How to START your CAR in EXTREME COLD! | Winter Survival Tips with a Toyota Land Cruiser
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- Опубликовано: 5 фев 2025
- Do you know how to start a car in cold? It's been -40°C and colder during the last week here in Jokkmokk and the Arctic. The cold has meant that many people have not been able to start their cars and people never been here or experienced real extreme winter temperatures know how to start a frozen car in cold weather.
In this video Matti shows how we do it and what actually works and what's really important to think of when travelling with car in the arctic regions where we get real winters with real cold temperatures sometimes.
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We are Stina & Matti and we live in Northern Sweden in a small place called Jokkmokk. Except for making videos we also run a small company called JOKKMOKKGUIDERNA and a kennel called WORKING HUSKY KENNEL. We offer guided outdoor tours in Swedish Lapland all around the year. During the winter we mostly do dog sled tours and in the summertime, it’s hiking tours, wildlife safaris, canoe, and packraft trips. We live year-round in Jokkmokk with our 50 Siberian Husky and 2 Border Collies.
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Wise words! I never drive anywhere in the winter without several items. They include extra warm clothing, blanket, first aid kit, water, candle, a shovel, battery cables or fast charger, and my cellphone. Mother Nature can be cruel in the winter ❄️ you need to respect the conditions. Cheers from Canada. MikeR.
Add something to pee in
lol! Never thought of that…Cheers MikeR.@@lovemesomeslippers
@@lovemesomeslippers Never eat the yellow snow !
That part about driving in a straight line when first moving the car in order to protect the rubber in the CV joimt is something I never knew. Thank you for this important tip.
Thanks for watching!!!
:-)
/Matti
What we did in Russia is take out the battery every evening and leave it next to the radiator and on a charger.
Even below -40 and -45 starting was possible without any bigger trouble or preparation.
The correct oil is very important.
0w- and test it in the freezer in the summer or on your balcony in winter for viscosity when it is very cold.
Now in Germany very easy with a garage on second level below ground :)
Even at -20 outside it is still 12-15c in the garage.
Even with old battery.
In the car of my wife the battery is from 2008 and still working as no winter is breaking it
I have also carried my battery in and out back in old days. As you say it is important with a good engine oil. Before… back in the old-old days they only had the mineral oils and then they also brought the oil inside and made it warm before starting the car in low temperatures.
/Matti
Great tips. Also in Alaska at minus 69F below zero we have to change brake fluid to alcohol to keep it from freezing. No brakes past about 30 below zero F. Also I leave the defrost heater setting on while using the engine block heater. It circulates the warm water through the heater system just by being warm. Fan or nothing is running. We also use heated blankets to wrap the front of the car. Also a shield in front of grille to prevent super cold air from freezing engine up while driving. It is a diffrent world. And the sit in their fine city homes with heat and electric, all they want, dreaming about how good life would be off the grid. Next time, stay warm
👍
Good job n great tips. Skål!
You are so right, it really is a different world. The way materials change with very cold conditions can be a surprise for people who haven't experienced it before.
Thank you Matti i just moved to north Canada and this is extremely useful to me, I'm from Mexico and i did not know this we were at -45 Celcius so it was not fun.
Mexico to Canada… woowww… impressive!
/Matti
I remember the sound and feel of the frozen tyres from when I was in Canada in the winter. Do you run your vehicles with 100% anti-freeze fluid in the cooling system? I came across that in Mexico, of all places. They needed to do this because of the altitude but I think my Canadian friends did something similar. I always have emergency gear in case of problems, including warm clothing as you suggest. But I also keep a few blankets in the boot and when we replace our bedroom pillows, I clean and dry the old ones, then pack them in a vacuum bag so they don't take up much volume. In an emergency they are excellent for putting under and around your feet for very good insulation in the car. I haven't had to use then like that myself, but I have helped other motorists who were caught out. I live on the border between England and Scotland which is not as cold as you are, but some parts are quite remote and snow can come with very little warning. You and your vehicle might be able to deal with this but if a truck is blocking the road, you can be as stuck as everyone else.
