Cold weather starting tips and advice!!

[2nsane2005]

Freezing cold weather is upon us now, especially for us fellas in Canada where it gets up to -40 degrees Celsius. The cold, hard starting threads are going to start to pop up I'm sure so here are a few things I'd like to share to make your cold starts a breeze.

1. This first item made the biggest difference for me. A brand spankin new Valeo starter motor. I cant stress enough how well the car starts now. Just this morning it was -23c with the windchill and with ONLY one glow cycle, the car fired up easy! Best money spent on my 2001 golf tdi

2. A good solid battery. Glow plugs draw quite a bit of juice so Its heaps important to have a good healthy battery. Also, make sure your glow plugs work and the harness is actually feeding power to them. There is a huge thread on this topic already. Very informative!

3. Frostheater. Could probably be the best thing to have for winter. If you're an extension cord away you might as well plug it in overnight. Your car will start up immediately. Also, you dont really even need to have it plugged in for more than an hour. I depended on my frostheater a LOT in the past years and if I was too lazy to plug it in overnight I'd head out to my car in the morning and plug it in for an hour and it would fire right up in -30c

4. TIMING. I advance my timing. I think it helps a bit with cold starts.

I hope this helps out a few people who are having issues with cold weather starts. I struggled the last few years in the winter and dreaded it BUT like I said earlier a brand new starter made me like my car again! Its way more dependable now and it has close to 390k kms on the odo.

 

[Jr mason]

The frost heater is where its at. These cars do start good in cold weather but I'm surprised they never came with one from the factory. Practically all diesels have one....
Regardless, using a block heater saves a lot of fuel over the course of the winter and puts much less of a strain on the engine, battery and starter.

I set mine on a timer so it's not running all night. Kicks on 1-2 hrs before work, depending on ambient Temps. I almost never let my car idle to make heat. Start car, unplug, scrape off any snow or frost and go. The only exception is if I get a good layer of ice.

 

[whatnxt]

And don't forget adding an anti-gel solution to the fuel tank. Winterized diesel from the pump may not be enough.

 

[2nsane2005]

And don't forget adding an anti-gel solution to the fuel tank. Winterized diesel from the pump may not be enough.

I’ve never actually used anti- gel before on my tdi’s or cummins trucks. Never had any gelling issues

 

[2nsane2005]

The frost heater is where its at. These cars do start good in cold weather but I'm surprised they never came with one from the factory. Practically all diesels have one....
Regardless, using a block heater saves a lot of fuel over the course of the winter and puts much less of a strain on the engine, battery and starter.

I set mine on a timer so it's not running all night. Kicks on 1-2 hrs before work, depending on ambient Temps. I almost never let my car idle to make heat. Start car, unplug, scrape off any snow or frost and go. The only exception is if I get a good layer of ice.

Definitely worth the money for a frostheater!

 

[Fahrvegnugen]

I had gelling issue that left me stranded in the frozen woods with no phone. The additive is a nasty mess, I decided drilling out check valve in fuel tank and skipping the additive is best.

 

[WolfgangVW]

Nice thread!!! Ya the frost heater is a game changer for sure. I have the inline coolant heater, oil pan heater, and an electric battery blanket. Under the hood I have a heavy duty 3 prong plugin to which I can plug and play whatever I choose and it goes to one plug I plug in to the wall. Usually on a timer that kicks in a few hours before I start it depending on temps. If its crazy cold like -40 I may just keep it plugged in continuously overnight or whatever just to keep things warm. I was so impressed after I installed the coolant heater, everyone always said its the best and it is. Basically I now leave all 3 plugged in and set timer for a few hours before and it starts like mid summer at pretty much any temp. I actually recently hooked up some wifi plugs and an app to my phone. So on days off I can just click the plug on from my smartphone an hour or so before I want to leave!!

Also I will add anti gel or diesel additives through the winter when it's cold. But I have also not added for years and never had an issue. Perhaps being in Canada in winter that's pretty much par for the course as it may mostly be winter diesel from the pumps..... ??

Also the does anyone have a Webasto heater in their TDI? That would be a hardcore next step!! And pricey.....

