useful cold weather starting tip?

[edoh]

An AA spokesman said it was estimating a total of 19,000 callouts on Friday, up from 9,500 on an ordinary day.

He told the BBC: "Most of it is people who can't get their cars started because of flat batteries. Sometimes people blow a fuse by trying to get their wipers to move when they're stuck to the windscreen."

Asked whether putting blankets around batteries was advised he said: "That is more appropriate for older cars. We don't advise that.

"Before starting the car you should make sure the lights, radio, heated windscreen are all switched off, then dip the clutch when you turn the ignition. That means all the power from the battery will go to the starter motor.

[ghost123uk]

All this blanket stuff on batteries / engines has me puzzled.

It just can't work !

OK, if an engine is warm and you put a blanket over it in freezing weather, it might stay warm for a little while longer, but over a 12 hour period when the outside temp is in minus figures, the engine will soon be at the same temp as the ambient, so when you come to it in the morning the blanket has done nothing.

With batteries it is even more nonsensical !

Old wives tale...

[1664]

They always did this years ago. Makes no difference to the outside engine temperature but might enable a little warmth to remain in the 'core'. Think it was in the days before anti freeze....

[pauly8888]

I don't know about battery blankets, but I agree it sounds a bit far fetched. Maybe an electric-type blanket would help, but if you're going to that, you may as well leave the battery on charge.

Ever since learning how to start a car, I've used Mr. AA-man's other tips, including pressing in the clutch...seems like common sense to me.

[Mickyfin]

If you live here without a power point to plug your car block heater into, then you need to remove your battery, and bring it in doors where it will hold its charge in the warm. Leaving it in a car when its -32 like today you lost over 50% of the battery charge overnight.

[RCN]

coming from Canada we had a few things that we do to help a cold engine. battery blankets, core plug heaters and dip sick heaters all work to various degrees so long as you have a way of plugging them in to the mains. we also use timers so that they don't have to be plugged in and turned on all night long. (the battery blanket keeps the electrolite warm, the core pluge keeps the coolent warm , the dipstick keeps the engine oil warm)
if you don't have anything but a good battery, what you do is shut down everything -radio, wipers etc. turn you headlights on for 30 secs or so, then turn them off and start the engine. the reason is that the batty electrolite has set dorment from the cold, turing the lights on gets the atoms moving and bumping (excited) into each other, which in turn makes it easier to crank the engine. i know this works at tempretures around -20 degrees, hopefully it won't get that cold here anytime soon.

[ambibus]

Re your topic blankets around batteries


Years ago when I worked on the parks dept in New Mills I had a diesel series 3 Land Rover,it was always a nightmare to start on frosty mornings.

One night I had the idea of putting an old heavy donkey jacket over the engine. Next morning after a few sherbets the night before I jumped in, it
started first time and I set off to work. A few miles up the road the cab filled with acrid black smoke, you guessed it folks, I'd forgotton to remove
jacket and the orange plastic shoulder patches had melted on to the manifold

New earth straps eventually solved the problem

sorry for leaving the thread a bit

[Ian Hulley]

Having run The Bus in -28 last year the simple truth is if the batteries fecked it'll still be fecked even if you kiss it good night and tuck it in under a 28 tog blankie with a hot cocoa. And the same for the anti-freeze, it's either up to the job or it isn't ... many garages offer a free anti-freeze protection test at the start of winter, that or treat yourself to a tester ...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Silverline-4276 ... B000NBVMTE

Ian

[R0B]

Well i have searched high and low.Where is this clutch of which you speak

dip the clutch when you turn the ignition

[kit]

My Corsa has a battery blanket type thing fitted from new.

[Ian Hulley]

My Corsa has a battery blanket type thing fitted from new.

Yep, it would ...

[sarran1955]

Hello,

Brought the tractor 6v battery indoors, together with the T25 battery.

I hadn't realised how cold the barn was, until I noticed the frozen bottles of water in there.

For my 'useful cold weather starting tip' on my diesel Citroen which sits outside, I've run a 220 volt lead to

a) a fan heater on a timer

b) A little electronic battery charger from Lidl, with a winter position.

We've done the same with the jeep

I think I'll buy another charger when they come around again, about £20, cheaper than killing your battery.

For walking to the car safely, I spent a good half hour chipping away the ice outside the front door, using a good length of angle iron and the snow shovel.

It'll be at least -12 tonight.

Keep warm

Cordialement,