[shanny55]

Hey all, I'm up in Northern Canada, it was -50 last week here and my fiance couldn't get the truck started. She didn't have it plugged in but I've never had a problem even in that temp in other years. She got it boosted, it started. She then drove it a bit, started it again at night, working fine.

She then got up in the morning and it would not start again. Power comes to the radio, etc but it won't start. So I took the battery out lastnight, charged it over night. I'm going to put it back in when I get home and see how it works. The terminals seemed dirty as I had it off roading in a lot of mud this summer, also there were sticks and mud near the engine fan and the fan I guess was not spinning, although I did not see this.

So it should work when I put the battery in tonight, but if it's dead in the morning do you think it's a bad battery? I'm also wondering if my block heater is bad and when she tried to start it in the cold, if it drained the battery. What do you think?

 

[Clint]

What year is the truck. If it's 2 or more years old the battery won't have the guts at that temperature. If you have a heater by all means use it, your oil will be better for it. The radio pulls a spec of power compared to the starter.

Clint

 

[whitewolf_4x4]

Definitely dude, use the heater. It is probably the battery. Even in normal temperatures the batteries don't last that long. My '05 needed a new one at 40K. Remember to keep the terminals clean but a heater is not a bad thing. Everything freezes at some point.

 

[Zedbra]

your block heater isn't bad - cuz none of them are good. I tested mine last week using a Scanguage, as I thought mine wasn't working, as well. Was -8c out and with the truck plugged in all night the temperature read 16c before start-up. That's the weakest block heater I've seen - way to go Nissan. Now my VW heater will get the coolant temp up to 71c before start-up.

However, as with most block heaters with low wattage, you are always best to plug them in when the car is already warm, as they have better success at retaining heat rather than heating up the coolant.

 

[shanny55]

Thanks guys. It's let up a bit here now, only -25 or so at night I put the charged battery in yesterday and everything was fine....woke up at 5:00am this morning before work and it started no problem, without being plugged in. I bought a new extension cord and I'm going to test the block heater to make sure it's working. I think the wife just drained the battery before at -40 when it wasn't plugged in. Hopefully this is the last of it!

 

[anoxion]

it was minus 40 here in the last week and every vehicle i have had a hard time. my gfs trucks fuel froze (forgot gasline antifreeze) and had to put a herman nelson on it for about 2 hours to get it to start, i my work truck (dodge 5500 dual battery diesel) didnt want to start after sitting for a day and a half (had to boost it) and my fronty has an ongoing intermittent starting issue (i think it has to do with the positivie terminal, that thing is a weak peice of junk), but once i got that fronty going she was the key to getting everyone else started. it got a fresh battery this spring when i bought it so thats all good and i run a block heater and battery blanket. when its that cold giving the battery a little help doesnt hurt by any means

 

[Duke Of Taint]

Hell if i was your battery, I wouldn't want to start your truck either after a -50 deg. night lol.

 

[2WD_NISMO]

What weight oil are you guys using that enables the trucks to start w/out a block heater when it's 40° to 50 ° below zero?

 

[shanny55]

Man I don't know what they put in it, 5w or 10w30. Seriously, last year when it got cold here I never had it plugged in for the start of winter and it was -40...the thing shook like a bastard, it did not like it for sure but this year at -50 a no go. I did plug it in for the rest of the year last year, hopefully the battery is back to working properly and it will start all the time.

Another thing I discovered when I went to check my oil filter...I had so much mud in my fan by the rad it wouldn't even move so I cleaned it out but the engine needs a big wash! The place I got my filter changed didn't even let me know...I'm sure he saw it.

 

[anoxion]

it would probably be a wise idea to check your own **** if your gonna go playing in the mud, or in general. i dont trust oil change places to wipe their own *** so why would they say anything about some mud in your truck? the whole undercarriage was probly caked so they didnt think twice.

as for oil i run 5w30 in the winter, if i dont plug it in -20 or below it will shake and make bad noises but it will start. some will argue its not necessary to plug in a vehicle but if you have the opportunity why wouldnt you? save yourself some engine damage i'm sure.

 

[shanny55]

For sure, I plug it in whenever I get the chance, I hadn't before because my apt building didn't have a plug in outside I could use. My work has a big ramp that trucks drive up to wash so I'm going to get them to clean it good.