 

[benmarks]

I have a Webasto heater in a box on my floor pending installation, but I am waiting for my rebuilt PD150 motor to arrive (I am converting my entire engine bay to a PD150 engine bay.) It's the most expensive option at $1,000-ish, but it doesn't require separate power and I can enable it remotely using a wireless key fob. It will warm up your engine and blow warm air into the cabin all while running on a tiny bit of diesel. There used to be a MK4 kit you could buy, but it was discontinued long ago. However, the generic kit + Kufatec harness + OEM wireless controller/key fob gives you everything from the original MK4 kit except for the mounting bracket. My TDI guru and I will need to make our own bracket to mount the pump in the OEM location in front of the driver's side front wheel. The OEM wireless controller replaces what would've been a manual timer in the original kit. In Europe, there's even a cellular controller + iPhone app, but it isn't supported on any US carrier.

 

[Jr mason]

I have a Webasto heater in a box on my floor pending installation, but I am waiting for my rebuilt PD150 motor to arrive (I am converting my entire engine bay to a PD150 engine bay.) It's the most expensive option at $1,000-ish, but it doesn't require separate power and I can enable it remotely using a wireless key fob. It will warm up your engine and blow warm air into the cabin all while running on a tiny bit of diesel. There used to be a MK4 kit you could buy, but it was discontinued long ago. However, the generic kit + Kufatec harness + OEM wireless controller/key fob gives you everything from the original MK4 kit except for the mounting bracket. My TDI guru and I will need to make our own bracket to mount the pump in the OEM location in front of the driver's side front wheel. The OEM wireless controller replaces what would've been a manual timer in the original kit. In Europe, there's even a cellular controller + iPhone app, but it isn't supported on any US carrier.

You should definitely post up some pictures of that!

I had gelling issue that left me stranded in the frozen woods with no phone. The additive is a nasty mess, I decided drilling out check valve in fuel tank and skipping the additive is best.

If fuel is going to gel the most likely place for it to happen is at the filter.
Of course it is possible to gel in the lines or tank if it's not been treated properly for the climate but it's not as likely.

 

[J_dude]

Nice thread!!! Ya the frost heater is a game changer for sure. I have the inline coolant heater, oil pan heater, and an electric battery blanket. Under the hood I have a heavy duty 3 prong plugin to which I can plug and play whatever I choose and it goes to one plug I plug in to the wall. Usually on a timer that kicks in a few hours before I start it depending on temps. If its crazy cold like -40 I may just keep it plugged in continuously overnight or whatever just to keep things warm. I was so impressed after I installed the coolant heater, everyone always said its the best and it is. Basically I now leave all 3 plugged in and set timer for a few hours before and it starts like mid summer at pretty much any temp. I actually recently hooked up some wifi plugs and an app to my phone. So on days off I can just click the plug on from my smartphone an hour or so before I want to leave!!

Also I will add anti gel or diesel additives through the winter when it's cold. But I have also not added for years and never had an issue. Perhaps being in Canada in winter that's pretty much par for the course as it may mostly be winter diesel from the pumps..... ??

Also the does anyone have a Webasto heater in their TDI? That would be a hardcore next step!! And pricey.....

Yeah I’ve never had an issue with gelling in the cold, I don’t even know anyone who has, fuel stations up here are really good at switching to winterized early enough it seems

 

[KrashDH]

I’ve never actually used anti- gel before on my tdi’s or cummins trucks. Never had any gelling issues

I've only used Howes anti-gel in my Cummins when I lived in Montana, and it was only in the EXTREMELY cold snaps we'd have for a week or more.
That being said I've never been left stranded and I bypassed my fuel bowl (with the heater) years ago. Luckily out west now I have no need for any of that stuff.

IMO, what you want to protect is the lines going from the tank to the pump (on the cars). If you can insulate those fuel lines that's your best bet to keeping things from gelling/freezing and your car able to run. It's unlikely that an entire tank of diesel is going to freeze/gel. I've never had that happen, just by the pure volume. But when I lived in the cold, I wouldn't let the tank go below half for this reason. If your tank is gelling/freezing, well it's just too damn cold. But line insulation will usually negate needing a localized heater of any sort.

