Importance of Garaging

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Originally Posted by CaverD3

The cold climate pack includes a Fuel Burning Heater.

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Here in North America, the diesels are not brought in, just the V6 and V8 petrol. As such the diesel fired FBH is not provided by Land Rover, however there is provision for what locally we call a block heater.

This is a tea kettle type electric heater element that is inserted into the water jacket and draws perhaps 12 amps at 120VAC, (1,500 watts) when plugged into the mains. Other names are Freeze Plug Heater or Frost Plug Heater as often what is termed a frost plug is removed and the heater inserted in the frost plug opening. Page 2 of the attached pdf shows a typical heater and how it is held in. I could not find a picture of the Land Rover heater for the LR3, but as usual, it is very different looking from a "normal" heater.

A problem with the FBH is that it presumes the vehicle is parked outside as when the diesel burns, there are products of combustion.

Yes, many people here have heated garages, however to my mind, everytime a vehicle is brought in from the cold, the snow salt mixture from the roads goes to work to continue dissolving the body etc. This rate of corrosion was an initial concern with the D1 and in part what led to LR dropping the Discovery name and inventing the LR3 name for North America.

The pdf attached on page 23 makes reference to the Land Rover block heaters, (under R for Rover, Land), Phillips Temro model number 3100107, Land Rover part number VUB504640 for the 120VAC model and block heater cord 3600003. And no, Land Rover North America did not include the block heater in the cold climate package as apparently the engine met all the local emission ratings upon startup when cold. As such, there was no need for engine prestart warmup as included equipment. The thinking was the the 3 also met the emission ratings even better if it did not start.

And all this makes me really happy I live way North of cold places like Brisbane & Townsville.
25 degrees & we are all putting on jumpers.
Jonesfam

Hi jonesfam,
You remind me of when I was a kid in Casino (northern NSW). Even though it's much cooler than Doomadgee we knew that winter had arrived when we put on a jumper.

Best Wishes,
Peter

Russian winter start up procedure

Try to move the gear stick from left to right ( neutral), if you cant move it do not try to start the vehicle, get a tow into a heated garage, or if driving a locally produced vehicle, light a fire under the sump.

Foot on the clutch and hit the starter, when the motor catches take it to about 2000 rpm and hold there. until lifters get some oil, ( about 10 - 20 seconds) drop the revs to about 1500 for a further 30 seconds or until the motor will idle.

Take it back up to 2000 rpm and slowly let out the clutch, more power will be needed to maintain 2000 rpm. after about 30 seconds check if the motor will idle with the clutch out. if not hold 2000 rpm until it will.

Then light a smoke and dust of any snow from bonnet roof etc. if you don’t the snow from the bonnet will blow up the windscreen and blind you.

Look underneath the car for any puddles of coolant, some times the coolant will freeze and crack a hose etc.

Make sure there is no snow in the radiator or the motor will over heat.

Get in , clutch and engage first, very carefully move the vehicle a couple of inches forward. Your previous drive would have wormed the tires up, which would have melted any snow/ ice that you parked on over night. This would have refrozen and is now stuck to the tire. if there is ice and snow stuck to the wheel rock the car back and forward until if lucky that it breaks off. if not get out the axe.

Drive slowly until all the ice in out of your trends. if it comes off at speed it can penetrate your inner and outer guard, take out you head light or even come though the firewall.

Other things to consider, windscreen washer fluid starts to form ice crystals at about -17, don’t use it until the under bonnet temp has thored it all out or the pump will disintegrate trying to chop up the ice. Any way your windscreen will be so cold that any water hitting it will just freeze to it. ripping off your wiper blades and obscuring your vision.

At about -27 ice crystals will form in your cooling system, drive very slowly after the thermostat opens, the ice would have milted in the block but as the coolant flows the ice crystals can block up the radiator core. = 1 cooked motor ( this happens often)

do not use windscreen wipers to push snow off the windscreen, you will just break them.

