danielb

Sorry for this question, I looked in the search box with little luck.
The dealer that sold me my 2008 A3 says that this car does not need a block warmer since it runs 100% synthetic.
I live in Edmonton now and have had no trouble at all this winter but I wonder if I should just go ahead and install one of those cheap DIY kits for a bit of peace of mind.

Thanks for your comments

PD: I wish I had installed seat warmers, leather sure is cold in the winter

danielb

*bump

1move

iTrader: (1)

I dont even know if mine has one I live in Calgary and have never plug it in, and I park outside. But the winters havent been that bad I think you should be okay up till -30 ish. I have noticed the car does hesitate to start on a cold night out, but nothing major. I think you are fine

wailshark

You can get oil pan heaters installed on the car.
For all intents and purposes you're okay without it however if you're planning on keeping the car for a really long time in that climate it may be worth the investment for longevity.

danielb

Thanks for the answer Marko and 1move.
Today we had -31C and it started easily altough it coughed a bit. I`ll see how it does in the next few days (-32 to -25). I haven`t made up my mind if I`ll return it when the lease expires in 3 yrs, I guess I should just go ahead and install it.

Black_RS4

-31? ouch... yeah if you're planning on keeping the car for a while, you might as well install a heater...

danielb

Damn, I should have done this before. Last Sunday I was in a hurry to travel to Calgary (it was -25C) and when I turned the A3 on the yellow engine shaped warning light lit.
The computer said I need to take it to the dealership, what a nightmare. Maybe it has nothing to do with the cold but still . . .

My trusty old Honda civic which I haven't used in the last 6 weeks worked flawlessly and now I have a brand new Audi sitting in the snow while I have time to take it to the dealership (it is still 2 weeks while I go back to Edmonton )

Black_RS4

well in my experience most euro cars don't particularly like extreme cold temperatures... and by the sounds of it, you're getting plenty of extremely cold temperatures up there...

wailshark

I know a few Audi owners in Sweden who get hammered with very cold temps frequently, not to mention snow

I'll ask and see if they're doing anything special to prolong life.

25orsix24

There are 2 ciculating theories re: block heaters.

1. Block heaters save "lives" as the oil is warm and more "fluid" and that reduces the wear on start-up
2. The oil is indeed more "fluid" but when it circulates through the colder parts of the engine it becomes more viscuous and the benefits are minimal

A while back I read an article which said that when starting up any engine in extreme temperatures it will idle rough (air/fuel mixture stuff). But the vehicle must be driven off immediately, regardless if block heated. Drive gently for 2-3 minutes, or more if you can, so all of the components warm up evenly. The comment I remembered was: what is the use of having a hot engine when everything else is stone cold?!

I practiced this for many years, with many outdoor parked cars... mind you, I live in Southern Ontario!