Coldest you've started your ex in? | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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Coldest you've started your ex in?

Harley McIntyre

Well-Known Member
Joined
March 31, 2019
Messages
159
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25
City, State
Lake Geneva, WI
Year, Model & Trim Level
2006 Explorer EB 4.6l
Just curious what's the coldest you guys have started your explorer in? V8 or v6? Just wondering how well these handle extremely cold temperatures?
 



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Lowest on my 99 v6 17f
 






I started mine somewhere around 20°F, but the timing chain blew up 5 seconds after that so I wouldn’t exactly call it successful.
 






-20°F. Power steering pump whined for about 7-8 seconds but otherwise just fine. 2006 V8.
 
























I have started all the Explorers I have owned (1st and 3rd gen models) in sub zero (F) temperatures. Some were V8s and some were 4.0Ls. I never had an issue with any of them at this temperature if the battery was good. I don't expect to have any issues with the 2010 Mountaineer I currently own either.
 






Anyone have battery recommendations? Mine is definitely otw out and I don't trust battery manufacturers, so which ones last the longest?
 






Last week one morning was -2F when I started it. No problem, cranked right up. I am using QSUD 5w-30 full synthetic oil.
 






'08 V8 -12F with windchill ontop of that. started on first attempt but the radio volume wouldnt work till it warmed up. and the cluster lcd was half lit till it warmed up aswell.
 






2000 V6, -52C (-60F). In the northern Alberta arctic circle, I kept mine plugged into a block heater, and ran an optima yellow top. I once blew an E3 spark plug starting in these temps, and had to limp the truck 10km with only 5 cylinders firing.
 






^^^^^^ you win lol
 






Single digits, V8 p/s pump whines also for a few minutes.
 






Anyone have battery recommendations? Mine is definitely otw out and I don't trust battery manufacturers, so which ones last the longest?
I swear by Motorcraft. Yes, they cost a little more but of the three I've owned I've never had one last less than 7 years and one lasted 13 years. I'll never buy a different brand.
 






Coldest was negative 5 Fahrenheit, no problem starting, but lots of whining noises probably power steering pump
 






since I bought mine back in 2014 the coldest night was around -15f and after sitting for 13 hours it didnt start and needed a jump my charging system on my 4.0 will not let the battery maintain a good resting voltage as it often drops down to 13-13.5 charging voltage after heat soak

Anyone have battery recommendations? Mine is definitely otw out and I don't trust battery manufacturers, so which ones last the longest?

a very large percentage of batterys are produced by johnston controls and just rebranded here is a pretty fun video to watch but I use agm's because of the resistance to freezing another member had a thread that contained a website that listed all battery makers and the build house they were produced all started because someone was asking about walmart never start batterys which just happends to be the same as a motorcraft unit as well as 100's of others

 






^^^^ that's the one I use
 









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I started my '98 at around 3F once which is near the coldest it ever gets here, and several times closer to 15F. For about a year my battery was getting on the old side and wouldn't start at 15F without a lot of struggle but new battery solved that.

I got my current battery where I usually do, a Johnson Controls made Everstart Maxx from Walmart for both the '98 and '14, but the '14 originally came with a group 59 or something and I had them upsize it to a group 65N like my '98 takes... larger battery, more CCA, yet costs less. Fits fine in the battery tray and the only downside is the '14's factory battery insulator won't fit on it so I just don't use the insulator. IIRC some 5th gens did come with group 65.

Don't know how far north you have to live for them to stock 65N instead of 65S.
 






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