So I went to go flying this morning, temps were in the 20's overnight and in the low 30's when I got to the airport. Unfortunately, I couldn't get the old girl going before my battery gave out. What tips/tricks do you guys have for cold weather starting? (I know cold is relative, but 30's is cold for a southerner like me.) My cold weather pre-starting procedure is one shot of prime, turning the prop over by hand and repeating four or five more times. Is there a better method? I have tried giving it a shot of prime once she tries to fire, but that doesn't seem to help. Someone school me up on the best way to do this.

My dead battery leads me to the next question, how many of you guys are using solar trickle chargers and if so what brand/type? Pro's/Con's?

In regards to battery charging, I know it is recommended to take the battery out of the plane for charging. I am running an Odyssey AGM. Can I use a regular battery charger with AGM option or does it have to be specific to aircraft batteries? I assume the answer is yes, any charger will do, but you know they say about assumptions . Lastly, can you jump an airplane with a power bank just like you would a car? Any precautions to be aware of?

https://www.amazon.com/NOCO-GB40-UltraSafe-Lithium-Starter/dp/B015TKUPIC/ref=asc_df_B015TKUPIC/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312474510675&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=5469311453496350033&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9010076&hvtargid=pla-449394730282&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=66213046750&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=312474510675&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=5469311453496350033&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9010076&hvtargid=pla-449394730282

Thanks for any insight you cold weather guys might share on this. Normally, the plane is an easy starter, even hot, but it can be cantankerous when its cold.

A poultry heat lamp installed under the cowl and an engine blanket leaves my engine at 65 degrees, making for very easy starts in the winter. I swing by the hangar 6-12 hours before I plan to fly to plug it in. A simple shop light will work as well. I fly often enough, 2-5 per week, that I never have to worry about putting a charger on my battery.

What plane/engine? Looks like a 182 in your profile pic? Are you able to pre heat?
I would try giving it 5 shots of primer and just crank it. You lose your atomization to fast at cold temps when you prime then pull through. And don't get in and prime then do a bunch of other stuff then crank. Priming should be the last thing you do prior to cranking so the fuel is still atomized.

Here’s what has worked for me behind an O470R with a two cylinder primer: After preflight run the prop through ~7 times, get in, power on, mags both, throttle 1/4”, primer one and a half times and immediately start. Be ready on the throttle to 1000RPM and open carb heat or you’ll stall out on carb ice.

The previous O470R I flew behind had a primer line to every cylinder and it fired up right away without any issues. This one has been pretty temperamental like yours. Hope this helps!

CW

My 180 had hard cold starts every time until I got a Reiff heater. Afterwards, I never had an issue. Prior to the preheater, I felt like I was always on the verge of killing the battery, and so I bought a battery tender, just the generic one.

I am now in the amazing world of fuel injection where life is good, cold starts are easy, hot starts are easy, and the women are pretty.

I had the same trouble with a two primer system at 40 degrees. I had two more primer nozzles installed for easier starting (they said the two that were on the plane were very dirty). I also bought a cowl blanket and a "hornet aircraft heater". I can leave it plugged in all the time and it dousnt cost much. Now, the plane is warmed up and ready to go anytime. It was 10 degrees today and it started no issue.

On the priming, I believe the pilot operating handbook for your 182 will say to use 5-6 pumps on the primer to start in cold weather.

Ken

Jughead, Cuda and Clip - thanks for the tips. I have seen the 5-6 pumps reference in the POH and have tried that as well. After a one or two prolonged cold starts, a few guys mentioned turning the prop over after priming to get fuel to each cylinder. Any merit to this?

A1Skinner wrote:What plane/engine? Looks like a 182 in your profile pic? Are you able to pre heat?
I would try giving it 5 shots of primer and just crank it. You lose your atomization to fast at cold temps when you prime then pull through. And don't get in and prime then do a bunch of other stuff then crank. Priming should be the last thing you do prior to cranking so the fuel is still atomized.

Yes, 182 with an 0-470L. Good to know about the atomization. Didn't realize that. That is probably a large part of the problem. In thinking back to recent colder starts, when I try to start it quickly after a prime is when I get the best response. Duh. Thanks for pointing that out.

I do have a preheater on the block but have never used it and honestly don't know if it works. The plane stays outside on the ramp so unless the line guys will put it up to the FBO (which they usually will), I don't have access to electricity. I'm going to try the block heater and see if that helps. I'm sure it will. At what temp would you guys think it necessary to start using the block heater? 40F?

asa wrote:I am now in the amazing world of fuel injection where life is good, cold starts are easy, hot starts are easy, and the women are pretty.

Hey Asa, why don't you rub it in man?

On my 54 180 with the 470K it had 4 primers that worked. I'd give it 2 or three shots and pull the prop through 3 or 4 blades. Then one more shot of prime and it would start without using much battery. This 180K I have now I put the Reiff bands and oil heater on. The primer doesn't work so I give it three full pumps of throttle and pull the prop through 3 blades. Then one more pump and start. Some times it fires on the first blade. Also, I like this Reiff so much that I will probably use it in the summer maybe for an hour or two before starting.

