Thread: Importance of Garaging

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

Baz.

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

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.

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.

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

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

I do hope that is a joke !!

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 !!

George