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For the braintrust - cold starting

D

DLMKA

Member
I’m in Fargo this week and need to be out at customer site by 0600. 2013 F-150, 5.0 v8, 185k miles. Battery about 1 year old but no block heater. Low temp tonight -36F.

Do I pull the battery out and bring it in hotel room to keep it warm or will it start tomorrow?
 
I would bring it in. The only other option requires a heat lamp on the battery, and there is likely no lamp or 120AC available. Do be careful bringing it in.
If you have towing insurance, that would help, but they usually do not respond at 5:00am very well. Mine are either being charged, or are not going to be
operated (St. Cloud) Jim
 
Honestly I sympathize with you, but admire your thoughts, yes that is probably your only way to start her tomorrow. To bad you couldn't leave it run, all night, but probably would be gone in the morning. Only thing else would be try to go out to start every 2-3 hours, but that's no fun. I'm sorry your put into this spot. I do wish you good luck
 
On Alaska North Slope we let them run 24 hours per day. Might be hard to secure it off a jobsite but letting it idle works well. That being said, up there we generally didn't work below -30F.
 
Well, I Goggled battery efficiency vs temperature and found
this statement:

A battery that provides 100 percent capacity at 27?C (80?F)
will typically deliver only 50 percent at ?18?C (0?F).Jan 25,
2018

Another thing to do might be to start and run the car every
hour. Nothing is full proof but based on the statement above I
would lean to bring the battery in.

Good Luck, let us know how it goes.

Paul
 
Speaking from my experience in that region, it will probably start ok if the battery is only a year old. I wouldn't bother trying to pull the it.
 
It should start fine at that temp with
a good battery. The only time I've
brought one in was in 96, I was in
Tower Mn riding snowmobile on the
coldest day recorded here. My f150 was
1 year old and it wouldn't start. Took
the battery in and ran warm water on it
in the shower for a few minutes and put
it back in and it cranked up fine. It
was -60 that night tho.
 
Probably best thing would pick up a battery tender and plug it in tonight, it is awful cold to take a battery out.
 
I would not attempt a Diesel, but gasser yes.

I got stuck with my 03 6.0 Diesel in Alexandria, let it sit until 3 in afternoon, let it run the next two days.
 
Three ideas:
1. Check at the hotel desk about a courtesy jump start; if they have one and what it entails. Sometimes that could be a portable jumpstarter or they may even have something set up with a local mechanic.

2. Go buy yourself your own jumpstarter and have it charging in the room all night. Might cost less than calling out a mechanic/tow truck to jump you (if not a service of the hotel....which is doubtful they offer this). However, would be MUCH easier on the fingers than trying to get your battery out of the truck tonight, then back in tomorrow early AM. ...How nimble are your fingers when it's -36F??

3. If the hotel has a place you can plug in, you could buy a battery charger or a decent maintainer and keep it plugged in all night.

I'd probably go the jump starter route. I would NOT wanna take out the battery in these temps! I just changed the battery on my '04 Chevy Silverado with temps much milder than now and I had a time. Quite much, I needed un-gloved hands. Also needed 3 different wrench sizes, plus a 1/2" socket with extension just to change the battery. Ridiculous!!
 
As was said park it out of the wind and the front pointing down wind. That word be a good practice when you get to your destination. Downwind and facing the sun would be best.

Every little bit helps.

Paul.
 
I think you will be surprised how well it starts, a 2013 should be a high pressure injection with good vaporization
 
kcm.MN has a good idea with buying a portable booster. It would be a nice tool to have for years to come too. That?s the route I?d be going.
 
Most motels up north have plug ins for this reason, and most vehicles sold in MN have block heaters. You didn't say what kind of oil you
have in it, that makes a big difference. It's almost always windy in Fargo, and that's what is forecast. You could get a couple of
magnetic heaters, but out in the wind they wouldn't do a lot of good. Good luck, and post a followup.
 
Hello DLMKA,


A warm battery is the ticket. It would probably start anyway at that temp, a warm battery is my recommendation.

PS...???.. wind chill has no effect on steel!

Guido.
 
I would predict that you will be just fine leaving it in the truck. There will be thousands of people in Fargo with older
vehicle's and battery's that will not have a problem. I have not had a problem at those temps with my gas pickups. On the other
hand I never wanted to be late for work, so if it makes you sleep better bring it in the room.
 