All excellent points for extreme cold driving. From Canada.
Here in the US we've had a very cold winter so far. It is -10°F right now. I have a 2004 GMC Envoy and it decided not to turn over this time so the battery needs charged or replaced. But I need a vehicle to drive to the auto store. I'm in quite a pickle right now. Lol
very good video👍🏼i'm a Swede living down under Its summer here now👍🏼🇸🇪🇦🇺🍺
When I lived in the cold climate like Northern Sweden I used to take battery out every evening and keep it warm at home. It only takes a few minutes to take it out and put it in next morning. No worries about cables and such. 😄 Thank God I no longer have a car and live in a warm country. 🌞
I have to remove the air filter box and all the hoses just to get to the battery box on my car, so I won't be going far north for some time to come...but I am tempted as I'm not one for hot weather and sunshine!
A good idea if you have easy access to the battery and not a car like @loremipsum1970 have where you can't reach it without removing a lot of other stuff.
Or buy a different car...@@JOKKMOKKGUIDERNA
It's mind blowing for me. I live in Central Europe and our winters are geting milder and milder. Thx for this upload
Also, the last winter up here has been milder and milder, but this year, it's been more "normal" as it was 10-15 years ago.
Extremly important video, especially after last week 😅 thanks a lot Matti for your knowledge!!
Last week was perfect for filming this video under real circumstances!
🤣
/Matti
Great tips. I'm in -7 to -10 in Alaska with a really great Subaru. But it does get cold.
Great video. Thank you.
RS. Canada
Thank you so much your videos. I moved to Canada not long and realized I am missing a lot of small things that people who grew up here consider common knowledge. For example, I left my [parking brakes on when I went away for a week. You can imagine what happened when I returned.
Everyone have been beginners! Trust me… if someone says that they never have made a mistake it’s probably because they never have done something…
😀
Mistakes is a good lesson.
/Matti
I think the absolute worst thing to do with the hand brake is only to use it every now and then. It should either never be used, or every time you park the car. I use mine every single time through the year, and I've never had issues with the brake freezing. I'm not saying this works with all cars, but it has worked with all of mine.
When I was visiting Canada in winter my friends used the car wash and then stopped at a store on the way home. The thin layer of water completely sealed all the doors when it froze.
I still remember heating friends old Saab 96 with open flame in lapland. Worked really well! I think we did it with outside candle, those larger ones.
Yes it works if the car is not made of plastic. 😃
My parents live in Älvsbyn ( approx 18 miles from Jokkmokk), had -41°. Then a power out, then the phone network broke down.....luckily you guys tough it out! Sitting on Gotland, all I could do was to cheer you on! Now the chill is over and you guys made it. Great work. Good video!
Yes… it wasn’t the warmest period!
Reallly good. Thank you for sharing.
Great tips. The best option, would be to store your car in a garage or other building that can be heated.
hi nice info, Here in germany I use the old light bulbs under the motor with a cover around the motor. Like the idea of blanket over the motor covering the sides with the tarp . I am gulty of parking face in .
Really good tips, thanks!
I´m a wimp and have only experienced something like -33C but I can hear from the squeak sounds that -40 is really cold.
Thanks! …and -30C isn’t warm!!!
😀
/Matti
I will never worry again about starting my car during the English winter. That’s amazing!!
Good to see you still have the car. Will it start? Of course it will. It's a Landcruiser!
My Toyota is fantastic…
Great tips! *It also helps to have a 90's Toyota ;-) I know because I had one for nearly half a million kms.
its minus 19 today in Calgary, Ab Canada. Supposed to get down to minus 34 by Friday. We usually get this cold in January and Feb. I bike all year, commuting to work and grocery shopping. yes when it gets cold, plastic and metal become brittle and break more easily. I ride with layers of clothing on and just keep going to stay warm
👍 Take care in the cold!! Yesterday we got from -20 C to -2 in a few ours. Tonight it's +2 🥵😉
Thanks a lot for this interesting video. We visited Jokkkmokk last week and our car had real trouble; the cooling water was frozen. Next time we know better ;-)
Learning by doing!!!