Good advice above. You aren't going to "flood" that engine with prime, when the engine hasn't been run, ie: is cold. In a "cool" start, which is what you're describing, I'd get everything ready to start, then five to six FULL strokes of prime. A full stroke is where you pull that primer all the way out, wait for a few moments to allow the primer to fill with fuel, THEN push it all the way in.

As others have noted, if your system is one with only two cylinders primed, you're fighting a losing battle in any case. Get a couple more primer lines installed. It's not that big a deal, and well worth the effort..

Secondly, where are you putting the throttle for the start? I'd start with it about 1/2 inch open. Open it too far and the air/fuel ratio is off. Start with the throttle completely closed, and same, same.

Are you using a key start system, with five positions: Off, Left mag, Right mag, Both and Start? If so, have a mechanic verify that the right magneto is being shunted to ground while the switch is in the "start" position. Otherwise you may have the two magnetos on different advance, which can hinder starts. Also, have the mechanic verify the magneto timing. If your left magneto is a bit out of time, it'll make starts harder.

At the temperatures you're describing, no engine heat should be necessary.....not that warming that engine up is a bad idea. If you can do it, do it, but at those temps, the engine should start right off.

Batteries: The Odyssey batteries are great batteries, they will crank as well as any other battery. They will NOT crank as long as another battery. They also should be charged with a "Smart" charger. In my experience, they hold a charge when idle longer than conventional lead acid batteries do. I parked my plane outside in Fairbanks for years with an Odyssey, and that battery held a charge impressively well. Same with my work airplanes there. I'm talking outside temps to and below -40.

Where is your battery mounted? If it's not in the engine room, you're asking a LOT of that small battery to function through the VERY long battery cable from back aft. I'd consider moving the battery to the engine compartment. I know, the 182 is nose heavy. I don't care, if you're going to use a small battery like the Odyssey, it should have a short cable to the starter.

Starting an engine quickly is a bit of an art, but really isn't that hard to do. That said, you MAY have some underlying mechanical issues that aren't doing you any favors.

And, understand that it's one thing to run down a battery at home, quite another to do so on a remote airport, maybe in the middle of a family trip, etc.

Soooo, get someone to show you how to SAFELY and proficiently hand prop that engine. Once you learn to do that, you'll be able to start that thing every time, quick, cause your arms won't want to go through the pain of a hundred pulls on that prop.

MTV

Both mags have impulses. Being very careful, if you pull the prop through slowly, you should hear the click if they are working. Getting both to click at the same exact time well good luck so it is usually click click for me anyway.

I agree with pretty much everything that has been said. When I used to park out on the ramp I usually preheated (Reiff) below 40 and always below 30. The starts are very easy with the preheat. I'm with 180Marty, that the starts with the Reiff are so good that I sometimes plug it in even though the plane lives inside now at 50 deg. Maybe, Nushi, you can't justify a preheater like the Reiff given your climate, not to mention needing electricity, but it really makes for nice starts.

I also use an ACI charger, which Odyssey sells for their batteries. They say it won't overcharge, it shuts down when fully charged, so you can leave it on the battery indefinitely, which is what I do when the plane is in the hangar.

https://www.odysseybatteries.com/aci.htm

Ross

No concerns about condensation forming if you leave it plugged in all the time...I have a Reiff and plug it in the night before....

Update on this: I went back this afternoon without charging the battery from this morning, temps were in the mid 40s, turned the prop through 7 times as suggested, gave her 6 shots of prime and turned it over. It immediately started on the first turn. I was shocked! Hahaha.

I honestly think my problem was waiting too long after priming before turning over. I also took and left an extension cord in the plane as a part of my “necessities” kit and will be testing my existing block heater in the near future. For whatever reason February and March always seem to be our coldest, crappiest months here in NC, so my gut tells me I’ll get another chance to try the block heater.

Thanks to everyone who shared their insights. As has been said before, the collective knowledge here is invaluable and unsurpassed.

Let me list a couple of concerns you may want to worry about. Or just scroll to the bottom where I list some cheap/free things you can do.

First, it looks like you are trying to cold start a big motor with a little battery. I looked up the odyssey on their website and it list it as15 amp hour storage. By comparison my Tripacer with an O-320 has a 30 amp hour battery and I declined to go smaller because I was worried about having enough starting juice.

Second you may be starting the motor too cold. Lycoming has a lower limit of 32f for starting without preheat. Go to continental's website and download the operators manual for your engine. Here's a link to make it easier http://www.continental.aero/support/maintenance-manuals.aspx. Read it and go by what the manufacturer says.

Third, prime should be right before cranking or it does now good and could start fires. Wait until you are ready to crank and then prime just before. If you let prime sit it will run down the intake walls and puddle doing you no good for starting and make a fire hazard.

Now what you can do about cold starting. You want to get some more cranking time and or a warmer motor to get better and less damaging starts.

