Hi everyone,
I live in NewEngland and the temps have been pretty cold the last week. I have been running my FB once a week right up until the first of the month. Then we got hit with snow and I covered it up and have been starting once a week and running her for about 45 mins. I wait till its up to operating temp. then I rev it till like 3-4k and hold it there steady for like 5 mins to run the engine up a bit. It right fired up and ran smooth when it was like 25 degrees and up with hardly any smoke.

The last 5 days its been like single digits and up to -20 at night. Today I went out to start and it wouldnt turn over at all. It just hummed no starter noise. I think the starter might be frozen or something. I have a full tank of gas and its in great running shape with a freshly rebuilt carb last spring. Do any of you northeners have issues in really cold weather getting started up? I hope it gets around freezing this weekend so it will start. Is it a good idea to run it once a week and let it run for 45 mins like I do? Just curious and thanks for your advice.

 

sounds like the bat isn't up to the extreme cold. how does the terminals at the bat look? if there's any corrosion u should take them loose and clean them real good, then tighten them back down. ur local parts store should be able to check both bat and starter to see if they're in good working condition for the cold temps u experience there.

 

Agree'd, also, besides the battery/starter. What weight oul are you running? I wouldn't run anything above 5W30 in that weather.

 

Hi, thanks for the replies. I put a brand new battery last spring along with new cables from battery to starter. The terminals are clean and I also put a brand new Carter Fuel pump and filter to go with the rebuilt nikki carb. I am running 10w40 oil in there and its pretty fresh only 1500 miles on it since last change. Its supposed to get up into the mid 30's tomm so I am gonna try it again. When I go to start it I generally put and keep foot on gas and pull choke out and it always starts no problem. Then I push the choke in once its turned over and hold my foot on the gas for a bit, as I only have manual choke now, till the engine warms up and idles on its own. This is my first winter with a rotary engine and carb so I am not a pro and have been learning how to adapt. I am hoping for some dry days so I can take it for a spin.

 

I got her started today, phew. Only got up into the mid 20's, but she turned over. Gave me that humming sound at first, then the starter made it's sound, and it turned over. I ran it for 45 mins and all seems well now. Seems like my car doesn't like it when it gets into the single digits, but 20's and above seems fine. Hopefully next week the temps will be better.

 

Because you only run it a short while and mostly at idle, that battery is getting
weaker and weaker each time you try to start. Once it got cold enough the battery
just couldn't put out enough to make it go.

You should put a battery tender on it and you might also want to put some heat
in the engine bay to keep the oil a little warm. You can get dipstick heaters that
can do this or you can use the ghetto method I used when living up north.

I took a trouble/work light and hung it inside the engine bay next to the block.
You'd be amazed how much that helps a car start in frigid temps.

 

When you replaced to battery cables, did you ran a ground to the drivers side shock tower like the stock cable?

 

I never thought about a battery tender or dipstick heater. Where do you get one of those? Thanks for your insight on that. I will have to double check the ground on the battery to the shock tower. I beleive we did, my tech friend did most of the work for me. I will double check that today and make sure.