Cold... - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

Berg · 01-01-2009, 12:07 PM

Anyone find it's 2009 a bit slow to start when very cold? (-20 celcius) The engine sometime spins 2 or 3 times before starting. I am not use to this in my Focus wich starts like really quick at that temperature.

I use to put full synthetic in my other cars, this one is still on the regular 5w20 put on last oil change by Toyota.

Just your opinion about the manner of your 09 corolla in the real cold weather (canadian winter) would be appreciated.

Happy new year !

rolla-XRS · 01-01-2009, 01:32 PM

Pretty common with Toyota's. My other 05 Corolla and 00 Celica were the same way.
I thought I read somewhere that this is part of a warmup safety mechanism for the engine. Don't know the details though...

imEric! · 01-01-2009, 05:29 PM

My car was using German-Castrol 0w-30 and it never had problems starting in the cold...

Now I'm using Amsoil 0w-20...

LeanBurn · 01-01-2009, 06:19 PM

Try plugging in the block heater.

Berg · 01-01-2009, 07:01 PM

Thanks guys, I will try putting some Full syntec like in my other cars. Maybe this would help, also I will wait for 5 sec before turning the key once I am at ''On'' position. I also heard like on of you said that Toyota are sometime hard to start in the winter. Well if this is normal, I can easily live with that !!!

Regards,

Berg · 01-01-2009, 07:05 PM

By the way block heater is also a great idea... I will find and aftermaket one because it is not installed on the car. They asked 178$ + tax in Canada for this option. I have access to a plug at my home and work.

I have enjoyed this on previous car as when you start the car it is already hot. But I heard that Toyota is not heating the coolant but the block, so I don't know if I will enjoy a warm car as before once I start it.

Regards

btk · 01-01-2009, 07:37 PM

nope.. i haven't had any problems starting my car... and i'm in alberta, and right now its been about -25 to -30 for a month now LOL.. but yeah, my xrs is doin just finee

LeanBurn · 01-01-2009, 10:58 PM

Block heater = heating coolant in our cars. Its more effective to heat from the inside. Mine only reves to 1200rpm when first started at -25C when I plug it in. I get interior heat pretty quick too.

I am surprised, I thought block heaters were mandatory on all Canadian cars...

rolla-XRS · 01-01-2009, 11:36 PM

Block heaters are a dealer-installed option. No legal requirement for them since many parts of Canada don't require them. Southern Ontario, Montreal, most of BC are areas that don't need them.

Jeff Lange · 01-02-2009, 12:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rolla-XRS

Block heaters are a dealer-installed option. No legal requirement for them since many parts of Canada don't require them. Southern Ontario, Montreal, most of BC are areas that don't need them.

They are installed in every Toyota for Alberta though.

Where the block heater is on the newer engines versus it being directly in the coolant on older engines makes little difference. The block is heated and the coolant is inside the block, so it gets heated as well. It may take a bit longer but if you leave your car plugged in for enough time the coolant will get to about the same temperature, I'd think.

Aluminum is the best conductor of thermal energy used to build engines today, about 4-5x more conductive than cast iron.

Jeff