It has been cold up here for the past couple weeks. We drove the wagon to a hockey tournament on the weekend. -35 celcius with windchill factor =-45 degrees celcius out side. Mostly highway driving with lots of idleing in between. Sure likes to pound back the diesel when it is that cold. Started it at 9 a.m and shut it off 11:30 p.m that day. I plugged in the block heater overnight and the following day it started.... but the battery light lit up for a few seconds then the car died. I waited for a few more minutes then started it again...no baterry light and drove it the rest of the day. I wonder why that light came on briefly? I have a vision of the belt freezing to the pulley from condensation of the warm motor cooling down when parked the night before?
It is suppossed to be -49 C tonight. I am staying indoors...again.

I wonder what it would be like to be born into the world fifty years ago as an Eskimoe baby?

30 below zero F is the coldest I have started and driven my 85 300td. First day it started and drove fine. Second day, fuel was gelled. No go

__________________
1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

Comparison chart of all three

According to this chart, Kerry...that is about as cold as it is here, or not far from it anyway.

It woulda been fine because inside an igloo it's always around 32 F or 0 C.

__________________
85 300D turbo pristine w 157k when purchased 167,870 July 2025
83 300 D turbo 297K runs great. SOLD!
83 240D 4 spd manual- parted out then junked

Last winter we had a cold spell where it was -20sF. I think I remember seeing -31 or -32C on my temp gauge in the SD while I was driving. So far this year it has been tropical...the coldest yesterday morning at -5F.

I block my radiator when it gets to about 15F or lower on a regular basis.

__________________
2009 ML320 Bluetec
1985 300CD
1981 300TD

Past Mercedes
1979 300TD
1982 300TD
2000 E320 4Matic Wagon
1998 E430
1984 300SD
1980 300SD

Why, just last week I had to start the coupe in 58 degrees

__________________
81 Mercedes 300SD 289k.......SOLD
82 Mercedes 300CD 252k......slow ride

82 mercedes 300 SD...mi Unknown
83 Mercedes 300D ????ksniff..gone too
84 Mercedes 300D 148k........SOLD
85 Mercedes 300TD 386k and holding some one elses project

Coldest start so far was 11F a few days ago. No block heater and it started right up.. but that's not really that extreme.

Extreme is when you blow up the car battery trying to start the car.

__________________
'83 300DTurbo http://badges.fuelly.com/images/smallsig-us/318559.png

Broadband: more lies faster.

With enough Whale blubber lamps burning it can get well above freezing. I remember this from a film I saw in school when I was 11. At one point the temp went over 50F and the mother complained that it was too warm. She started uncovering the Eskimo baby. I remember the teacher explaining that because snow is well insulating and the outside temps were so cold, that there was no risk of melting. Of course, come spring, the whole house melts.

__________________
1979 240D, 4spd manual, Power Sunroof, manual windows, 147k miles, Pastel gray/Black MB Tex.
1991 300D 2.5 - Smokes like it's on Crack!

cold.

__________________
'98 E300 turbodiesel

macdoe & kerry,
Its going to be 41C here today! that's 105F. I'm staying indoors too, aircon on!

__________________
Grumpy Old Diesel Owners Club group

I no longer question authority, I annoy authority. More effect, less effort....

1967 230-6 auto parts car. rust bucket.
1980 300D now parts car 800k miles
1984 300D 500k miles
1987 250td 160k miles English import
2001 jeep turbo diesel 130k miles
1998 jeep tdi ~ followed me home. Needs a turbo.
1968 Ford F750 truck. 6-354 diesel conversion.
Other toys ~J.D.,Cat & GM ~ mainly earth moving

I regularly drive mine at -20f to -35f. Time was when that was our typical winter temp range mid-Dec through Feb. Last 15-20 years we only see temps that low 4-5 days a year; I still use a 50-50 winter mix with power service from Dec - Feb just in case.

Jim

__________________
2005 C240 4matic wagon (daily driver)
87 190D - 225K (on loan)
85 190D - 312K (on loan)
2011 Subaru Legacy AWD (Wife's)

My coldest morning ever was in a ski house on the side of Killington mountain. I think it was -20 that morning. My dads at the time nearly new 1994 F150 fired right up. Cranked a bit slow though...

I hate the cold, nothing works right, and everything is frozen. Working outside in the cold sucks.

__________________
2016 Corvette Stingray 2LT
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

While driving in temps that cold is it recommended that you block air flow over the radiator so that the engine can reach a proper operating temp?

Did the OP do that while driving that day?

About ten days ago it was in the single digits F around here and I noticed that my heater wouldn't ever really get as warm as it should.

Last year in my W123 I covered the radiator with a piece of cardboard under the grill and it remedied the problem.

The only problem I had was keeping it on there one day when it reached 60F and it almost overheated....

__________________
1993 W124 300D
-297K on the clock as I type this.