View Single Post
Old 01-03-2015, 07:50 AM   #48 (permalink)
NHB
EcoModding Lurker
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Finland
Posts: 64
Thanks: 0
Thanked 10 Times in 8 Posts
Quote:
Originally Posted by Miller88 View Post
Carbureted cars, especially with thick oil, don't like to run in the cold. I can imagine the frustration of cranking your car for 3 days straight, pumping the pedal 30,000,000 times - having it finally start running on 1 or 2 cylinders, just to drop it into gear and have it stall. Back at square 1.

Takes a while before SAE30 will start flowing well. Also takes a while before a carbureted engine will actually drive a transmission without stalling.

I usually run 0w-20 in the Focus in the winter. It flows instantly. It has EFI, so it starts instantly; no cranking for an hour while I pump a gas pedal and hope and pray it might start sometime this year. I usually wait until it idles below 2500RPM and I take off.
I've been born and raised close to the arctic circle. Every year the people there drove their cars in temperatures from -30 to -40 °C. Even carburetor cars didn't suffer from those problems. Carburetor will do just fine if it is in a good shape. Battery has to be also suitable for cold winter. I never would use SAE30 oil in cold temperatures. It just doesn't work in cold temperatures. Keep your car in a good condition, use modern synthetic oils and you will survive cold temperatures without any major problems.

Problems will happen if:
  • battery has enough capacity only for a nice sunny summer day
  • carb is worn out
  • choke is not working
  • ignition is weak
  • oil is not suotable for cold temperatures
  Reply With Quote