Problems Starting in Cold Weather

Last year I didn't have any problems starting our 2006 Sprinter (a Roadtrek RS). Today I thought I would check it as we are having our first cold snap. The low was 2 degrees Fahrenheit last night, and it was about 15 when I tried starting it. It seems to crank a little slower than normal, but sounds fast enough it should start, but it doesn't. Here's a video of what it sounds like:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJhr-5bot48

My thoughts are:

- Old battery

- Thicker engine oil compared to last year

- Non-winterized fuel.

I put 24 gallons of fuel in it on November 1st, but maybe the station hadn't switched over to winterized fuel -- that's my best guest. I've had it plugged in, so even if the battery is a little old, it would have been topped off by the charger.

Should I put some thinner oil in it? Last year I used Mobile 1, but this year it was something thicker -- don't remember exactly, but it was what Dennis at Linden Engineering normally uses in Sprinters and we were headed to New Orleans in June, so I thought it might be a good idea.

I also put some Power Service in the tank and will try again when it gets warmer.

Any other ideas of what I should do or check? We're hitting the road before long and I don't want to get stuck after another cold night.

Thanks,
Alan

When was last fuel filter change?

If you can get it warmed up above freezing, and it starts fine then, I would suspect some water in the system.

Might be able to drain it off the filter, but I'd just get a new one put on.

It seems to be cranking fast enough, but if your battery is over 5 years old or has been flat a few times, a new battery is cheap insurance in the winter.

I doubt the oil is an issue, what spec do you have in it? As long as the low number is 5W something or less you should be fine?

Have you ever had the glow plug light staying on after it starts in the recent past? If so, you might have glow plug issues.

Crank is fine, I would guess that you have gelled fuel. Probably did not switch to the winter blend. Can you run your ESPAR stand alone from a switch? If so, warm up the engine and then give it a try or wait until it is closer to freezing point and try again.

Chris

I'm thinking it's probably gelled fuel too, I must have filled up before the station switched over to winter fuel. I noticed a groaning sound when I turn on the key, possibly the fuel pump trying to pump but not able to?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoNUNLZWKfQ

Fuel filter was changed a few months ago.

Oil is 15/40 Mobil Delvac 1300 according to my service invoice. Maybe a little on the thick side for winter, but it does seem to be cranking fast enough.

I don't have a way to turn on the ESPAR without the engine running -- might be worth looking into, but if the fuel is gelled, it might not run either...

Thanks for the help -- let me know if you have other ideas for things for me to try, otherwise I'll wait until it warms up a bit more and get it running. Hopefully once the Power Service gets through the system I'll be okay. If I still don't have luck, I'll change the fuel filter again as I ran my last tank on the low side, maybe I picked up some moisture or other from the bottom of the tank.

-Alan

15W40 will be thick for winter and you will struggle. With a 2006 you can switch to the Mobil 1 0W40 that you can get at Walmart. Oil thickness has made a significant difference for me in MN starting in the winter. If I were you, I would get it started when you can (warmer if it is not an emergency), Change your oil to a thinner grade and add the PS or drive such that you receive a fresh tank of fuel that is winter grade. You should be good to go after that. We are not quite as cold as you are here yet, but will be down in the single digits over the next few days for lows. 9 F this morning and my wife had no issues, I don't even think she used the ESPAR heater.

Chris

I managed to get it started later in the day. Let the pump run for a while longer before attempting to start and it finally started. After warming up fully, I drove it around for a while to let the Power Service get mixed into the tank and work its way into the rest of the system. Haven't had any problems yet, and no groaning when I turn on the key.

I'm going ahead and putting the Mobil 1 European Car Formula 0W40 back in and changing the fuel filter to be safe. I might also get a new battery, but this one seems to be holding a decent charge after I let it sit a few days in the cold (12.4 volts). Does $202 for a 900 CCA Napa battery sound reasonable? They seem to get good ratings. The Mopar 800 CCA battery is $275 (I had to ask since I was talking to the dealer anyway).

I'm curious to see if my mileage goes back up -- it had dropped around the time of the last oil change, but there could have been other factors as well.

Thanks for the help everyone,
Alan

Replacement batteries that are OEM spec can be bought for under $125; Sears, Walmart, Costco, etc.

I'd invest in a $20 solar charger from Harbor Freight instead. It provides a trickle charge to compensate for small phantom power drains. Or better yet, a 2 amp plug-in charger.

The switchable ESPAR mod to allow it to run before the engine is started is another great cold weather idea. I haven't done it yet, but it's on my list (details in write-up section)

I just paid $149 for the H8 (group 49) battery at AutoZone. My 4 1/2 year old battery was not up to starting at -1 degree F (2 years ago, I was able I was able start at -15 degrees below zero F). I suspect 4 years is all I should expect out of a battery.

I also run Mobil 0w40 synthetic oil.

After switching oil, I can already tell it's cranking faster. Think I'll hold off on the battery for now and just remember to plug in the coach when it's going to be parked for a while -- it's got a built-in charger that keeps the house and vehicle batteries topped off.

-Alan

A little info on batteries: http://www.aa1car.com/library/2003/us20310.htm

You probably don't need a new battery yet.