Reported temperatures of -35c plus wind chill made me wonder what the operating temperatures of the FFRR are?


Here's hoping for a sustained cold front....

-25 to -30 C no problem in Norway any lower and I usually keep it running til I return in a warm garage

Using full synthetic oil

Quote:

Using full synthetic oil

As you should be  .
Experience is the only genuine knowledge, but as time passes, I have forgotten more than I can remember
Volvo V70 P2 2006 2.4 Petrol 170bhp Estate SE
MG Midget Mk1 1962

Previous: L322 Range Rover TDV8 3.6 2008; L322 Range Rover TD6 3.0 2002; P38A Range Rover V8 1999

Them Yanks Tanks have block heaters they plug into the mains

Problem in the US is they lack an FBH unless specc'd. A good old TD6/TDV8 has this function which makes life much better when used remotely. Also the Antifreeze mix should be a bit sronger, ideally more like 75% in extreme cases.

Without an FBH/Block heater the engines dont last long as the heat cycles are so extreme as the metal goes from -35 => 2/300'c in minutes in some parts of the engine and that is never good for them  FFRR MY06 facelift With TDV8 Alloys Zeros/ATR's
Mantec Sump Guard, Rigid Load liner, MY10 BT upgrade.

I worked in Grand Rapids for a couple of weeks a few years ago and they did'nt switch the diesel engined trucks off at night as they feared they would not start once the oil had got down to about -30.

Ive got a fuel "cooler" on my TDV8 yet I have a fuel heater on my renault van? What is that all about?

Previous car, Discovery, I had a Kenlowe electric engine preheater fitted connected to the mains electric thro a time switch.
Great device, never failed and was able to defrost the windscreen and windows and heat the interior.
Well worth considering if you go out very early in the morning in winter and are able to park your car adjacent to the house.
For those who garage their cars at night, not quite so useful but still nice to have a warm car when you get in.
I get the impression they are a lot less hassle than a FBH.

I've thought about getting one of those for my VX220 which I normally commute in. It is garaged, but it would still be nice to get in a warm car. I also hear that on cold days they can really improve the fuel consumption as the engine starts warm.

nicedayforit wrote:

...impression they are a lot less hassle than a FBH....

Just about everything in the universe is.... Bloody things. Graham

____
Gone: 10MY L320 RR Sport HSE, Ipanema Sand
Gone: 20MY Jaguar iPace HSE, Silicon Silver
Gone: 17MY RR Evoque SE Tech, Loire Blue
Gone: 08MY Discovery 3 XS, Stornoway Grey
Gone: 07MY FFRR TDV8 Vogue, Stornoway Grey

Graham, you are excluded frome these discussions. You were burnt.

Actually FBHs have a lot going for them: they do not require an additional power source, they reduce emissions by quite a bit, they require no extra work to start, etc. And they are relatively reliable - by far the largest majority of FBHs run the life of a car w/o probs (unless they belong to Graham ).

That said, a loop of wire that gets hot when connected to a current is less complex and more reliable. But you have to fiddle with an extension cord. In the rain and snow. And in the dark. And... 
RRC 2Dr, RRC 4Dr,
P38, and 2 L322s
(wife thinks I'm nuts - prob right, too)

Well, whatever. The one in the D3 has broken now and the error messages from the car as read by IID Tool have stumped Patrick.

I've also got one in my A8, which currently is ......................... working! Graham

____
Gone: 10MY L320 RR Sport HSE, Ipanema Sand
Gone: 20MY Jaguar iPace HSE, Silicon Silver
Gone: 17MY RR Evoque SE Tech, Loire Blue
Gone: 08MY Discovery 3 XS, Stornoway Grey
Gone: 07MY FFRR TDV8 Vogue, Stornoway Grey

OK this just came up in another forum so my answer is below. But some high level points.

I use 0W-30 or even 0W-40 Fully synthetic engine oil.
I have the extra heater in my 2004 TD6 but it does not heat the engine, only supplementary for the inside.
So I installed a Defa heater that goes in the coolant pipe. My engine is a BMW M57 so I got the blue coolant from BMW, only use the original stuff, this is the same as Range Rover.
Always warm these up, let the engine heat indicator go to the qtr mark before driving aggressively, never floor the turbo when cold.

I got a question asking what I do for winter prep, this was my answer, so sharing here. If there are more things that people do then please add.