:-)
We have all to make that journey.
/Matti
Thank You for sharing the information.
Ska flytta till min pojkvän i Boden, så denna video är kanon! är van med Stockholms kyla😂kollat massor på era videos och har insett att jag vill bo i sån här kyla och natur 🥰 tack för er inspiration! Fortsätt med allt ni gör, ni är grymma!🤩
👍 Välkommen upp till Norr!
Good advice .A garage connected to your home heating should resolve all the issues of cold starts.
A warm garage would help a lot!!! Imagine repairing a snowmobile outdoors in this temperature!!! We would love to have that space for all different kinds of work.
…but it’s a lot of money.
/Matti
I always take an insulated Thermos Bottle filled with HOT HOT water, for that just in case moment. When I return to the bunker I bring the Thermos back inside with MEeee
I've never lived in cold climate, however, I do about radiator heaters & oil dip stick heaters. Good tip about the Parking Brake.
Warm Regards from Reno, Nevada U.S.A.
👍
And I thought having my van door frozen shut this morning was annoying! It was only -3C. You wouldn't need to be in a hurry!
If it’s the locker you should ad some graphite in the key hole.
If it’s the rubber around the door you should add some silicon on the rubber to avoid freezing.
If it’s not a Toyota it’s just luck that you don’t need to go in to it… 😜
/Matti
@@JOKKMOKKGUIDERNA It's the rubber, I have silicon spray, so I will try that! 🙂 Thanks
It was -28 in Övik last week, my Pajero struggled to start, I really want a garage for the winter to keep the car warm, great video
Paneer… That’s a disel car. If the temperature is low, I know friends who add up to 10% gasoline in the diesel. Then it stays more liquid.
Fresh batteries also helps.
/Matti
I'd consider a garage as a MUST HAVE in really cold climates.
Warm Regards from Reno, Nevada U.S.A.
the best for a decent winter is a LADA 4x4... no bells and whistles.... it can meet any challenge... ! A V-8 Cummings with engine heaters does the job perfectly well, too
We looked at the Lada's some years ago. Cool and very basic cars.
the secret lies in " less is more"... like it intrinsically applies to so many other areas of life😊
@@JOKKMOKKGUIDERNA... and fairly cheap, both purchasing it, and - more importantly - maintaining it
Thanks!! 🙏😊
my MB c280 has the battery in the back.
But I always park australian way.back in first,for safety when exiting.
Haha, yes, if the battery is in the back, then put your tail easy, exessable for eventual help. 👍
Good video with good advice Matti! For the cold times! - which actually visit us here in Scandinavia every year!
Thanks! It’s great that you find the video useful!!!
/Matti
Thanks for the advice Matti
Had travelled from Östersund to Røros last week and saw minus 39 on the thermostat. Crazy. We are certainly getting a true winter this year. Even ghe southern parts of the country are much colder compared to previous years. Funny now that the most northern parts of Sweden are the warmest! Plus degrees!
In Roros a famous dog sled race starts. Femundlöpet. It has been super cold during that race.
😃
/Matti
polar vortex.... was predicted by us
@@JOKKMOKKGUIDERNA oh cool! Hadn't heard about that. Sounds fun!
Yes, I lieked it. Very nice and entertaining video!
Thank you for this video!
Happy you like it! 👍
Thank you for this useful video!
And..........Nice to see your intro again
The intro… we very often think that we should have that but… if we check the statistics… intro is not good…
I like intro’s and sometimes I’m thinking about a new intro for each video but that consumes time…
/Matti
Well said Matti.