 

[Fahrvegnugen]

My tank was full when it happened and I’d been driving for about 40 minutes. I mixed in lots of fuel treatment in desperation. Drilling the check valve did the trick. It hasn’t been a problem since then. Even in -25° windchill. The check valve is useless anyway. If fuel pump needs a check valve its time for replacement

 

[wonneber]

One of my old 1.5 diesels jelled up on me after driving 20 miles and was on the NY Thruway
Lucky I had a new fuel filter that I didn't have time to install.
I siphoned some fuel into a empty (and dry) soda bottle and filled the filter.
A bit of cranking and the car started and after a few minutes I was off and running.
I have to put some in my 2014 JSW today after reading this.

 

[WolfgangVW]

I have a Webasto heater in a box on my floor pending installation, but I am waiting for my rebuilt PD150 motor to arrive (I am converting my entire engine bay to a PD150 engine bay.) It's the most expensive option at $1,000-ish, but it doesn't require separate power and I can enable it remotely using a wireless key fob. It will warm up your engine and blow warm air into the cabin all while running on a tiny bit of diesel. There used to be a MK4 kit you could buy, but it was discontinued long ago. However, the generic kit + Kufatec harness + OEM wireless controller/key fob gives you everything from the original MK4 kit except for the mounting bracket. My TDI guru and I will need to make our own bracket to mount the pump in the OEM location in front of the driver's side front wheel. The OEM wireless controller replaces what would've been a manual timer in the original kit. In Europe, there's even a cellular controller + iPhone app, but it isn't supported on any US carrier.

Yes definitely keep us posted on the Webasto!! I'm super interested in this and how it would work in our cars.

 

[WolfgangVW]

Yeah I’ve never had an issue with gelling in the cold, I don’t even know anyone who has, fuel stations up here are really good at switching to winterized early enough it seems

Ya exactly. I honestly wonder if they even change it at all. Like just sell winter diesel year round....

 

[Abacus]

Good topic. A few of my observations over the years from living in Maine:

1) While I never had a Frostheater, I did have an oil pan heater and it made a world of difference in the engine starting because the oil wasn’t as thick since it was warmer. The wagon has a coolant plug heater that is very nice.

2) Along with a good battery, a battery blanket is a must. I put them together on a single cord and plugged them into a WiFi outlet set on a timer, so it’d come on 3 hours before I needed to leave.

3) Valero starters are junk in my opinion, I have had so many leave me and other stranded I wouldn’t install them anymore, or if I did, I let people know I wouldn’t install a second one. There is a reason most have a ‘lifetime’ warranty and they’re always in stock. Bosch is a much better starter.

4) I have rescued too many people in Maine due to gelled fuel, so I always recommend people use a winter additive. Never trust the fuel stations in the US to winterize their fuel.

5) Studded tires are a must if you live where there is a lot of snow or ice. It’s short money to buy a set given what an accident costs. I used to find them used or at the junkyard even and while overkill for Arizona, I still prefer to run them in the winter due to going into the high country often.

6) Add 93% rubbing alcohol to your washer fluid, it’s mostly alcohol anyway but will reduce the temp at which it’ll turn to slush and not work when you need it to.

7) Carry spare blankets and such in the car. I had an electric shutdown on the wife’s B4 (chafed wire) at -5°F and the tow truck said they’d be 2 hours out. Luckily a policeman stopped and said that was unacceptable in those temps and got one sooner. It can get very cold when the car isn’t running. I have also had to rescue people stranded from going off the road and they were glad they had those items.

8) Get a front end blanket or cover so keep the heat in the engine when it's very cold, this made a world of difference.

9) Don't park your car into the wind overnight.

 

[J_dude]

Ya exactly. I honestly wonder if they even change it at all. Like just sell winter diesel year round....

Never thought of that... maybe? Lol

 

[J_dude]

9) Don't park your car into the wind overnight.

Hmm, I’ve only seen mine that full of snow after I left the hood popped overnight one time, and I live in the land where snow doesn’t “fall”, just blows and drifts. Anyway, frostheater made quick work of it.

 

[Abacus]

I had that happen a few times during storms before we built our garage. This particular time was up in Canada on PEI when they had a lot of drifting and blowing snow. We drove all night through the storm and were thankfully allowed across the Confederation Bridge because the car was low enough and wouldn't get blown around. They turned back all vehicles over a certain height.

 

[DCM1]

I use an inline coolant heater plus electric interior heater, plug in for 2 hours before I leave for work, and it works great.