First let's tackle pre heating. If you have electricity you can borrow the wife's hair dryer for a free pre-heater. Just put it up inside the lower cowl pointing at the oil pan and turn it on high for 30 min or so. Check every so often by feeling the top of the case. When it is no longer "frozen" but just "cold" you should be good to go. Trust me you can tell the difference between 30f and 50f metal by touch. No electricity? here is a home built pre heater you can make out of an old camp stove and $20 worth of home depot stuff. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DGsJpqRFqg. Your main goal is to warm the case up enough that it doesn't bind the bearings and potentially damage the internals. Your secondary goal is to safely get the gas temp up a little make it more prone to vaporize and go boom in the cylinders.

Second you may want some more cranking time. You can do this pretty easy with a car battery and jumper cables or a jumper pack. Just hook it up before trying to crank and you double the amp hours you have to start the engine. And you decrease wear on your battery. I also pull the engine through 2-3 times before starting to loosen everything up. Some here will start yelling about dry cylinders and internal wear so think if you want to do that. I do know that after 2 revolutions the engine turns over much easier which means less draw on the battery.

For the occasional cold day I would try using one of the free options to pre-heat. That should be plenty to get you from 30f to warm enough that you are no longer cold starting.

Actually, Lycoming recommends preheat at colder than 20F for many of its engines. But, that’s colder than I’m comfortable starting “regularly”.

And, if your starting technique is even halfway competent, an Odyssey battery has plenty of cranking amps. Their big advantage is they actually crank harder initially than most “conventional” batteries. Go spend some time in Alaska....lots of Odyssey’s in planes like 185s.

But, cable length is important with ANY battery, and shorter is better.

As to installing a “maintainer” charger on an Odyssey: Odyssey’s are advertised to have a two year shelf life with no charge. In my experience, they can sit for quite a while, even outside, without a maintenance charge. If you’re HAVING to charge an Odyssey, there’s something wrong with the battery, OR you’ve got a current drain. We disconnected all the electric clocks in our 206s, for example......seriously.

Pre-Heating: You will get the BEST results in pre-heating an engine by at least minimally insulating the cowling with an insulated cover. Moving blankets work well, or get a custom engine cover. You’ll both speed and distribute that heat much better.

But, if 30 is as cold as it gets, you are not going to damage that engine starting it at those temps. If it’s easy to do, I might, but if it’s a bit of a pain (as in using some sort of combustion heat) I wouldn’t bother. Make sure the engine has a proper warm up prior to takeoff, then go.

It is quite possible to make getting ready to fly a major PITA, and if you do, you’ll fly less. Flying more is the best thing you can do for your engines health.

MTV

mtv wrote: ....have a mechanic verify that the right magneto is being shunted to ground while the switch is in the "start" position. Otherwise you may have the two magnetos on different advance, which can hinder starts. Also, have the mechanic verify the magneto timing. If your left magneto is a bit out of time, it'll make starts harder. ....

I believe most Lycomings have an impulse coupling only on the LH mag,
but most Continentals have dual impulses.
OP has a C182, I assume with an O-470-- those have two impulses.
Or at least mine does, as do all the ones I've been around.
So start it on "both".

Reiff system and a generator. I never start cold unless it's an emergency. The piston scuffing isn't even the worst part (aluminum piston versus steel cylinders), starter adaptor needs to be treated with respect. One kickback on a slow cranking cold engine can be mighty expensive. All continental owners NEED to read the threads on adaptors.

I run 6 cylinder band heaters (100 w each) and two pan elements(200 watts each) on a 1000 watt honda suitcase generator. I also have the cap adaptor so I can hook a small outboard motor tank to it for up to like 24 hrs of run time. At 20 deg with a proper insulated engine cover and insulated prop/spinner cover (necessary to warm front crank seal and bearing) the engine will be hot to touch in 4 hrs.

Lots of cheap ways, but always wondered what insurance would say if you burned the plane down with a light bulb in the cowl. Not something I would want to experience.

Mark Y. wrote:.....Lots of cheap ways, but always wondered what insurance would say if you burned the plane down with a light bulb in the cowl. Not something I would want to experience.

I kept the chill off the engine of my C170 with a 125W heat lamp for probably 8 winters using this method,
and my C150/150TD for 6 winters.
Never had a problem, for me or for the several people I know who do something similar.
I'd do it now with my C180, except there's no convenient way to get the bulb down under the engine where it needs to be.

My Lycoming O-540-F1B5 with no primer (just using the carburetor accelerator pump) is relatively hard on starters and batteries. Which makes pre start routines and meticulous maintenance very important. System is (24) volts, which definitely helps over the very early (12) volt ships. Bendix S4LN-21 mags/vibrator for ignition and Concord R24-15 battery. SkyTec 149-24HT-h starter.

Preface: My normal preheating occurs at 45 - 25F outside. Not extremely cold. Usually the hangar is about 10F higher than outside temperatures.

Note: I personally make an effort to never leave the hangar with anything plugged in, especially heaters.

For my aircraft preheat:
A total of (3) Walmart brand heater in hangar (have been in indispensable) and I use (1) on a generator offsite. Heaters lasts over (10) years. Total cost (2009) $15.00 /heater.

Total time is about an hour or two. Very stoked with the setup:

Details of what works for me in this homemade video:

Hotrod, agree 100%. Twenty years with 210; battery, oil, seals and cylinders are all warm.