I used/installed an external engine heater from defa.com, instructions for installation on the Defa web site.
However, you will probably not need this as you will have a built in heater (made by Webasto) which is behind the passenger side wheel arch, under the battery. Make sure that this works and always heat the engine up before starting. I really only use or pre-heat the cars when it drops to -10C or lower but that temp can stay for months. The heater can be switched on in many ways, via a timer in the computer display, or via a keyfob (however, I believe that not all Range Rovers have these key fobs ). The heater will switch on automatically when you switch on the car, but that is good to heat up the inside of the car but will be too late to heat up the engine.
I generally put the engine warmer on for an hour before I used and start the car for 5 mins before I drive. You can see the heater timer controls on the computer display. Read the car manual.
When I start to drive I do not drive fast or try not to use the turbo aggressively until the engine has been driven for 10mins or has warmed up at least moved one quarter to the middle. My RR a TD6 is a relatively cold running engine and the engine temp meter/display will rarely move to the middle in winter.
Generally all you have to do is all the good things for winter driving.
I use 0W-40 engine oil or 0W-30 not 5W-something or 10W-something as we need thin engine oils for the cold climates.
I would change the ZF transmission oil and the front/rear diffs (takes 30 mins each) and transfer box oils (also 30 mins). This is quite easy and lots of instructions on this site and fullfatrr (another good Range Rover forum). Always warm the car/diffs up via a short drive before draining, you will get more out. Undo the top (filler plug) first so you know you can fill the diffs up, then undo the bottom one, drain the old oil, put the bottom drain plug in. Then fill up via the top until it overflows and screw the filler plug back in.
Do all the oil and coolant changes before the winter comes or in a warm garage. In the cold (-5 and lower) the oils will not flow or come out quickly and more will be left in the sumps.
Get the correct oils, they are also listed on this site in some discussions/threads.
I use a CTEK batter charger and once a month charge the battery as all the cold starts, heated seats and engine warmer can wear the battery down, especially in the cold. You need a larger batter charger as the RR has a 110ah battery, larger than most cars. I have a CTEK MS 5.0. Especially keep the battery charged if you do lots of short 20min trips as the batter will never have time to keep a full charge.

Other things.

Make sure the antifreeze or engine coolant is good and in the right proportions. Any mechanic can drain and refill. You can also do it in a about 40mins. In my car (TD6) their is a engine coolant drain tap under the radiator. Drain the coolant then refill with the recommeded coolant and I use 40% distilled water (not tap water) mixed with 60% of the recommended coolant.
I put silicon spray around the rubber door seals to stop them from sticking, ripping a part of they freeze.
Spray some lock-oil in the door key holes, but since we never use them I do not do this anymore, because of auto lock/unlock.
I use tires with studs (small nails), but many countries do not allow them. I think the best winter tyres are Nokia Hakapalitta.

My car is based on BMW engines so I buy coolants and some parts from BMW. If you have a newer L322 RR then these use Jaguar/Ford (engines) parts, coolants and oils, so you can get them from a Jaguar garage (now Tata). A jaguar mechanic can do all the engine and gearbox work or oil changes on a new L322.

Mechanics cannot do more than this as it is all standard cold winter maintenance and preparation. Just do not start it in -40C then start to race at full speed or revs, it is physics and anything freezing which heats up quick or under lots of strain in extreme cold will break.

Generally the Range Rover is a good winter car (better than most) as the windscreen, front and back seats, steering wheel, mirrors and front wipers are heated, at -25 and below (plus windchill) the TD6 can have trouble keeping the car interior warm, but it is not cold.

Interesting

In view of the low temperatures you experience have you ever considered removing the engine viscous fan to reduce cold airflow across both the radiator and engine block?
Given that diesel engined cars including the TD6 are known for generally running cool I would have thought removing the fan would offer some improvement in engine and cabin temperature.
I owned a Discovery previously and removed the viscous fan and ran the car for about 6 years summer and winter and never had a problem, I don't doubt in your cooler climate you would see a significant improvement in engine temperature.
The other idea to reduce airflow over the radiator/engine is a radiator front grille muff, or a piece of plastic sheet mounted in front of the radiator, both are very effective in cold weather.

No, not done that but i do see a lot of cars in sweden during the winter which put some cardboard or similar in front of the fan or radiator. At the front of the radiator of the TD6 there are some flaps which i assume only allow extra air (cold) through when The car is moving.
Correction, i do know that at -30C to -45C some run the coolant at 30% water and 70% glycol. But i read that 40/60 is good for -30C which is about as bad as it gets in southern sweden, that is Stockholm. Up in north sweden you can expect -40C and lower.