I'm trying to decide if I have a problem or not.

This is my first Volvo, but not my first car by any means.

I put a new battery in the car in December. It is a EverStart Maxx from Walmart, 790 CCA.

Most of the time, it's fine. Turn the key, starter turns at the 'normal' speed, and the car starts just fine.

But, on the mornings where it's been ultra ultra cold lately - like -10 to -18 degrees - it still starts the car, but the starter turns really slow when compared to when it's warm.

We've had an unusually cold winter here this year in Indiana, so I have no real experience to compare this to.

Do I have a potential problem here, or is this what I should expect at temps this cold?

Once it starts, I drive it for a bit, stop the car, and it'll start just fine every time after, until the next really cold morning.

I can check charging voltage, and get 13.4 volts, but I don't think I have the right tools to check the actual amperage the alternator is putting out - and the guys at the parts stores don't seem super interested in helping - perhaps they are busy, perhaps they just don't know how to check it.

Thinking at what prices I'm seeing for new/reman alternators, I should grab a good used one for $25 at the pull a part lot the next time I'm there!

As cold as it is, I'm tempted to just drive the rest of the winter, and if it starts, drive it, because it's a little cold for me to be doing any diagnostics

Thoughts?

 

what weight engine oil are you running? Follow owners manual recommendation.

Ck your charging system before assuming it's the alt. Could be starter is due for OH too, or battery cables.

 

I suppose you are using 5W30 oil be it mineral or synthetic. At -10F mineral and synthetic oils start behaving a little different, with synthetic being a little more fluid. At -18F the synthetic is still quite fluid, while the mineral starts getting viscous. This explains in part the battery struggling. I would use mineral oil (5W30) to temp down to -15F.

But most of it it's because the battery doesn't keep enough power at such low temperatures. A better battery (more xpensive) will do better. However, such days are rare I guess, and if the car does start withing 2-3 cranks there is no worry. Mine does exactly the same, and the battery is only 3 years old. Since the car starts like a kitten despite the slow spinning, I don't feel like changing it. If I'd expect frequent -30F temperatures, I would probably upgrade.

 

Try plugging in the block heater....?

 

My guess would be cables and/or just a cold battery. My brother suggest turning the car on with the head lights for about 30 seconds to warm the battery a little, then cranking it.

 

You should definitely expect temperature to affect cranking. Thinner oil would help in these super-low temperatures, but the battery itself is also significantly affected by slowing of chemical reactions. Nothing will fix that but heating up the battery. You could heat up the battery just for fun, to see what that does, but I think it's doing all it's going to.

 

I just happened to think, 30 years ago, I damaged my car by getting the starter and electrical system working great while the lubrication was probably gooey. Started it in very cold weather and Messed up the main bearings. That was a much different car, but I just mention that to say get some synthetic oil in there first.

 

I'm running 10w30 Mobil 1 full synthetic. My car doesn't have a block heater?

I'll give the cables a close look the next time I'm under the hood. I can do the treatment in your video at that point, Robert. It starts now, so I'm not gonna mess with it in the frozen temps now

 

That's the problem. Change for 5W30, even non synthetic it will flow better at such temps than the 10W synthetic one. There is no reason to use today a 10W30 oil. The first number is related to the oil viscosity when the oil is cold (before the engine warms up). 5 means the oil is very fluid down to -10F, 10 is for oils that keep fluid down to about 10F.

 

The manual says that 10W-30 is good for temps from -4F to 104F. I don't think a few degrees will make a big deal, especially with synthetic. the manual offers 5w-30 for temps below -4F through 68F and 5W-40 for temps below -4F through 104F. Being that the temp is below -4F so rarely, I really wouldn't worry about it. I would imagine it would be tough finding a 5W-40 oil.

 

Well, slow starting in cold weather is likely the battery. Check how old the battery is, usually there is a sticker on the battery with either a month and year or a letter, a-m(no I), for the month and a number 0-9 for the last digit of the year. If it's more than two or three, it's probably weak. I deal with more slow starting issues in my store due to old batteries than anything else. Thick oil wouldn't cause it unless it were VERY cold or the oil was 20W-xx weight. I'm running Mobil1 10w-30 and have no trouble whatsoever below 0*F. I also use HyPer lube which adds a certain "stickiness" to keep oil in the head and on the bearings(works amazingly and boosts compression on old engines as well). Cranks right over, no weird sounds like it's dry of oil, no problems at all. My battery is only 2 months old and somewhere around 750 CCA at 0*F. Something else, EverStarts are junk. Not from being a parts counter salesman, from being a car enthusiast. They almost always fail completely within 3 or 4 years. I don't know what auto parts store you're going to but O'Reilly's makes us pass a test on how to use all of the equipment in the store. They should be able to test a battery for you, in or out of the car. If you find that you need a battery, regardless of where you get it, pay for the best. It'll last the longest and won't drop below the minimum cranking amps as quickly with age as the weaker, cheaper batteries. More CCA is better.

 

If it only seems to be abnormally slow in the really, really cold stuff I'd go to the 5W30. Would still recommend checking all the connections and having two different auto parts stores or tire stores check your charging system. I'd do two different places as they would have a different brand of tester from autozone to oreilly to sears to goodyear ... etc. That way if two places say it's good it likely is and it's just a well worn starter or a connection that needs some attention or the thinner oil. When the do the electrical system test it's battey, starter and then alternator. Ask them to watch for and let you know the starter draw. I don't know right now what it's supposed to be but post yours and I'll research.

IF . . . If someone needs a battery the stock battery is a group 47. You can step up to a group 48, same width, same height just a little longer and fits fine in the battery box looks identical to a group 47.
You can also use a group 24F. It's a bit taller but there isn't a clearance problem in an 850. I'm running one now because my 48 died and at the time a replacement 48 couldn't be found. The reason to go bigger is to get more Cold Cranking Amps (CCA) from the battery.

The photo is of my "late" 48

 

Actually, best for him is to take his own oil bottle he's using, and do a pouring test at cold temperatures. This way he will know if the oil is fluid enough.

 

I'm familiar with CCA, this battery was new approx 1 month ago.

I have had decent luck with the walmart batteries over the last several years. Most of mine have failed between 2-3 years, and they hand me a new one This was the 2nd free replacement on a Walmart battery bought almost 6 years ago. If I 'lose' the receipt, they will replace this one for 3 years, too. I never got any more life out of diehards or duralast gold.

I've never tried an interstate, though.

The parts stores nearby do a fine job testing batteries, but I'm not sure they know how to test an alternator.

 

If the oil is thick, it will rattle for a little while after starting. Maybe 30 seconds or so. I heard cars sound like diesels in extreme cold weather.