My old Mercedes LA 911 Truck used to get square tyres when I parked it. I used to use 11.00X20 diagonal bias tyres, and it would take 20km of that lovely square tyre bouncing before they went round, that was in a Tyskland sommer. I'm now in Södermanland (not cold like you, but I did get -22°for a night last week) and changed to radial tyres, they don't square as badly, about 5km in winter here, and I'm pretty smooth.
😂 wow, squared tires in summer!!
Very well done.
Thanks!
Hej, tack för ytterligare en intressant video. Har ett tipps som jag hjälpt andra och mig själv med.
Ha ett extra startbatteri inne i värmen och ett par bra startkablar (använder mitt båtbatteri). Om bilen inte startar koppla på extra batteriet med kablarna, har alltid funkat.
Bor i norra Sverige och använder självklart elektrisk motorvärmare som alla andra. (På moderna bilar krävs både kunskap och är krångligt att lyfta ur och i startbatteriet.)
Bra idé!
Super informative video!
How do your cameras and phones survive? My phone dies in seconds when trying to film sledding at -10 and lower.
Thats the video I was recording today!!! I will try to upload that on Sunday.
:-)
/Matti
You can also use a pan of charcoal briquettes underneath the engine. Safer than a stove.
👍
In Germany its only -16 Grad Celcius the last week. No problem at this time 😉
Isn’t that cold for being Germany?
/Matti
I’d like to see a video about the dogs!
There will be more videos about dogs… We maybe should focus more on one subject but there is so much we want to show. Sometimes a video like this, with the car, is super fast to edit if I compare with a week long sledding expedition.
I have started to edit one more expedition video… and we are filming a lot during our season.
Thanks for reminding us and thanks you for waiting.
:-)
/Matti
Great Video, thanks.
When I drive in deep snow I always get ice on my brake rotors which causes a shuddering next time I drive until it melts off. Do you know any solutions for that? And it's true, Toyotas are the best, my 4Runner has the hottest cabin heater.
I had the same problem with my old quad. I never managed to fix it. When I got a new machine it was gone.
/Matti
Hej Matti! Nice video!
What do you do if the engine gets an ice clog as you mentioned? You said we shouldn't keep driving. Should we pull over and maintain the engine at idle?
Different… pull over. Check if the temp of the engine increases or goes down. If the temperature goes down you could keep the engine running. Cover the engine/hood with blankets and hope the ice melts. If themp increases then switch off the engine…
/Matti
Yikes! I realize it may be impractical, but wouldn’t it make sense to just garage the car into a semi heated environment so as to avoid all these complications! I had no idea; I live in Florida.
a garage would help a lot... a heated one... heated to a temp level around freezing point...
Yes it would make a bähuge difference but we don't have a garage and many with us, and all Lapland visitors don't have access to a garage.
Yes, many people do, and it doesn’t even need to be a heated garage, just a well insulated one. You park your warm car inside at night and it will be if not warm but at least not frozen in the morning. At extreme outdoor temperatures like -40 you just plug in the engine heater (a lot of them works as battery chargers too) for 2-3 hours (or plug it in when you park the car and set the timer).
Matti, time to invest in a garage… or buy a Tesla 😂
Anybody have experience with starting a plug-in hybrid car in extreme cold? My understanding is that PHEVs do not use the 12V battery to start the engine, and they don't have a starter or alternator. They start the engine using one of the traction motors, powered by the main Li-ion battery pack. I would think this would be far more effective, since a massive 18kwh battery and a huge drive motor are taking the place of a little 12v lead acid battery and a tiny starter motor. But I've never tried it and don't know anyone who has. Thanks!
I have heard both people who are upset because it’s not working but also people who love it because it’s always working.
😀
I love my fantastic Toyota Landcruiser!
/Matti
Hi Matti, and we love our Toyota Rav4 plug-in. I've had no problems starting it at -15F (-26C), but that's not what I consider "extreme cold." @@JOKKMOKKGUIDERNA
Land Cruisers are the best! You mention that you should be prepared to walk away from the car. I was surprised by that - I would have thought it would be safer to stay in the car.
