The Stinger in the extreme cold

[Shockington]

I want to share my experiences of driving the Stinger in the extreme cold, -40 C roughly all this last week.

1. The power steering fluid is not rated anywhere near this temperature. In fact it takes over an hour of driving to cycle enough warm power steering fluid to make the steering feel like normal. This is kind of dangerous as the tires do not center themselves when hitting bumps and small pot holes. I would suggest getting this changed if you live in this type of climate.

2. The battery died. The car battery placement is atrocious when it comes to staying warm. When checking the battery it has a small amount of frost all over it. A battery blanket is a must. It boosted just fine and would drive with no issues, but the battery would not hold the charge. Turning the car off resulted in it unable to be started. I took it to the dealership and they couldn't recharge it. That resulted in a replacement battery to the tune of $560 billed to KIA. That is one expensive battery.

So if you plan on driving the car in the extreme cold you definitely should have KIA put in some low temp power steering fluid and have them throw in a battery blanket. On a side not, it sure is easy to boost this car!

 

[westcoastGT]

I want to share my experiences of driving the Stinger in the extreme cold, -40 C roughly all this last week.

1. The power steering fluid is not rated anywhere near this temperature. In fact it takes over an hour of driving to cycle enough warm power steering fluid to make the steering feel like normal. This is kind of dangerous as the tires do not center themselves when hitting bumps and small pot holes. I would suggest getting this changed if you live in this type of climate.

2. The battery died. The car battery placement is atrocious when it comes to staying warm. When checking the battery it has a small amount of frost all over it. A battery blanket is a must. It boosted just fine and would drive with no issues, but the battery would not hold the charge. Turning the car off resulted in it unable to be started. I took it to the dealership and they couldn't recharge it. That resulted in a replacement battery to the tune of $560 billed to KIA. That is one expensive battery.

So if you plan on driving the car in the extreme cold you definitely should have KIA put in some low temp power steering fluid and have them throw in a battery blanket. On a side not, it sure is easy to boost this car!

what part of Canada do you live in ?? maybe consider adding location to your signature ,
Cheers

 

[Bigjohnb20]

-40c is no joke. Oddly that is also -40f... I'll be driving mine to work in -10f which I thought was pretty cold. Had it in similar temps before so far this year without any of the issues you mention but again you are at another level it seems.

 

[Revvdmedia]

I want to share my experiences of driving the Stinger in the extreme cold, -40 C roughly all this last week.

1. The power steering fluid is not rated anywhere near this temperature. In fact it takes over an hour of driving to cycle enough warm power steering fluid to make the steering feel like normal. This is kind of dangerous as the tires do not center themselves when hitting bumps and small pot holes. I would suggest getting this changed if you live in this type of climate.

2. The battery died. The car battery placement is atrocious when it comes to staying warm. When checking the battery it has a small amount of frost all over it. A battery blanket is a must. It boosted just fine and would drive with no issues, but the battery would not hold the charge. Turning the car off resulted in it unable to be started. I took it to the dealership and they couldn't recharge it. That resulted in a replacement battery to the tune of $560 billed to KIA. That is one expensive battery.

So if you plan on driving the car in the extreme cold you definitely should have KIA put in some low temp power steering fluid and have them throw in a battery blanket. On a side not, it sure is easy to boost this car!

I think our power steering is electric, not hydraulic:

"Standard Rack-mounted Motor Driven Power Steering (R-MDPS) offers razor-sharp feedback through direct mounting of the electric motor on the steering rack, enhancing steering response and reducing unwanted vibration from transmitting through the column"

Also, how long did your car sit idle. I honestly think a battery dying is indicative of a parasitic drain. Most modern cars can turn over after sitting for fairly long periods even at -40C (I haven't had a no-start for YEARS at any temp). Might be worth looking into.

I've been going through the same cold snap, but my car doesn't sit outside for longer than 5 hours without being started, then it's in a garage overnight/weekend which doesn't get below about -7C. I've had zero issues so far except that it's pretty thumpy in the back at this temp, either shocks or the hatch.

 

[Grayt 8]

I think our power steering is electric, not hydraulic:

"Standard Rack-mounted Motor Driven Power Steering (R-MDPS) offers razor-sharp feedback through direct mounting of the electric motor on the steering rack, enhancing steering response and reducing unwanted vibration from transmitting through the column"

Also, how long did your car sit idle. I honestly think a battery dying is indicative of a parasitic drain. Most modern cars can turn over after sitting for fairly long periods even at -40C (I haven't had a no-start for YEARS at any temp). Might be worth looking into.

I've been going through the same cold snap, but my car doesn't sit outside for longer than 5 hours without being started, then it's in a garage overnight/weekend which doesn't get below about -7C. I've had zero issues so far except that it's pretty thumpy in the back at this temp, either shocks or the hatch.

Agreed on the idling and letting the car sit too long. We've hit as low as -31F here recently and my battery has been fine. In my experience, it is important to charge batteries overnight in weather that cold.

