P500 Coldest temps for cold engine start up?

[Klegrand37]

-27 on Friday felt like -40 with windchill at 6:30a. The night before got the p5 stuck in the snow bank plowing. Everything was froze up the following day snow covered I left the key in the 1 click position and a few minutes later the lights came on to full at first but full power with 5 Mom or so. I turned her over she started right up, however she did want to stall if I had let her. With my wife in the warm truck together we pulled the p5 out of the snowbank and I went back to plowing for another couple hours. Coldest day for the two of us and the Honda our performed me without question.

 

[Admin]

 

[hondasrule]

My p 5 has been starting well in -20 temp. I tried to ride but snow got deep in spots. digging and winching is exhausting but great exercise...lol

 

[Mudder]

When I started this poll, I was curious on low temps (living in GA, 10 degrees or forecast of flurries makes the local news). LOL..... Looking at results, these machines are truely hardy little beasts, (and so are the riders)!

 

[906UP]

When I started this poll, I was curious on low temps (living in GA, 10 degrees or forecast of flurries makes the local news). LOL..... Looking at results, these machines are truely hardy little beasts.

That's T-shirt weather UP here

 

[SouthwestORV]

-27 on Friday felt like -40 with windchill at 6:30a. The night before got the p5 stuck in the snow bank plowing. Everything was froze up the following day snow covered I left the key in the 1 click position and a few minutes later the lights came on to full at first but full power with 5 Mom or so. I turned her over she started right up, however she did want to stall if I had let her. With my wife in the warm truck together we pulled the p5 out of the snowbank and I went back to plowing for another couple hours. Coldest day for the two of us and the Honda our performed me without question.

-27!! That’s epic!

View attachment 61726 View attachment 61727
View attachment 61726 My p 5 has been starting well in -20 temp. I tried to ride but snow got deep in spots. digging and winching is exhausting but great exercise...lol

impressive cold-weather performance.

 

[NPN]

-27 on Friday felt like -40 with windchill at 6:30a. The night before got the p5 stuck in the snow bank plowing. Everything was froze up the following day snow covered I left the key in the 1 click position and a few minutes later the lights came on to full at first but full power with 5 Mom or so. I turned her over she started right up, however she did want to stall if I had let her. With my wife in the warm truck together we pulled the p5 out of the snowbank and I went back to plowing for another couple hours. Coldest day for the two of us and the Honda our performed me without question.

Thanks, back to winter so these posts are relevant again. My concern is possible engine damage at temp
Below -20. I ruined a car engine making it start at -30. It was only a year old and started burning oil...apparently I had cracked the rings due to the firing and extreme cold. Just because it will start doesn't mean it is good for it...oil won't prevent cracked rings. But there are likely smarter mechanics out there that's could comment.

 

[Yukon_Jon]

I’m curious if anyone running these cold temperatures regularly has changed out antifreeze? Didn’t have much luck with the search function, nothing specific at least. I’m used to switching to lighter full synthetic and JASO approved from riding bikes for years, but as the P5 is new to me, (bought from a friend who is unable to ride, 200km on the odo) and my wife refers to it as “a very expensive shovel” I’m interested in doing what I can to ensure it stays tip top. A preventable breakdown is a preventable argument, at this point.

-35 will be pretty standard plowing temps for me all winter, with some longer trips for ice fishing, 10k trail to the lake, etc. We run canvas in front of the grilles on our trucks all winter, but I’m not going to be on the highway or worried about heating the cabin interior of the P5.

 

[906UP]

Thanks, back to winter so these posts are relevant again. My concern is possible engine damage at temp
Below -20. I ruined a car engine making it start at -30. It was only a year old and started burning oil...apparently I had cracked the rings due to the firing and extreme cold. Just because it will start doesn't mean it is good for it...oil won't prevent cracked rings. But there are likely smarter mechanics out there that's could comment.

This is possible if the engine isn't given time to warm up before putting it under load. It's called cold seize, the pistons/rings expand faster than the cylinder walls. It's more common on 2 stroke engines....actually I've never seen it on a 4 stroke but I guess it could happen.

 

[PattyV]

I’m curious if anyone running these cold temperatures regularly has changed out antifreeze? Didn’t have much luck with the search function, nothing specific at least. I’m used to switching to lighter full synthetic and JASO approved from riding bikes for years, but as the P5 is new to me, (bought from a friend who is unable to ride, 200km on the odo) and my wife refers to it as “a very expensive shovel” I’m interested in doing what I can to ensure it stays tip top. A preventable breakdown is a preventable argument, at this point.

-35 will be pretty standard plowing temps for me all winter, with some longer trips for ice fishing, 10k trail to the lake, etc. We run canvas in front of the grilles on our trucks all winter, but I’m not going to be on the highway or worried about heating the cabin interior of the P5.

Yukon_Jon, I am a bit further north than you and we are staring to hit the -40s with the windchill pushing it down to the -60s C. I pulled about a litter of coolant out and replaced it with straight antifreeze. I figure I'm running a 65-70% mix? We do this with our work trucks as well and haven't had an issue. I have also thrown a piece of cardboard inside of the grill but I didn't notice a difference.

I also installed a few oil pan heaters and inline coolant heater to help with the cold starts. I find it takes 1-2 extra cranks before it fires, compared to the summer months, but it has yet to give me any issues.

 

[Buford]

Started so hard I had to use a jumper box to get it running. Is there a different motor oil for winter activities?

Use the Honda HP4 10W-30 synthetic or the GN4 0W-30 conventional.

 

[Badblubug]

Coldest start. Didn’t have to ride, but would be interesting comment if you did. (One for @PistonHonda)

Was -25 here last night and I waited till it warmed up to -2 I keep the 500 in an unheated shed and no battery tender, it started but barely, let it run about 20 minutes than had to plow the 4” of snow and that took about an hour, had my kamik boots, snow pants, heated Milwaukee jacket on and stayed warm, I also have the doors on it and it makes a big difference staying out of the wind

I did hit the trails after plowing but chose my other sxs Mitsubishi Outlander Sport rocking some Nokian



I have no idea how those othe pics got there ?

 

[Russ989]

I bet those cold temps (-20/-30) you guys are talking about is hard on the starting battery, might be worth looking into an upgrade.

 

[Badblubug]

I bet those cold temps (-20/-30) you guys are talking about is hard on the starting battery, might be worth looking into an upgrade.

We only get those temps a few times most winters otherwise I would, more snow coming Sunday night into Monday than back down below 0 for a few days than back in the teens by next weekend...anything above 0 the 500 starts pretty easy

 

[Russ989]

We only get those temps a few times most winters otherwise I would, more snow coming Sunday night into Monday than back down below 0 for a few days than back in the teens by next weekend...anything above 0 the 500 starts pretty easy

C’mon spring.

 

[Badblubug]

C’mon spring.

Fo’ sure!

 

[KYhillbilly]

was at Lake of Woods MN a couple weeks ago ice fishing and they started a Polaris and a P500 with soft cabs and plows in -38F. Didn't see them ride them but they both started and warmed up for 45 minutes before they turned them off.

 

[Akfishbum]

-20 for me stored in an unheated greenhouse. Fired right up used it to move a couple trailers around the year no issues. This was early January the first time she had been fired up since October.