Do you have any emergency supplies in the car in case you get stuck?
That’s true… If you got a Landcruiser you never need to walk!
🤣
You are totally correct. Usually they recommend you to stay in the car. I think that must be very much from situation to situation. If you are in middle of nowhere, then you probably should leave the car.
If you are along a main road you shouldn’t leave it.
We very often have our outdoor gear because we are on the way out or back home from something.
We always carry some blankets, an axe, matches and if I drive longer distance I got a thermos bottle so I can drink coffee while driving.
/Matti
chocolate... down gear and down blankets, gloves, shovel, .... huge volume flasks with hot water, teabags, sugar, and some oats and marmalade, 1 l of ethanol😊... and some PE cutlery, a good Mora knife, an axe, a complete Trangia... stuff like that... akways with me if operating my POV under similar conditions
@@JOKKMOKKGUIDERNA I suggested y9u carry a thermos filled with HOT HOT water or coffee, in my reply - just in case.
Warm Regards from Reno, Nevada U.S.A.
That’s dope, man.
Thankfully we don't have such low temps here in the UK (for now 😉), though I am liking the idea of making a winter trip the more I watch. I've only just watched *How We Drive a Car at -50°C (-58°F) | Yakutia, Siberia* and *What it Takes to Start Frozen Cars at -50°C in the Coldest City on Earth* I guess using a fuel blower heater is considered the norm in Siberia, and I was surprised they also permanently cover the underside of the engine bay and block both sides of the radiator. Your thoughts? Regards.
p.s. did you mention adjusting coolant anti-freeze levels?
Yeah, UK is too warm. I hiked in Scotland last December and had only -12C at Ben Macdui, still it was a lot of fun. No cars up there 😀
@@Vladimiradventurephotographyyeah UK really benefits from the Gulf Stream. Without it it would be MUCH colder.
To get cold weather in UK you need to go up. Cairngorms in Scotland have Arctic climate.@@northernswedenstories1028
@@Vladimiradventurephotography ...the UK's too wet and humid...and any 'real' weather brings the country to a standstill.
Unfortunately it's getting warmer and warmer everywhere. @@LoremIpsum1970
-40... ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
🙏
Dress for FAILURE, not success. Very interesting method to warm up car.
LOL, square tires ...
That's what we call it here.
🤣
In good new times the car locked the handbrake by it's own😮. No chance not to use it. 😢
That’s really crappy function for us during winter…
/Matti
@@JOKKMOKKGUIDERNA Yes absolut " nice modern times "
Wow be careful with heating the motor area from outside or under🤔🙈..and that 1mm plastic has no isolating function
Plastic?!?!?!
I prefer cars without plastic under… 😉
/ Matti
@@JOKKMOKKGUIDERNA persenning
@@nordicexpat eh..? it seemed pretty clear that it was several layers, blankets and then the tarp. He mention blankets and a blanket is clerarly seen. I may be wrong, but it seemed he actually had three layers (multi layer is a proven concept). WAY more then "1 mm plastic". Please have a better look on the video.
why not park your car in a shed or garage?
TOYOTA!
😍🥰😍🥰
Or park your car in your garage and plug in the heater/charger… but then you don’t get the exercise of clearing them from snow and ice and covering them with blankets… 😜
If you have a garage and if you don’t stay in middle of nowhere!
Do you have special techniques for starting cars in a hot Australia?
😃
"Or park your car in your garage " What makes you assume everyone has a garage? Also, what is shown here may save your life if you have to stop out in the night way out from home and then will try to start the car later. Sorry, your sarcasm on not getting the exercise falls short by a reality check.
Mistake 1: not paying the car you're using in the garage.
Mistake 2: never leave your car. It's what emergency services will look out for.
But…
1. If you don’t have a garage???
2. Not leaving? If you want to go into the wild where there are no roads you have to leave the car? I didn’t understand…
/Matti