love old mercs in the cold!

[robparker]

Was pretty nippy last night and was up to around -3c by the time we left the house. Could hear next doors diesel 02-plate Renault and then Peugeot struggling to start in the cold, our old Merc diesels fired up like it was still 15c outside and were warm within a mile. The 240's engine must have been developed in the late 60's as it first appeared in the 115's, how come they could make them more reliable then then Renault could manage this recently! Sure, the newer Renault is probbaly abit quicker and more economical, but whats the use if you cant get going in the first place!

 

[V6Matty]

2 cranks and mine fired up this morning, waved at my neibour who had been out side trying to start his brand new insignia for about 5 minutes :lol:

 

[whitenemesis]

Next door's Mondeo struggled to life and my word! What a noise and he rev'd the nuts off it...

 

[robparker]

Would seem that making a car capable of starting in only just freezing temps would be easy nowerdays.. evendently not for some!

 

[richardN2O]

Next door's Mondeo struggled to life and my word! What a noise and he rev'd the nuts off it...

Those bearings won't last long if they rev it from cold

 

[richyba]

Thick with ice here yesterday and both our 410d camper and my new baby (C107 300DSLC) fired up within 2 turns without any drama and the SLC has a battery that looks like it came off a metro - I was well impressed!

 

[toby1]

Mine struggles at -5ºC and below. It wouldn't start one morning last winter. 83% of my glow plugs work.

 

[whitenemesis]

Those bearings won't last long if they rev it from cold

It doesn't sound much better in the warm weather TBH he always pumps the throttle as soon as it fires. The metallic knocking is painful :neutral:

 

[Frontstep]

Mine starts up after two-three seconds at around freezing point and a tad longer in those very cold spells always first try though.
Thats the last time now I have posted it though !!
Every month I charge the battery during winter as my journeys are often short.

 

[mark.s]

I know people say don't put warm water over your glass to remove the frost, for fear of cracking, but luke warm water works a treat, I turn the car on put the wiper on intermittent put a jug over the windscreen the wiper clears the water, and OK you might have to do it it again to stop a freeze but its fine and took me no time to sort it out to drive, whilst my neighbour is scrapping away for ages.

Who's the idiot ?

Suppose it will be me when it cracks ?

 

[Frontstep]

I put a fan heater in mine warm and defrosted.
Still haven't got around to my preheater though.

 

[st4]

Mine takes a bit longer to start but in a merc you just turn the key once and it keeps cranking until she starts. Fabulous system

 

[Blobcat]

I've just taken on a 20yr old Land Rover 110, it was -3 yesterday and it started first turn of the key

 

[SL63 Mark]

Our 90 is a good starter, but then it ought to be after I put a massive truck battery in it.

 

[V6Matty]

I have a 1956 series 1 landy that come out to play somtimes, couple of years ago when it was snowing hard and about -10 it started first time and always does, well thats as long as i dont forget to put the rotary arm back in :lol:

 

[d215yq]

2 years ago in the alps, -24 degrees c, covered in a 5mm layer of ice topped off by 3 feet of snow after being left for 3 weeks. Started first time, allbeit the starter was a bit slow to turn and took a few seconds of cranking, hot air for the screen was available after 2 minutes idling too which was helpful for removing that ice layer!

I am a bit surprised some are having trouble because I know Ford atleast (and therefore i expect all the others) sell the same car in Spain as Finland...it was found too expensive to make cars different for each market and instead was easier just to use parts that work in every temperature so every car can leave the factory the same...i know a test engineer who has a nice life hopping between the south of spain in summer and Finland in winter testing out the cars in such extremes.

I expect the neighbours are having trouble with the batteries, although new cars do seem to be tougher on batteries...in my mercs I've had warning before the battery is dieing (slow turning over, etc), whereas my parents newer cars have both been dead (no starter at all) on a cold morning after zero warning/starting perfectly before. So much so we believed a light had been left on/alternator fault and not the battery. The batteries in my parents cars also died after 4 or 5 years, I thought battery life was longer than that.

 

[creepy coupe]

Half a tun and my Mondeo and it's up and running. Then just turn on the heated front screen and watch my neighbour scrapping his Audi

 

[trapperjohn]

On my old girls I cycle the glow plug cycle twice if its -5 or below. Never a bother at starting

 

[taxii]

My old 202 started fine in the frost yesterday with just one turn over and no throttle then as with all of my cars she gets left on the drive for a few mins to warm up with tick over throttle and screen heaters on and warm enough when I get in but I really do miss having heated seats with the leather.

 

[discoking]

My 123 fires up on 1st crank everytime,even these last few days when it's freezing.