]

Damn... I need to get a few more things than just groceries... A trickle charger and a tire inflator.

Fuzz idea of food delivery does sound appealing.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Izzle

Damn... I need to get a few more things than just groceries... A trickle charger and a tire inflator.

Fuzz idea of food delivery does sound appealing.

Cold snaps like this remind me of the Pandemic lock-down days.

Those Skip The Dishes drivers are absolute heroes.

[PepsiFree]

nm

[zamler]

Originally Posted by DoubleF

Hail Mary wise, I'm stuck wondering whether trickle charging or warming with block heater is more useful right now for a battery too cold to have enough charge.

At -30 block heater is way better. It takes probably 3x less energy to crank the engine when the oil is not a semi solid. Below around -35 you need both, chemical reaction in the battery slows to a crawl.

[rohara66]

But if your battery is low on charge (short trips, lots of starts, no highway RPM’s, defrost usage) and then it freezes, a block heater won’t do anything to help start you car.

I’ve always been of the opinion that a battery tender with synthetic oil is the way to go.

[Hockeyguy15]

My truck wouldn't start, so I pulled the battery and brought it inside to warm up over night. Have it on the trickle charger now but putting it back in seems like a Monday problem.

[Izzle]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Plugging in the car (assuming you mean block heater) doesn't warm up the battery. I suspect you will need a trickle charger or boost. I give you a 30% chance of success on your plan. You may want a backup plan of food delivery.

Well... The good news is the van started. 2020 Honda Odyssey.

Low key was hoping it wouldn't start so I could tell the wife that we should probably order in. Now groceries is back on the menu.

[Wormius]

Wrong thread.

[Nufy]

Originally Posted by Hockeyguy15

My truck wouldn't start, so I pulled the battery and brought it inside to warm up over night. Have it on the trickle charger now but putting it back in seems like a Monday problem.

Did the same thing with mine yesterday.

Brought it in and let it warm up.

Brought it to a full charge last night. It held till this morning when I re-connected the charger for a test.

Put it back in the truck and while it fought back the first few times I turned it over...it stated eventually.

Let it idle for a long time before driving it around to the garage to air up the deflated (due to cold) tires.

Will try again later today to see if it will last in the cold.

Battery warranty expired 2 years ago.

What the latest recommendations brand wise ?

[zamler]

Radiant heat from the block heater is enough to keep my battery warm, or warmer. No block heater at -35 is the absolute limit though anything colder and I don't think the car starts might not even turn over.

Amsoil 0W30 is the bomb makes all the difference.

[RichieRich]

Originally Posted by keratosis

It won't warm your battery much but 4 hours should loosen the engine up enough to turn over.
Also stop at Canadian Tire and get one of these for your trunk.
https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/c...%20Compressors

I used to have a small compressor for the vehicle tires... not sure if ever actually worked other than make noise. Hopefully something like this would work better - wish it came with a dual power source and not just the vehicle plug-in. Also... does it have a drain for the produced water from the compression? In these super low temps my truck pressures slowly drop and after 3-4 days I'm almost flat and it's a lot of bike pump (the stand-up kind) workouts.
Previously (a few years back) at these low temps I had used a large home-reno style compressor(for nail guns and such) but the plastic spiral hose would both freeze solid (and crack) and the liquid from compression would stop the air flow.


Anyone have experience with battery blankets? Is there usually room between the battery and the vehicle shell that holds the battery to have the blanket actually fit in between? Next challenge is to get another extension cable - my one is already plugged into the block heater, and this looks like it also needs its' own dedicated plugin. It's only a 50Watt blanket heater.

https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/t...ry+blanket#srp

[zamler]

That compressor is a total piece of ####.

[TorqueDog]

Originally Posted by zamler

That compressor is a total piece of ####.

I use this one (https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/m...p.0095067.html) and it works beautifully on my car and SUV where the tires need to go as high as 42 PSI. Although I did buy a quick connect so I don't have to screw the compressor hose onto the valve stem.

[keratosis]

Originally Posted by zamler

That compressor is a total piece of ####.

I'd rather have it than nothing in my trunk.

[curves2000]

Originally Posted by Nufy

Did the same thing with mine yesterday.

Brought it in and let it warm up.

Brought it to a full charge last night. It held till this morning when I re-connected the charger for a test.

Put it back in the truck and while it fought back the first few times I turned it over...it stated eventually.

Let it idle for a long time before driving it around to the garage to air up the deflated (due to cold) tires.

Will try again later today to see if it will last in the cold.

Battery warranty expired 2 years ago.

What the latest recommendations brand wise ?

I have had very good experiences with these batteries from a company called Canadian Energy.

https://www.cdnrg.com/

Great warranty, knowledge about what you may or may not need and fairly local operation as opposed to a Costco or Walmart etc.

AMA has great batteries installed but they are more expensive because of the service if you are a member.

Batteries have also gone up a lot in price across the board.