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A question for all the subes operated in colder climates. We in NYC just had a couple of 2 degree days. My 91 Legacy took a couple of tries to get started with the successful start being the one that a gave a little throttle to during the crank. It did the same thing the next 2 degree day we had. I'm not concerned in the least but I wondered if this is a typical start for that temp day. I have a recent tune up and my climate controls outside temp always matches the actual temp within a couple degrees so the ecu is seeing the real deal. Just curious about the colder operating subes. Am I back in the carb days or is this an EJ22 cold weather response. It only seems to happen on single digit temp days.

 

 

Pat

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For what it's worth, I never touch the gas pedal when starting and the engine always starts after the fourth or fifth revolution be it hot or dead cold outside. The revs are slower when it's cold but the starter does'nt need more revs to start the car.

Wenesday, I had to go to the cottage and had to park the car in an open field cause the snow was too deep near the cottage. When I started the car in the morning the temp was -32 C. That's around -20 F...

The car started as usual.

96 Leagacy Brighton with 200,000 kilometers.

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Most amazing is that the oil I had in the crankcase at the time was Mobil 1 10-30.

I usually put Mobil 1 5-30 for the winter but I have'nt found the time to change it yet. I have my front axles to replace and I'm waiting for this to change the oil.

What's more amazing is that I had left the head lights switch on the night before, so they were lighted when I started the car.

Like I said, at such a low temp the engine turns over rather slowly but starts after the same number of revs as when it's warm outside.

I've got NGK platinum (single electrode) plugs and NGK wires. Nothing special beside that.

Happy winter starting!:)

P.-S.: One more thing, I dont know if it makes a difference, but when I installed the NGK platinums they were gagped at .038 instead of the .040 to .044 that they are supposed to be. I decided not to tamper with them and installed as they were.

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Last week we had -27 in the morning, and this is western intermountain Montana, not out on the plains. The '00 fired right up, but made the most gawdawful howl until it warmed up (I suspect it was the belts ... at least I HOPE so). The '87 is on a block heater so it didn't complain so loudly.

 

We've leased our house in Whitefish and moved to a temporary rental in Kalispell with a covered, but open carport. BOY, do I miss our heated garage ... so do the 'Roos!

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The pour point of 10w-40 quaker state is -22*F. I would get that out of there and put some 5w-30 in.

 

I am running 5w-30 amsoil in the suby and 5w-30 pennzoil in the dodge. No starting troubles down to -16*F so far this winter. If I consistently saw temps below -20*F I would be using 0w-30 in the winter.

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Forrester2002s,

On my car and probably on yours also, the headlights automaticaly go off when I shut the engine off. I left the headlight SWITCH on. Thus the headlights came on the morning after the minute I turned the ignition to on and then to start.

So nothing that miraculous, but the battery (about 1 year and a half old) was able to power the headlights and the starter at the same time.

 

About the pour point, 10-30 is not recommended for temps below -20C, but Mobil one 10-30 has a pour point in the range of -40C. Meaning it's still liquid at that temp and will flow but I guess not very rapidly for the first few minutes. I am in a real ernest to replace it with 5-30 the minute it gets a little warmer. I will have to use an unheated and unisolated garage to replace my front axles and change the oil. Just a small electrical heater to keep things bearable.

Cheers!

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Frag: Now I understand! For a while I thought that you must have a battery that would have won a mention in the Guiness Book of World Records!

 

The reason that I am so impressed with your cold starting, is that here on the West Coast, we shiver whenever the temperature gets to about 0 C! The coldest it got a few days ago was -9 C, and that was considered very cold. Today it is raining and +10 C.

 

It is good to know that you are surviving this cold spell, and that Subarus Rule!

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The outback was quite sluggish this morning at -8*F (-22*C), so the 5-1/2 year old OEM battery is going to be replaced tonight. I had asked my wife to keep a close eye on it, and she said that it has only been starting sluggishly for a couple of days. Seems like I extracted every last start from the original battery without any failures. :D

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Torxx, 15w non synth oil has a maximum pumpability of -13F, meaning that below that temp it will not circulate thru the engine and will probably be close to solid. You must use a very special technique to prevent your engine to self destruct starting it at -45F with that kind of oil. Would you share that info with us?

http://www.engineoilinfo.com/voxpop9.sht

 

Mobil 1 10-30 has a max pumpability of -41 C. So I was farther from disaster than I thought when I started at -32C last Wenesday.

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