Koudstart

Koudstart is a term used mainly in Dutch to describe the initiation of a system or process under cold conditions. It combines koud, meaning cold, with start, and is employed across engineering disciplines to denote the initial start when components are at or near ambient temperature.

In automotive engineering, koudstart refers to starting an engine in cold weather. Cold temperatures affect combustion, lubrication, and fuel atomization. The result can be longer cranking, slower warm-up, higher wear on starting components, and temporarily higher emissions. Diesel engines are particularly affected due to fuel gelling in very cold conditions.

Mitigation strategies include preheating and proper maintenance: engine block heaters or battery warmers, glow plugs for diesels, appropriate winter-grade engine oil, ensuring adequate battery charge, and using pre-heated or heated fuel lines where available. Operators are advised to allow gentle warm-up and avoid high load until the engine reaches operating temperature.

In computing and information systems, koudstart is sometimes used to describe a cold-start problem—the challenge of delivering accurate recommendations, results, or system behavior without prior user data or cached state. Solutions include caching, pretraining, simulated histories, and gradual warm-up of services.

The term is cognate with the English phrase cold start and is used in Dutch technical discourse to describe analogous situations in both mechanical and digital contexts. See also cold start, engine preheater, glow plug, warm-up.