The science would say wind chill makes no difference, and I can not explain, but it does make a difference out of the wind.
 
That is totally a waste, the engine will be completely back to outside temp within a couple hours or less at that temperature.
 
(quoted from post at 21:13:17 01/29/19) I’m in Fargo this week and need to be out at customer site by 0600. 2013 F-150, 5.0 v8, 185k miles. Battery about 1 year old but no block heater. Low temp tonight -36F.

Do I pull the battery out and bring it in hotel room to keep it warm or will it start tomorrow?
Click to expand...

Oh, for gosh sakes, if it's in good shape with a good battery it will start with no issues.

If you are worried, start it once during the nite an let it warm up for 20 minutes, then go back to bed.

I'm 220 miles NW of Fargo, a little farther into the tundra and didn't bring any batteries in the house tonight.

HOWEVER, I DID make sure no brass monkeys were left outside unattended.
 
It does cool everything to ambient more rapidly than no wind. And there is serious wind chill in Fargo tonight. Jim
 
Local Walmart get a drop cord and small tarp , plug the drop cord up and lay it under the hood and try and cover what you can. Probably going to start anyway. Just the heat of one light bulb would make a lot of difference but I am with David I think it will go.
 
Hello David G,

I was always told while attending engine schools that wind chill did not effect engine-block temp. Never did check it myself. May be would be a good test for some one to do and report back?

TOOOOO cold for me to try now,


Guido.
 
I have started my Cummins at 30 below zero
without a block heater all the time when I worked
out on the west desert I run two group 31 950 cca
1150 ca batteries never had a dead battery . It
won?t hurt anything to put the battery inside where
it?s warm some of this little automotive batteries
don?t have a lot of poop when it gets that cold
 
Hello Janicholson,

A warm battery as I said is an insurance at that temp.
The wind sure does hastens the cooling process too,

Guido.
 
When I was in the Air Force I bought a Harley Hog cheep because of the cold. Guy couldn't get started on a cold winter day. He was shipping out the next day. Sold the bike to me real cheap. After he was gone I took the battery into the barracks for a few hours to warm up. After reinstalling it in the bike started on the first kick. A warm battery makes a big difference.
 
well at -36f that's pretty cool for it to be started. its not the starting that hurts... its the engine brgs and lifters and such getting oil. that cold oil sure don't get moving very fast in the cold. if I have to start my Duramax even at 20 without being plugged in I just hate it. cant stand a diesel engine rattling ,banging and shaking. till it warms up. but I am surprised at how easy they start though. go out and start it at midnight or even let it run at fast idle till morning. dont think yours has a fast idle though.plus idling is not good either but got to make yourself a decision. yes a warm battery is always better insurance.
 
Chances are it would have started but I didn’t want to take a chance. I want to get done with what I’m working on by Friday so I can go home and not come here again next week, I need to be in Dubuque next week. Brought battery into hotel. It’s a snap getting the battery in and out of this thing. Had it out in 2 minutes. Not much longer to go back in.
 
Chances are it would have started but I didn’t want to take a chance. I want to get done with what I’m working on by Friday so I can go home and not come here again next week, I need to be in Dubuque next week. Brought battery into hotel. It’s a snap getting the battery in and out of this thing. Had it out in 2 minutes. Not much longer to go back in.
 
How does that saying go, something like: Good Luck or
Fotune follows the prepared. You get the point.

Also remember the point about where and how you park the
truck throughout this cold snap. Wind will cool that battery
and engine faster as long as the battery and engine
temperatures are above the standing temperature. Any
shielding helps.
Have a good week.
Paul
 
Morning update.

Ford has an automatic crank cycle for ~5 seconds, maybe 10. Even with a warm battery it didn’t start on the first cycle. Lit right off after I hit the key second time. Don’t think it would have started with a battery at -35f.
 
Back in the 50's, my dad's cars had no block heaters and he often would carry the battery into the back porch at home. He traveled as a door
to door salesman back then and would do the same for his motel or hotel if he was staying over somewhere. If he was above the first floor in
a hotel he would just ask to leave it behind the front desk. Just twisted the cable terminals on and off without a wrench, he swore by his
method.
 

We used to bring the oil in too. It is tough to go to work in the morning when you didn't sleep for worrying.
 
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