This brutal cold spell we just had is finally leaving. The other morning I went out to plug in the truck which hadn't been driven or started for 2 days in -25 -30 (actual temp) weather. After a couple hours I figured it would be good to go. I try it and my truck barely turns over. I'm like wtf These batteries are only a year old. Got my charger out and both batteries are about 40%. Now yesterday it was single digits and truck wasn't plugged in went out and it fired right off. Does the cold take that much out of batteries? I know it affects them but that much? I'll sure be glad when I don't here that 3 cylinder warm up any more. Or the high idle as far as that goes

 

Cold weather (-0) does take a toll on them, and if your running dino oil, it makes a lot more resistance on the starter.

 

In minus 25 to -30 weather a couple of hours is not enough time - you would need to plug the truck in for at least 4-5 hours to make much of a difference. There is a lot of coolant there and 2 hours just isnt enough time to warm it up sufficiently.

As for the batteries - when the outside temperature is 80 degrees, a fully-charged battery has 100 percent of its power available to start the truck. When the temperature drops to 32 degrees, a fully-charged battery has two-thirds of its power available. At zero degrees, that same fully-charged battery has only 40 percent of its power available to start the vehicle.

 

The couple hrs that it was plugged in and maybe half hour of charging was all it took for it to fire up. It doesn't seem to take very long at all once you plug it in

 

Well I'm betting I'll be replacing batteries on the camp trailer this summer..

 

A Diesel needs a higher revolution during a cold morning. You have to overcome friction, you have to build up compression and you have to glow your plugs. As a result of that you need every amp you can get. Look at the Cold cranking Ampere CCA on the label of the battery. It indicates the Ampere being able to deliver at minus 18°C. The higher the CCA number, the better the cold starting behaviour. For that reason I go with the Optima Red Top. An Excellent Battery. It never let me down in seven years of hard use.
It also helps to cover the housing of the battery in an insulating surrounding like foam or neoprene. Don't forget to isolate the bottom of the battery between the tray and the battery. Thats were the main cold comes from.

 

Well no glow plugs here. But the heating grid does draw a lot of juice. I use to be a huge fan of optima's but I don't think they are the same quality as they use to be. Since they moved production of them south.

 

@Jazz:
Do you use the AC plug in the engine core? I use it in Norway, and also a C-Tek Charger, one of the most advanced battery chargers. I'm sorry - I havn't seen the no Diesel Forum- so it's a gas truck?

Do you ever have used the so called "Blue Heat" Heater. They are very common over here. You set your time of departure and your truck is preheated and the cab is also pretty warm. Starting is easy, as long as your battery is in a good condition.

 

I do plug it in when it's really cold. It is a Diesel but has a grid heater instead of glow plugs. I'll have to look up the C-TEK charger