Starting VW Diesels in Cold Weather?

Bryan, I have a 95 Golf TD in Northern Ontario, Canada. It starts in -40 weather. I dopn't think Iowa gets quite that cold! Here is what I would suggest you check:

- Battery in good shape?

- Block heater (assuming it has one, but your note seems to infer it does.)

- Glow plugs working well? These are absolutely critical. (I get this done at a dealer or good independant VW mechanic.)

- Does the car get a good long run to warm up and re-charge the battery?

- Good anti-gel additive in the tank. Diesel can gel-up in the cold. This will mostly happen when they transition from Diesel No. 2 to Diesel No. 1 in the fall, if you get some old Diesel No. 2.

- If its really cold, I go out at lunch and start her up and take it for a short drive.

Dave C

I had an '85 Jetta diesel, while living in Wisconsin. It always started, even at 20 below (it'd idle rough enough to loosen your fillings for a few minutes), but you have to take some precautions. One, make sure you're getting good quality, blended fuel. In December and January, it should be 50/50, in other winter months 70/30. Two, get your fuel from a truck stop, where fuel turnover is high, and the likelihood for unblended fuel remaining in the winter is low, and there won't be as much water in the tanks. Three, use a fuel additive -- I used Power Service. Four, keep your water separators drained. Five, make sure your battery is strong. Six, have a few glow-plug fuses (fusible links, actually) handy. They will burn out every now and then, just from normal use. Seven, learn to use the little cold-start pull-out handle under the dash -- when it gets down around zero, leave it in until the engine fires, then pull it out.

Most importantly, though -- before you buy it, do a compression test. If the compression is gone, it won't start in the cold for love or money.

Yea, that's right, but older means like 40 years old. My old Rabbit diesel had no problems, nor does my 2002 NB diesel. Don't worry.

If it has good compression, pump timing set correctly, good glow plugs, fuel filter... it will fire with ease at 0*F. My 95 did and it had 250,000miles on it.

Thank you to everybody that responded. You have more than answered my question. Unfortunately, the '85 Golf was sold to somebody else. But maybe I will get the chance to use this information at a later date if I can get my hands on another one.

Cheers, Bryan

My 85 golf starts just fine, with all glow plugs working, and no block heater. or 1 glow plug out . Properly timed fuel pump checked every two years . , sometimes i use the block heater below 20 or so, it will start without 2 glow plugs that way. i always put a 900 or 1000 amp battery in it. sometimes i leave it in the cold for weeks and it starts. i check my glow plugs and timing every two years in fall. no problems yet after 8 years of ownership, I dont depend on the block heater ever because of when i go somewhere and no power available. Without block heater below 30 and two glow plugs out, wont start, ever.

Sorry you missed the golf diesel. The demand for used VW diesels of all years is higher then the supply so if you really want one remember "he who hesitates is lost"!

JoBo