 

[OriginalRobby]

Howdy from outside of the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) --- when we had -40C this January no issues here, mirrors unfolding just fine, car started fine, no power steering issues - but I sure let her warm up plenty! The transmission a little jerky at first until the oil warmed up then it was all fine. Heck, even washed her once in -20.

 

[Soca Boy]

This week I posted asking the Alberta owners how the Stinger handle in the deep freeze. They said the Stinger is great, just need winter tires. We hit -40 a few times this week, today was the warmest day -24.

 

[westcoastGT]

jeez , we had frost on our palm trees this morning in Vancouver , then the sun came out and melted it ........................

 

[SteveCo]

jeez , we had frost on our palm trees this morning in Vancouver , then the sun came out and melted it ........................

Wow, that was a heavy frost ....



I kid .... there's a slight chance this picture is from a previous weather episode.

Hey, somebody has to keep these Vancouverites in check when they start in about their weather ....

 

[westcoastGT]

Wow, that was a heavy frost ....

View attachment 19527

I kid .... there's a slight chance this picture is from a previous weather episode.

Hey, somebody has to keep these Vancouverites in check when they start in about their weather ....

hahahahaha , Nope BUT we have a big weather warning for tomorrow , wind , snow , low temps etc ..............time to head South !!!

 

[Revvdmedia]

Agreed on the idling and letting the car sit too long. We've hit as low as -31F here recently and my battery has been fine. In my experience, it is important to charge batteries overnight in weather that cold.

I actually meant length of time between starts, but it's good you mention idle too. Low engine speeds (our cars do this in "normal/comfort" transmission modes) don't do much to spin up the alternator to recharge the battery. Short drives also don't do any favors, especially with the amount of electric goodies in the Stinger.

I still stand by my statement that the battery should not die even in the coldest temperatures on the Stinger until the battery has seen a few years of use. I think it's rated for 660CCA or something which is pretty good (above average). Short drives, long times between drives, heavy electrics usage and low revs won't help keep a charge in the battery. If you're not a victim to those previous possibilities, you should get Kia to check if there is a parasitic drain. Don't let them use cold as an excuse, I don't buy it at face value.

 

[Soca Boy]

I been starting my Honda Accord on every break this week at work. I upgraded it’s battery in November but, when it’s this cold out there’s a lot of stress on the engine. Lots of people’s battery died this week, that’s why AMA said, battery boosting is on the bottom of their list, it’s 48 hours wait to get your car towed, unless is in the middle of the road.

 

[NCPinz]

Battery failure has more to do with the battery manufacturer than the automotive manufacturer.

I will say that most manufacturers do testing down to at least -40F/C. They test beyond that with real world testing, but they can reproduce -40F in their test facilities on a regular basis. I helped design and startup one of the facilities that Hyundai uses that would test from -40F to 130F. The funny thing was that once we got started up, they couldn't find a Hyundai that would start at -40F. That was 20-25 years ago, so their quality has greatly improved.

 

[Clearly Canadian]

Just a theory but i dont think cars experience wind chill or “feels like” temperatures. Only the natural non-wind chill temps.

Also to OP is it possible the battery was weakened at the dealership prior to purchasing? I hear this is a common occurance if it’s on the showroom floor.

 

[NCPinz]

In a way they do by experiencing increased heat loss via airflow or wind across surfaces.

 

[SteveCo]

Also to OP is it possible the battery was weakened at the dealership prior to purchasing? I hear this is a common occurance if it’s on the showroom floor.

This sounds highly likely. My Stinger normally doesn't feel the brunt of the cold as it overnights in an (unheated) attached garage, where ambient is considerably higher than outside, and I usually work from home when I'm not traveling. However, it has had a few stints outside for several hours at these very cold temps, and has had no problems restarting (without a block heater).

The only times I have had problems starting vehicles in the past when the temperatures are really cold are if there are already reliability issues with the battery/charging system, or marginal ignition or fuel systems. Fuel injection especially has made a massive change for the better when it comes to winter starts.

The Stinger battery is a big one, due to all the electrical loads as well as the ISG - but it has a charging system to match. Yes, the battery will physically get cold but in most vehicles can get a lot colder, with wind-driven cold air literally circulating in and out of the open engine compartment. For that battery to collapse to the point it won't take a charge, that rapidly, sounds like a pre-existing defect to me.

 

[lucif3r]

Ive had no issues with mine in the cold. I park it in a insulated (non heated) garage at night and usually start it for 10 min at lunch when Im at work.

 

[Clearly Canadian]

I park outside during the workday and dont start it midway through the day. Never had a problem starting it even in sub -30 temps.

 

[Clearly Canadian]

In a way they do by experiencing increased heat loss via airflow or wind across surfaces.

Agreed but not in the context being discussed here.

 

[forzanerazzurri]

jeez , we had frost on our palm trees this morning in Vancouver , then the sun came out and melted it ........................

Vancouver has some of the worlds worst weather, yet people who live there think they live in Miami.