Will upgrading to 12v improve cold starting

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David Maxwell
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Will upgrading to 12v improve cold starting

#1 Post by David Maxwell »

I live in a part of the country that sees a lot of cold weather, and the car is really hard to get going in cold weather. Would moving up to 12v from 6v help? Is there anything I could do to make the car more reliable in cold weather?

Jeffrey Leeds
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Re: Will upgrading to 12v improve cold starting

#2 Post by Jeffrey Leeds »

Yes David 12 volts will help your 356 and every other 6 volt car start better in cold weather. That doesn't necessarily mean that it will "help it get going in cold weather" any better, since once it is going it probably doesn't know or care how many volts its getting. But if you meant "will 12V start a car more easily in cold weather" the answer is yes.

I've had a lot of experience with 6V and especially 6V in cold weather. I grew up in VT and got my drivers license in 1955. At the time everything was 6V and in my town only the people who had garages (having heat of any kind in the garage - even just a light bulb placed next to the battery - was even better) could count on starting their car every day regardless. Those of us with no garages counted on those with garages to get started first and then come by to jump-start our outdoor cars. Cranking speed was dependent on temperature. Warmer temperatures ='s faster cranking speed, and vice-verse.

Of course there are lots of things you can do to help your 6V car, starting with making sure that every connection, especially EVERY ground is clean and tight. You can also add a second 6V battery in parallel thereby doubling reserve capacity without affecting voltage.

There is lots of discussion on this site on this subject and you can find all the answers to all the questions you have by searching. Nevertheless, there is a reason automobile manufactures moved on to 12V (and now many mfg's. are considering moving even higher) and "help it get going in cold weather" is one of those reasons.
< Jeff >

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Al Zim
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Re: Will upgrading to 12v improve cold starting

#3 Post by Al Zim »

Sometime in the near future a necessary 6 volt part will no longer be available and everyone will be converting to 12 Volts. To start a 6 Volt car in cold weather ( I left Ohio 49 years ago) leave a battery tender on at night. One of our customers kept a propane tank and a small bathroom heater in his car running constantly. The car was warm to get into in the morning and evening after work and always started. Make sure the battery is good (read new) check the positive and negative leads from the battery to the cables. check the positive cable about 6 inches away from the connection with an ohm meter and check the ground strap from some clean metal on the car to the ground post. ANY RESISTANCE IS BAD. Trim the end of the positive cable and find a better ground for the negative cable. You probably ought to clean up the wiring from the 50 years of previous owners. Call me if you have any questions 80.356.2964 al zim
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David Maxwell
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Re: Will upgrading to 12v improve cold starting

#4 Post by David Maxwell »

Thanks for your replies. Yes, I meant starting the car, not keeping it running. Al, I am going to order the necessary parts for the upgrade from your site. Which 12v starter - the 1.4 or 1Kw - do you recommend? How much heavier is the 1.4 vs the 1?

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