Best way to start in below freezing temps?

**jonesy63** · 26th June 2014, 08:19 AM

Originally Posted by SBD4

James, the car takes care of it. It will not kick the engine over until the glow plugs are up to temp. Just hold the button in and when it's ready it will start.

I'm pretty sure that statement is true for a D4. IIRC, with a D3, you're meant to hold the key to "on" and wait until the glow plug light goes out - before moving to start position.

**Bigbjorn** · 26th June 2014, 03:58 PM

Give it a good sniff of ether down the air intake. We couldn't start the Cummins NTA-420's in Autocars in a hard Melbourne winter morning without and then they ran on varying numbers of cylinders, blew clouds and rings of fuel smoke until they warmed up. God knows how they got them running in Minnesota or the Dakotas.

All else fails hold a burning fuel soaked singlet over the air intake. This is how old diesel tractors used to get started up on the Darling Downs in winter.

**Piddler** · 26th June 2014, 03:59 PM

Originally Posted by tiddy

Depending on which way your going there, Alpine diesel is available in Canberra & in Cooma, that will assist.

I would fill up in Jindabyne before you head up the hill. That's the closest Alpine Diesel and your tank will have the least in it when you fill.

Cheers

**Dougal** · 26th June 2014, 04:31 PM

Originally Posted by sniegy

Fill the fuel tank with Alpine Diesel at the resort (as the resorts have their tanks filled with Alpine Diesel & you can't get it locally).
Drive with the tank that will get you there with 10 or so Litres left & then fill it at the Resort.

Also what Meken said Take a blanket & cover the engine bay. Just don't forget it is there when you leave. Sticky note on the steering wheel.

Cheers

What is the blanket going to do? There is no heat to hold in. It'll all be at ambient temp.

**solmanic** · 26th June 2014, 11:01 PM

If you're after alpine diesel and don't want to get raped by the bowser then fill up at give Caltex Woolworths in Cooma. It's just off Sharp St and a lot of tourists miss it and end up selling their kids for fuel in Jindabyne.

**Jojo** · 27th June 2014, 02:16 AM

How cold does it get?!? In a decently serviced truck with a good battery you won't have to worry. Especially with a modern engine that does it all on its own. As for the blanket, forget it.

**123rover50** · 27th June 2014, 05:51 AM

Originally Posted by Dougal

What is the blanket going to do? There is no heat to hold in. It'll all be at ambient temp.

I dunno

Back when I was a kid living near your location, people used to put a blanket over the tractor or car bonnet and wrap the exposed house water pipes with lagging etc to stop them freezing. Seemed to work.
I get you point about ambient temps but the frost seems to come from above.
Some of the orchards burnt waste oil in pots to create a smoke cloud to stop the frost coming down to damage the fruit.
Do they still do that?

**Bluepippa** · 27th June 2014, 06:39 AM

For 20+ years while living in Europe and spending weeks at a time in the snow! I never had a problem with any of my cars... Just have a great time and don't worry... My D4 will be in Thredbo from this weekend for a week and I'm not worried in the slightest :-)

**Bluepippa** · 27th June 2014, 06:43 AM

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1403818928.656102.jpg
Not a Landy, but a standard diesel and no worries starting after a week standing still !!

**Dougal** · 27th June 2014, 07:07 AM

Originally Posted by 123rover50

I dunno

Back when I was a kid living near your location, people used to put a blanket over the tractor or car bonnet and wrap the exposed house water pipes with lagging etc to stop them freezing. Seemed to work.
I get you point about ambient temps but the frost seems to come from above.
Some of the orchards burnt waste oil in pots to create a smoke cloud to stop the frost coming down to damage the fruit.
Do they still do that?

If it's an overnight frost then yes any insulation can help. Normally with hard frosts here we've got a clear sky and can put on 20C when the sun comes up. Swings from -10C to +10C and back again are great fun.

Thankfully those days of hore-frost, being below zero and under cloud for days on end aren't that common outside July:

But at altitude you're going to be below zero the whole time and it'll be cold-soaked to the same temp throughout.

My 4BD1T without glowplugs starts in -10C as long as the batteries are good. You need extra throttle to keep it going for the first few minutes though.
My Nissan work car with working glow-plugs coughs white smoke at startup even at 10C. I think one or two cylinders have lost compression.
My VAG 2.0tdi doesn't even use the glow-plugs until close to zero. Starts second cylinder.

Any modern engine should be fine down to about -15C with no pre-cautions. Provided your battery is in excellent condition.
Occupants, well they start to suffer at warmer temps.

Does a D4 have an electric boost element in the heater box? All VAG cars have space for one.

*edit*
Oh yeah, the frost-pots.
Illegal now for pollution reasons, but I do remember them when I was younger. In the early 80's all orchardists switched to overhead sprinkler frost protection (only needed once blossom comes out in September). All the vine-yards and orchards on higher ground are running diesel powered wind-mills for protection from mild frosts. Vineyards pull helicopters in for more major frost protection to mix up the layer of cold air against the ground.

But I have heard of one small orchard away from others still using frost-pots.

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