Evening

So, I'm trawling adverts at the moment, I'm coming to the conclusion that I need a silver Vogue SE with Black interior, around 60k miles and I don't mind Petrol or Diesel, fuel costs don't bother me but...

I have a place in the North of Sweden where I spend a lot of time, winter gets down to -40 but hovers mainly around -30 for a good few months. Everyone carries on as normal, it's great! Cars have heaters in the block, run studded tyres and all is good so, any reason why a S/C wouldn't be happy in those temps? S/C oil need to be changed? Anyone run in these sort of temperatures currently? Would you have a diesel of a petrol?

Any advice appreciated.

Mat

Hi.... Does diesel not start to wax up at around -10? I would have thought with temperatures around -30 it would have to be petrol.  Previously..
Vogue SE TD6
Defender 90 2.4
Defender 110 TD5
Vogue 3.5 EFI

Hi

Nah, there are additives in the diesel in Nordic countries, it's not an issue, I don't know whether the fuel filters have electric elements as well to raise the temp, probably.

Most people drive bog standard cars to be honest. I actually have a 1972 Volvo estate I picked up a year ago for £600 and it has been brilliant for when I couldn't use the C63, I will keep it for fun but as I sold the Merc today, it's time for the RR.

Hi Mat, we have been up at Kiruna/Jukkasjarvi in Sweden last winter and experienced the lovely -37 over Christmas so we have a bit of a feel for things there. Not in the FFRR by the way, we did rent a VW Tiguan though, was great bashing around in the snow.

I know through a friend of mine, they actually test FFRRs and other JLR products in that region or in cold boxes going down to those temperatures. So the cars should be up for it. Personally I would have a good look at the oil viscosity band that you put in (and of course go full synthetic).

The SC (and probably the others as well) have two oil/water coolers that are used to warm up the engine and gearbox (I know because both failed in my car and were renewed recently). In addition to that the SC has an air to oil cooler but that would only be helpful on your car in summer !!

I would suggest to get one with the cold weather package (heated seats front and back and heated steering wheel) like mine. Also heated windscreen and mirrors although I'm not sure that I would use those in such extreme temperatures.

I would suggest to put the electrical heater in the rad and inside the car, like I have seen on all cars there, just to assist during warm up.

Would love to bash around in an SC in the snow up there. MY 2010 5.0 SC Galway green and sand interior!!
Have the Faultmate MSV2 Extreme to be tinkering with the settings etc. !!

Hi Ebajema

It's great up there isn't it! Actually I'm very close to a few of the proper testing grounds, Arctic Falls is only a couple of km's away and they test a lot of Porsche, Merc etc. over there.

I agree on the oils, I will probably add heating elements to the block of anything I chose as that's what everyone else does.

The cold weather pack is a good call too, you can cope with a lot if your seat is warm!

Interestingly (or not) I used to work for the British Antarctic Survey and spent 2.5 years living and working on a scientific research station in the Antarctic a few years ago, we ran vehicles down to -50 on Avtur, aviation fuel, all engines ran webasto burners for the water system. When it got down to -40 we used electric heater pads on transmissions and engine blocks but at -50 it was a struggle to get the key to turn in the ignition and would sometimes take 5 or 6 hours to get a vehicle warm enough to start! Good fun!

Mat

Wauw, that sounds cool. Would love to visit Antarctica !!! What are you doing up north in Sweden then ? More research ??

I heard some horror stories about cars and cold from a ex Sakhalin Island colleague. During the worst part of winter they just let the cars/trucks run all the time.

Cheers,

Eugene MY 2010 5.0 SC Galway green and sand interior!!
Have the Faultmate MSV2 Extreme to be tinkering with the settings etc. !!

Also one thing you may find that a few SC's where you are have is the Fuel Burning Heater. If your battery is jacketed and up to the job this can help pre warm the block as well as the cabin for you and is something fitted as standard to the Diesels but not to all petrol models

Worth finding one with it though Press a button in the house and come out 20minutes later to a much warmer car interior  FFRR MY06 facelift With TDV8 Alloys Zeros/ATR's
Mantec Sump Guard, Rigid Load liner, MY10 BT upgrade.

