Automotive Cold weather durability testing
 

Locations where this testing is done.






Have a great day.

Automotive Cold weather durability testing Fairbanks, Alaska
 

Automotive Cold weather test site
 

Now, this is not starry-eyed romanticism speaking, but actual experience.

The most reliable car, in point of starting in all conditions and actual driveability has to be my 1927 Buick 27-20....Standard Six 2 door sedan.

Being the oddball that I am I had to have a unique vehicle. Since from a wee lad I always cultivated elderly guys I always had the opportunity to ferret around in their attics and garages, and thus I acquired my Buick. New fuel and a carb cleaning soon set it to rights, the vacuum tank needed rebuilding but that was almost intuitive.
Tires were no problem as Coker Tire made-and makes many sizes popular in the '20's.
I drove that car for 12 years, from 1985 to 1997 as my daily driver when I was running a machine shop and as God as my witness it would always start in all weathers, even temps of 8 fahrenheit. To this I attribute first, a good battery, second a flawless fuel and spark system.
No. I did not really spend every afternoon making sure everything worked...my usual maintenance was only twice a year.

Mercedes does some of it's cold weather testing above the Arctic Circle, but conducts most of it slightly south of that.

Then why wouldn't my 300 D start below 10 degrees?

My Dad had a 1927 Dodge Bros. that would sometimes start just by turning on the ignition, without hitting the starter. Very disconcerting when it happened, especially when still in gear.:eek:
I think it had the low compression continental 4 that most cars used at the time... This was just a hobby car, i can't imagine it being used as a daily driver in modern traffic. Everyone sure got a kick out of it just seeing it on the road. He graduated up to a 1934 Buick...much more drivable.
He told me in the winter when he was a kid, those old 20's cars would turn over so slow, but would start. If not, you built a small fire, push it over the hot coals and heat up that engine!:D

My 1987 560SL will crank without hesitation in 18 degree weather after sitting for two weeks....

No, it had the basic 4 cyl, Dodge motor designed in 1914.
Low compression, easy-breathing 4 cylinder mill which was designed for low octane gas and would start with anything just above kerosene.
What you describe was called "spark starting" you would place the spark lever fully retarded, turn on the ignition and flip the spark lever upward, thus starting on "compression" or rather when the cylinders had a rich mixture to ignite.

The way to insure this was to accelerate just before you shut off the spark, then flip the spark lever upward upon restarting. Really effective with Model T Fords but could work with any car with a manual spark advance.

Maybe they start them up in a heated garage in Oslo, then drive up north, do a few test laps, then head south. :D

Or They Just Go Here

Probably something wrong with it. I've started my 240D in 14*F, glowing for the amount that the light is on and cranking for only a second or two. Not happy once she started, but running. I think I need my injectors need rebuilding. 5W40

PLLLLttttthhheeeeooooo,,,,,,