Snow BX25 did not start - first time in 10 years!

[check]

I started it up when I arrived at the cottage last night, and it was about -13 Celsius. after running it for a couple of hours, I stopped and plugged it in, and then this morning, it would not start. Turns out I forgot to plug the other end of the extension cord into the wall, so it had not in fact been hooked up to the block heater.

Tried a few times this morning, and then quit because I was worried about the battery going down. That has been a great battery, and has survived in as low as -30°C weather.

Plugged it in properly this time, and left for home. Will be back up again on Friday, and hopefully then it will start.

So, I guess I can no longer boast about what a great starter it is!

 

[dodge man]

Might be time for a new battery. I started mine yesterday, about 3 below zero and it started but didn’t like it. No block heater.

 

[moship]

Plugged it in properly this time, and left for home. Will be back up again on Friday, and hopefully then it will start.

It sounds like you are going to leave the heater on from Sunday to Friday. That sounds a bit long.

If so it will be interesting to see how warm the block is after such a long time.

 

[RKP in SB]

I started it up when I arrived at the cottage last night, and it was about -13 Celsius. after running it for a couple of hours, I stopped and plugged it in, and then this morning, it would not start. Turns out I forgot to plug the other end of the extension cord into the wall, so it had not in fact been hooked up to the block heater.

Tried a few times this morning, and then quit because I was worried about the battery going down. That has been a great battery, and has survived in as low as -30°C weather.

Plugged it in properly this time, and left for home. Will be back up again on Friday, and hopefully then it will start.

So, I guess I can no longer boast about what a great starter it is!

----------------------------------------
Wow, -13 Celsius is only +8.6* Fahrenheit -- that's not THAT cold. I'd been worried about how my new Kubota RTV-X 1100C (my first diesel) would do in the cold, but no problems so far. It's stored in an unheated shed, no block heater, and started right up the other morning at -8*F (-22 Celsius). I used the glow plugs, of course, but there wasn't the slightest hesitation once I turned the key all the way, fired up instantly. (Knock on wood it keeps working this way for another 20 years or so.)

 

[07wingnut]

Your cheapest starting aid is a battery blanket plugged in all the time. Batteries lose their cranking capacity at an alarming rate as the temperature drops, and as a double whammy, will not not charge as well while you are running in the cold. As a bonus, these heaters cost peanuts to keep plugged in, and probably extend the life of your battery.

 

[check]

Your cheapest starting aid is a battery blanket plugged in all the time. Batteries lose their cranking capacity at an alarming rate as the temperature drops, and as a double whammy, will not not charge as well while you are running in the cold. As a bonus, these heaters cost peanuts to keep plugged in, and probably extend the life of your battery.

Hey, wingnut, thanks for the heads up! I did not know that battery blankets use little power. My block heater uses a fair amount of power. Will have to pick one of those blankets up.

 

[check]

Well, it was -13 Celsius when it did start up Friday night, but on Saturday morning when it would not start it was -23. And I believe it would have started even at that temperature if I had in fact not forgotten to plug in the other end of the extension cord, so that it would have been plugged in for a couple of hours before I tried starting it.

Also, it turned over quite nicely each time I tried to start it on Saturday morning. It just wouldn’t fire. We will see this Friday if I had run the battery down so low that it will not even start after having been plugged in all week.

 

[check]

Also, the stupid ATV battery ran out of Juice, so I have that on the Battery Tender. Hope something works, because there’s a big whack of snow coming this week!

 

[diesel85]

I don't even bother with block heaters or blankets.

I have an onboard battery tender on my machine. Keeps the battery fresh for a long time.

Been doing this for years and it works well.

 

[falfrenzy]

Check,

I had to use my portable battery jump pack to give my ATV a boost since it was -10F when I tried to start it.

I highly recommend you look into the jump packs, they are life savers. Mine has beat around my truck box for a few years, and is always ready to go.

This is the one I have,

https://www.amazon.com/Clore-Automo...&pf_rd_p=70036c91-61b6-5265-8b12-253e202ce97a
but when it comes time to replace it (if ever this things a tank) I'll be looking at the Li-Ion packs that are a 1/3 of the size.

Man I love Amazon reviews:

Q Will it jumpstart an AGM Optima battery or any Deep Cycle Battery?
A: In my opinion it could jump start a dead cow back to life. Hasn't failed me yet.

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

You guys are reminding me of the year I spent in Minot, ND over 50 years ago. My first week there was -43 degrees. I had installed an in line tank heater one size up from the size recommended and plugged it in but alas it would not start the next day! Noticed the car beside mine had two electric lines running under his hood. I asked him about it and he explained the light bulb beside the battery in addition to the tank heater. I got me a light bulb and combined with my tank heater and light bulb my car always started after that. Moving on to a couple of years ago here in Ky where it is supposed to be super cold 2degrees in a couple of days and the coldest day of the year. A couple of years ago we had a major snow and bad cold for Ky. I had been using white bottle Power Service sporadically for years doubting it done anything. My wife and grands got out in my RTV1140 and it wouldn't start. I had a small amount of the Power Service (White bottle) in my garage which I added to the fuel and the RTV1140 started. Did the Power Service do it? I don't know but I know it wouldn't start until I added it. I have since converted to the silver bottle of Power Service since 99% of my needs are not temperature related. I may pick up a bottle of the white bottle today though.

 

[check]

-24C (-11F) this morning up there. Hope the block heater is working!

 

[check]

Hey, came up yesterday afternoon, and the tractor started instantly! Amazing what happens when you leave it plugged in. Plus it had warmed up to a balmy -13°C. My 10-year-old Kubota battery strikes again!