I swapped my standard battery for the biggest leisure battery I could fit , it has no trouble starting my Supercharged on a cold morning ( Scottish cold not Swedish cold ) but it had plenty of " nuts" to run the fuel burning heater for a full cycle . 2008 MY Supercharged
Rimini Red / Jet
four zone climate
remote park heater
and no ugly kid windows.
magnus satis quod turpis satis

Morning gents

Thanks for all the comments, sounds like buying one with a cold start system would be a good idea. I have a big workshop where I have fitted a timer power point so I can set when the power comes on with an electric heater. A nice big battery is also a good call.

Eugene, it is a fascinating place, if you get a chance to go, grab it! I was there a long time, didn't come home in nearly 2.5 years, too long really! I worked as an engineer down there running the fleet and supporting the science projects. I bought property in Sweden just because I love it up there and it is ridiculously cheap, laughably so! Now I work in logistics and project support for a landmine clearance company, we support oil and gas projects as well as UN and humanitarian, at this very moment I'm closing up a project in Mozambique but have spent the last 2 years in Iraq with a short stint in Afghanistan, Sweden feels like an oasis of calm whenever I'm there!

I'm guessing you are in Oil and Gas too?

Have a good Friday all.

Mat

Axle

Do you run any different oil in your S/C or just the standard stuff? Scotland can have some nice chilly mornings too!

Mat

To be honest I never really thought about it and a month ago I moved to Western Australia so now I'll need to think more about extreme heat . 2008 MY Supercharged
Rimini Red / Jet
four zone climate
remote park heater
and no ugly kid windows.
magnus satis quod turpis satis

Hi Mat,

Excellent guess, yes worked in O&G all my working life and that is why we ended up in Nigeria. It is absolutely brilliant out here, contrary to what the press wants to publish. Have a look in the Africa section of the forum for my views on life here if you're interested of course.

Will is right about the FBH and although they seem to be very rare on the SC, they are out there but on this forum you also see some people that have retrofitted FBHs. We had one on our rental XC90 last time and it is brilliant (once you can decode the Swedish owners manual ).

We have a few friends in Sweden through the adoptions here (we are involved a bit in that over here) so we have spent quite some time in Sweden (hence the trip to the Icehotel/Kiruna etc.) and you are absolutely right, it is amazing how cheap the houses are and how nice, pretty, beautiful and relaxing it is up there. We love it and are thinking about maybe getting a place up there as well (or near our friends in Mulsjo). I totally understand why you are there

Cheers,
Eugene MY 2010 5.0 SC Galway green and sand interior!!
Have the Faultmate MSV2 Extreme to be tinkering with the settings etc. !!

Interesting thread.

I'd love to go to Antarctica. Read the books on Shackleton and Scott. The Worst Journey in the World is a brilliant book, and although Apsley Cherry Gerrard loved the place he said 2 winters there was quite enough (it may have been 3). Love the wildlife, the penguins, leopard seals and above all the whales.

Someday I will go there.

If you have any pictures, they will be very much appreciated.

If you retrofit there is a specific model for running on petrol instead of diesel so be wary of that. a Breakers is probably your best bet then someone with a faultmate/autlogic/IDS/SDD to program it in

I really hope i can scrape the money together to get the FF for on a little euro tour before its goes up for sale,a n maybe try this ice road in europe from Estonia  FFRR MY06 facelift With TDV8 Alloys Zeros/ATR's
Mantec Sump Guard, Rigid Load liner, MY10 BT upgrade.

Eugene

I drove through Nigeria in 2000, drove from UK to Cape Town and back, working for an overland company at the time, drove an old Bedford M type the whole way! To be honest, Nigeria back then was a total nightmare! It's the same with many places I've been though, the outside perception is always far far worse than life on the ground. The exception is Afghan, Kabul feels just as bad as it seems!

Kurt

I had 2 winters and 3 summers on the ice, it is extremely beautiful and a fascinating place to experience for a while. I am a keen photographer, if you like Antarctic images then there's a few on here..

http://www.matrichardson.com/

There's a picture of an old whaling ship on there, taken on South Georgia, just behind on the hillside is Shackleton's grave! They are old now and haven't been updated in years, some nice landscapes though and some Emperor Penguin shots, we had a colony nesting very close. Some much more recent Iraq/Mozambique/Afghan and Swedish photos here too !

http://matrichardson.tumblr.com/

Anyway, back to the heaters, I have started to have a look for some information, will see if they are man enough for the job or whether it would still be wise to fit a block heater so it can be plugged in too. I'm actually leaning towards a TDV8 I think.

Cheers all

Mat