Diesel engines are notoriously difficult to start in the cold. As temperatures drop, two things happen: the engine oil thickens, creating more resistance, and the chemical reaction inside a battery slows down, reducing its ability to deliver cold cranking amps (CCA). This creates a "perfect storm" where the engine needs more power to turn over, but the starter system has less power to give.

A mechanical spring starter solves this problem by removing the chemical variable from the equation. The physical force stored in a compressed spring does not diminish in the cold. In fact, many spring starters are rated for performance down to -40°C. For industries operating in the Arctic, or for emergency equipment stored in unheated outdoor enclosures, a spring starter is the only guaranteed emergency engine start solution. It ensures that the engine flywheels turn fast enough to reach the compression-ignition temperature, regardless of the frost on the ground.