-1 to -10, wipe Vaseline around you door rubbers and door locks, that way any water hasn’t frozen your doors or locks shut over night. This is not a problem if colder than about -19

- 35 be very careful, plastic is now funny stuff, not nice when the door handle comes off in your hand at the servo

- 20, take your battery inside with you at night

- 50, good luck

-60, drain radiator at night. Boil and refill in the morning, do this 2-3 times
take reves back

Oh for **** sake, next you'll be tucking them in and fluffing pillows for them:Thump::spudnikwhat:

Baz.

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Originally Posted by Disco4SE

I have always kept my vehicles in a garage as opposed to outside or under a carport.
The Disco has been kept outside overnight for the last few nights because of something else in the garage.
Wow, what a difference it makes when first started in the mornings. I have always been amazed at how quiet and smooth the Disco runs (for a diesel) when first started, until the last few nights.
I would imagine that the engine would have to last longer being garaged.
A tip for those buying second hand. Not only is the body protected from the elements, the engine should last longer as well, as alot of engine wear is at start up.
Cheers, Craig

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Hi Craig,

If the Disco was left outside overnight, and you start it from stone cold, how would you describe the noise, and how long does it last?

I've been reading up on the Defender Puma diesel engines having lots of rattles when started up from cold so I am wondering if this is just a normal diesel warm up trait.

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Originally Posted by tempestv8

Hi Craig,

If the Disco was left outside overnight, and you start it from stone cold, how would you describe the noise, and how long does it last?

I've been reading up on the Defender Puma diesel engines having lots of rattles when started up from cold so I am wondering if this is just a normal diesel warm up trait.

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Hi Tempestv8,
The noises, rattles etc are no where what they used to be 26 years ago when I brought my first diesel.
When garaged overnight (as it normally is) the start up is fairly quiet.
The important thing is that once it is started, drive it straight away, but gently, to get the oil pumping around the engine.
Cheers, Craig

Just as a matter of interest, we had a mild low of 3 degrees on the sunny Mornington Peninsula last night and when I started my garaged D4 at 6.00am to go to the gym, the temperature on the dash was reading 12 degrees.
After an hour at the gym, the temperature was reading 7 degrees.
This just shows what a difference it makes to garage a vehicle, especially that initial start up.
BTW: Had a garage door rep drop in yesterday. They manufacture insulated garage doors. Even better for the D4.
Cheers, Craig

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Originally Posted by Disco4SE

BTW: Had a garage door rep drop in yesterday. They manufacture insulated garage doors. Even better for the D4.
Cheers, Craig

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I do hope that is a joke :Rolling: !!

It is just car after all and nothing in Australia will really push the cold envelope like they have in Europe and or north America so I would expect my D3 to start every time, first time regardless of it being garaged or not in pretty much anyplace in Australia.

Obviously is it better to be garaged but lets not get too over the top. I spent Easter in Thredbo with one overnighter in the Vic High Country, whilst in Thredbo I was parked in an underground garage which was like a fridge, certainly near freezing every night, but no problem or excess noise at start up.

Overnight in the VHC it got down to -7C 9apparently) and whilst I did not kick it over until about 9.30 I had no problems and was not concerned about any.

Maybe a night in the cold every now and then will harden our little princess up a bit !!:wasntme:

George

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Originally Posted by DiscoWeb

I do hope that is a joke :Rolling: !!
Maybe a night in the cold every now and then will harden our little princess up a bit !!:wasntme:George

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I enjoyed the "princess" analogy. Actually insulated garage doors are a relatively new concept here but are a good idea as they help to keep heat in or cold out.

I regard a heated garage in the winter as not totally desirable as the warm up and melting tend to accelerate corrosion. An unheated insulated garage that keeps the wind off and the heat in from the engine and perhaps a block heater is however a real asset.

With the petrol engine, anything above -10C is what we would regard as warm. I tend to think it may be awhile before we see a TDV6 over here however.