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-21* - 8N wouldn't start... :-(

Ed S.

Ed S.

Well-known Member
Location
Middle Tennessee
Had three out of four cars unable to start this morning (-21°), but was able to get my son's '98 Grand Caravan running by swapping the battery out of my truck - turns out the brand-new battery in the '98 was bad off the shelf - wouldn't charge past 10.55 volts).

The truck would turn over, but only popped a few times and wouldn't catch. My '00 New Beetle (TDI diesel) was the same story - turned over very sluggishly, popped a little but wouldn't catch (need a new block heater for it). The '06 Grand Caravan fired right up.

On a whim, I tried to start the 8N, but the starter motor just whirred away and would not engage the flywheel - I suppose the bendix must have a little oil or grease on it which is gumming things up (I thoroughly cleaned the shaft before I installed it...).

Wishing for a "warm" Georgia winter,

es
 
Re: TDI block heater,

Bought one from the VW dealer when we first moved to the Middle West - it was a small heating pad that glued to the bottom of the oil pan. The elements finally burned out a year or two ago, so I removed it.

It appears that VW no longer sells this heater, and I've been looking at alternatives, including this one.

es
 
Ed.......maybe I'm behind the times, but my three Rabbit diesel pickups have glow plugs and engine freeze plug mounted heaters. ......Dell
 
I hear you on the cold! We has -42 outside the kitchen window this morning. The new Toyota Yaris had been plugged in for about 2 hours and fired right up. Frost plug heaters are a mandatory dealer installed option in Canada, and a very good thing, too.
Never bothered to try to start anything else here. Gonna wait for temps to moderate a little. Even the school buses were canceled because of the cold!

arrrgh!!
 
engine freeze plug mounted heaters
Click to expand...

Dell,

The ALH engine in my TDI NB doesn't have accessible freeze (Welsh) plugs, so that's not an option for me. I got suckered because the past few winters have not been harsh, and I never bothered to replace the burned out heater I had previously. Wish I had now! Will probably go for one of the units that heats and circulates the engine coolant.

es
 
My wife would suggest it's what separates the fools from the wisemen. Anybody north of zone 5 is ... well, you get the idea. You and I do our tillage in zone 3, so we're kinda in trouble. There's a reason why Ole and Sven settled here. hehe.

Stay warm tonight. Gonna be another real cold one.

Colin
 
(quoted from post at 16:41:36 01/15/09) I saw the glue on ones at Farm and Fleet very recently.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the link, John - that's exactly what I had before (only VW probably charged me three times what F&F wants).

es
 
Hi Ed-
It's been in the minuses for over a week now here in Michigan and plenty of snow every other day. I was out for four straight hours yesterday plowing in -5 weather and my 8N started right up as it has been all winter. I keep it stored in a shed- unheated, no AC. But then I make sure it is ready for winter every fall. In November I did a tune-up, oil change, re-built the generator, and had to buy a new battery in the spring but made sure it had a full charge on it. I also check all wiring and connections per clean, bright, and tight 6-volt mantra. I should have rebuilt the carb too but simply did not have any time. I'll be sure to find time next fall.

Tim
 
It's been in the minuses for over a week now here in Michigan and plenty of snow every other day. I was out for four straight hours yesterday plowing in -5 weather and my 8N started right up as it has been all winter. I keep it stored in a shed- unheated, no AC. But then I make sure it is ready for winter every fall. In November I did a tune-up, oil change, re-built the generator, and had to buy a new battery in the spring but made sure it had a full charge on it. I also check all wiring and connections per clean, bright, and tight 6-volt mantra. I should have rebuilt the carb too but simply did not have any time.
Click to expand...

All good things to do, and good advice, Tim. I rebuilt my 8N last spring, so everything is new or refurbished (except that hydraulic pump I elected to not rebuild and now wish I had). I have no doubts she would have started right up if the bendix had engaged - been starting fine down around 0°... Considering the clutch pedal on my VW wouldn't come back up without some help, I figure it was pretty cold!

My guess is I need to pull the starter and re-clean the shaft and bendix - only thing I can think would have kept it from engaging was stiff oil or grease in it someplace.

es
 
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