Difficult to start the engine at extreme cold (-27 Celsius)

[luckyforrest]

Anyone have experienced difficulty in starting the engine at extreme cold? I did the first oil change 1 month ago using conventional 5W-20 oil, not sure if it is because of the thicker oil, should I switch back to 0w-20 immediately? Thanks!

[Daox]

What year is your Mirage? Some early models got recalled for cold start issues.

[luckyforrest]

it is 2018 G4

[Daox]

I wouldn't imagine yours should have any issues starting.

What symptoms is it exhibiting?

0W-20 would help, but certainly isn't absolutely necessary IMO.

[Mark]

Anyone have experienced difficulty in starting the engine at extreme cold? I did the first oil change 1 month ago using conventional 5W-20 oil, not sure if it is because of the thicker oil, should I switch back to 0w-20 immediately? Thanks!

It was approximately -20F on Monday morning where I live. School was delayed 2 hours. When I started my car, it was still -17F which is almost the same as -27C. My 2017 Mirage ES hadn't been started in over a day (no engine block heater), & I thought it started up perfectly fine. My Mirage has Mobil 1 0W-20 synthetic oil in it.

In the United States, 0W-20 synthetic is the only recommended oil. I wouldn't hesitate to use 5W-20 or 5W-30 during the summer months, but I would stick with 0W-20 during the winter months (especially in a colder climate region).

Does Canada recommend 5W-20 oil? Common sense would suggest a thinner oil for winter months. The last time I changed my oil a few weeks ago I had also cut some firewood that same day. How the 0W-20 poured out of the jug was quite different than the 30W bar oil I was using in my chainsaws. I remember taking a mental note of that. 0W-20 flows quite good in the cold.

[Top_Fuel]

What symptoms is it exhibiting?

Extended cranking time?
Turning over slowly?


Does it sound like this?

[luckyforrest]

I wouldn't imagine yours should have any issues starting.

What symptoms is it exhibiting?

0W-20 would help, but certainly isn't absolutely necessary IMO.

The engine cranked but refused to start for the first several tries and finally started after about 3 tries. Just ordered a block heater, hopefully it will help.

[luckyforrest]

here in Canada, the manual says 0W-20 is recommended for cold start and fuel economy, and 5w-20 can be used if 0w-20 not available. I have a coupon for conventional oil change, so I used that coupon and used 5w-20 instead. Yes, you are right, I should use 0w-20 in cold. Hopefully, 5W-20 wont cause too much wear to the engine.

[Mark]

The engine cranked but refused to start for the first several tries and finally started after about 3 tries. Just ordered a block heater, hopefully it will help.

When it gets that cold, it can be a combination of a number of things. Thicker oil may be a sight factor. I've never been impressed with factory batteries in any vehicle that I have ever bought either. I am not saying the battery is bad or needs to be replaced. It just may not put out the CCA of a good replacement battery.

Using a thinner oil, adding a engine block heater, & adding a trickle charger to the battery overnight are all things that can improve an extremely cold start.

You'll have to let us know how the engine block heater works when it's that cold again!

[Mark]

here in Canada, the manual says 0W-20 is recommended for cold start and fuel economy, and 5w-20 can be used if 0w-20 not available. I have a coupon for conventional oil change, so I used that coupon and used 5w-20 instead. Yes, you are right, I should use 0w-20 in cold. Hopefully, 5W-20 wont cause too much wear to the engine.

A lot of cars run on 5W-20 & 5W-30 oil year round, & they have been doing it for decades. I wouldn't overly fret about it. Saving the 5W-20 oil (good deal) for the summer months & sticking with 0W-20 during the winter months is probably the way to go in the future, but I wouldn't worry about it.

A lot of short trips in the winter time can have an impact on your battery's performance, too.