Cold starting

[dodj]

Originally Posted by FRSBRZGT86FAN

Electricity does like the cold but that's at liquid nitrogen temps and has more to do with conductivity and lowering resistance.


You have to be sure your battery is outputting enough CCAs. Also you might need more than just a block heater, maybe adding a oil pan heating pad would help. Also test the block heater as well to ensure it's actually properly heating the coolant.


If you weren't getting spark I'm pretty sure you'd throw a code. I'd check the fuel pressure at those temps.

I tend to believe my battery is doing it's job. It keeps on cranking. But, to test, if the cold comes back, I will parallel another battery and see if that makes a difference.


As for fuel pressure

Is there a fitting on the BRZ fuel line to check fuel pressure?



Oh, ya...I didn't hit a deer....well not with the BRZ. Really screwed up an Altima though..lol

[FRSBRZGT86FAN]

Originally Posted by dodj

I tend to believe my battery is doing it's job. It keeps on cranking. But, to test, if the cold comes back, I will parallel another battery and see if that makes a difference.


As for fuel pressure

Is there a fitting on the BRZ fuel line to check fuel pressure?



Oh, ya...I didn't hit a deer....well not with the BRZ. Really screwed up an Altima though..lol

Fuel pressure would be my last test before checking the block heater and testing the batteries, and then adding an additional oil pan heater if needed. If it's the stock panasonic battery I'm in the group that had nothing but issues with it in sub 30 degree temps and ditched it for an AGM with 660 CCAs. The only way to be sure is to have a load tester handy, I bought one off amazon and have it in my tool set and it's super useful on all my cars:

https://www.amazon.com/Schumacher-BT...ry+load+tester


When I bought the schumacher one it was only $30 but it's been really useful for working on friends cars, and is more accurate then the multimeter 13-14.5 volt trick which doesn't really work on modern cars with voltage regulation like the later gen 86.


Checking fuel pressure is pretty involved sadly:


http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=121645


https://demos.starbase7.net/t3Portal...00Q3M04GX.html


Easiest bet is to do your trick and make sure you're running it in parallel just like you'd jump start a car to effectively double the CCAs because that's what you have on hand and should negate any amperage issues .

[dodj]

Yes I replaced my original Panasonic battery with an AGM after two and a half years. The AGM is an 800cca piece.
It got to -26*C last night and it started just fine.....


Think I'll make up a cord to use a clip on, and check the block heater current draw.
I also picked up a CTEK MUS4.3 Test and Charge. I'll try it's algorithms on the start/charge system and see what it says.

[guybo]

I'd like to hear a sound clip of the car trying to start. That'll give us an idea of whether it's fire or compression that's lacking.