Cold Start Concerns
 

Hey all,

Is starting the engine in well below freezing weather in any way damaging to it? The owners manual recommends an engine block heater if starting at the temperature I will have to tomorrow morning and subsequent mornings during this cold snap (10°F - rare for my area of NC).

I know to let it idle for a bit till it drops its RPM and to take it easy until it warms, but aside from that is there any reason I should worry?

This is my first post.

2012 370z Manual Base / Sport pkg NAG >8k miles :happydance:

I do not think you will have an issue starting it if you follow the steps you describe. I would worry about driving it though if you have the stock tires. Summer tires can be very, very hard and unforgiving in low temperatures.

My suggestion is to move to a warmer climate, like Sacramento, CA where it is going to be 68 degrees F today, again.

A block heater and/or synthetic oil are best for very cold starts but even without you'll be alright. Welcome to the forum. :hello:

I had to start my Z today so I can clean the driveway properly after the snow storm it was 12 degrees outside, the car started the same way as always no problems, I just let it warm up like usual

Yup, still running stock tires. And I've definitely noticed the difference in the cold, especially the noises they make.

Didn't know synthetic oil was good for cold starting - interesting! That I do have, a block heater....that's a different story.

Thanks for the responses!

:tiphat:

Your welcome, and I wouldn't recommend driving in stock tires, I have a set of x-ice 3 winter tires on. Summer tires have no grip at all

Cold Engine
 

We rarely have that cold of temps here in SE Tx, BUT, when we do I heat the garage & my shop. Not up to 68* but keep it from freezing. Our son lives in MT, and gas, forced air heaters are standard there. Engine oil temps and cold starts have always been known to the hard on an engine. And the longer between starts, the more the oil is going to drain off engine parts, leaving thinner protection. This, I Am guilty of.
wOW!
Twenty Fourteen!
Cheers

You can always add lucas synthetic oil stabalizer, it is said by them to eleminate dry starts. Make sure you get the full synthetic (Black lable) version ;)

You'll be fine and so will the Z as long as you don't jam on the throttle and rev the hell out of it once it starts...sounds like you already know that. As far as block heaters I had one on my Jeep and I used it only a couple of times, when it was -50 in Fairbanks Alaska. You don't need one in North Carolina.

no need to worry. cars are designed to operate down to -40C (-40F).

Love this stuff. But it by the gallon. Literally

The car is designed to operate in frigid temps. Just let the engine warm up a minute and be gentle on the throttle for the first few miles. The manual transmission gets pretty balky until the fluid warms up so quick shifts are not advisable.

Nano.
Welcome to the forum. I'm in Charlotte and this morning it was 8 degrees (real feel -2). I noticed this morning that the clutch felt like it was frozen to the flywheel, took about 5 minutes and light revs (nothing more than 3k). Did fine for me

I agree... the clutch freaked me out when it first got cold here. I thought something was wrong, but after a few minutes driving it became normal. Funny, my BMW's clutch never seemed to be affected by temperature. It felt the same whether it was 20 or 90 degrees.

Here in Iowa I follow a simple plan. I store my Z for the winter in my garage. The main reason is to keep all the salt and sand off of it. I knew that I would not be driving it in winter when I bought the car. By not driving it in the winter, it keeps the car nice and clean and I don't have to buy winter tires.

For real! At first I thought NO NO NO CSC is going. Then I realized it's fine again once the car gets warm. :tup:

Maybe it all the coolers or the supercharger but my car always acts crazy until it warms up and I live in south Florida. It was in the upper 30s yesterday morning and it had me convinced the transmission was messed up until it got warm.

my Z is my dd, i live 20 min from you and no issues here. just let it warm up, its not a ferrari

By never driving it, it will look better forever and you can grow old getting pleasure looking at it. I would figure that, in winter, I have about 15 days when it actually snows. I leave the car garaged those days and a day later, when the roads are clear, I drive it. I bought the car to enjoy driving in it and I'd be damned if I will park it for an entire winter.

I don't buy winter tires but may do so because I hate driving some beater car.