How Cold Is Too Cold ?

[TOMMY GUN]

Tonight in Fargo North Dakota it is 44 below zero!

So what do people do w/ their vehicles when temps are below -10 when they have to get around or work?

I imagine they leave their cars in a garage for the night.

But what do you do w/ your car if you have to leave it for a while outside?

Block heaters are one thing, but what about trannys and diffs at -40 ??

Joe?


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[JTB]

Synthetic Oil

Everywhere.....

[cheftjpeck]

Originally Posted by TOMMY GUN

Tonight in Fargo North Dakota it is 44 below zero!

So what do people do w/ their vehicles when temps are below -10 when they have to get around or work?

I imagine they leave their cars in a garage for the night.

But what do you do w/ your car if you have to leave it for a while outside?

Block heaters are one thing, but what about trannys and diffs at -40 ??

Joe?


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below 55 is too cold for me...


could not imagine -44 ........yikes....actually supposed to get as cold as ever down here in Fla this week...dropping into the 30's and some areas are even going into the teens.....time to move further south....man..I wonder if can get my car to Cuba....LOL

[Alloy Dave]

Some people actually either let their car idle all night, or get up once during sleeping hours to start the car and run it for 15-30 minutes. Lots of little things you can do, like put the front of the car against/close to a garage door to keep the cold air from blowing right on the engine, using very low viscosity oil - Amazon.com: Mobil 1 Synthetic 0W-30 Motor Oil - 1 Quart, Pack of 6: Automotive , turn on your headlights for 30 seconds prior to trying to start the car (warms up the wiring slightly), use a hair dryer to heat the intake manifold for a couple minutes, battery warmers - Phillips & Temro Blanket-style Battery Warmer : JC Whitney: Auto Parts & Accessories etc.

[Joe G]

Basically, it sux no matter what you do.

Yes, it is hard on every component of the car when it's that cold. I let the car idle a little (few minutes) before driving, but not for a very long time (wasteful IMO). When I do go, I'm easy on it knowing that it's still cold, especially for the tranny, for the first few miles.


I'm REALLY hoping 2009 is the last year we'll be in MN, but that depends on a few other things to happen.


Anyone want a great house in a great neighborhood??


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[Birdman]

Joe as I post this morning I see it's -18* where you live . I couldn't go to work at that temp. ( currently working in unheated new construction )bad enough I have to go and it's 18* now here.

[TOMMY GUN]

Originally Posted by Alloy Dave

Some people actually either let their car idle all night, or get up once during sleeping hours to start the car and run it for 15-30 minutes. Lots of little things you can do, like put the front of the car against/close to a garage door to keep the cold air from blowing right on the engine, using very low viscosity oil - Amazon.com: Mobil 1 Synthetic 0W-30 Motor Oil - 1 Quart, Pack of 6: Automotive , turn on your headlights for 30 seconds prior to trying to start the car (warms up the wiring slightly), use a hair dryer to heat the intake manifold for a couple minutes, battery warmers - Phillips & Temro Blanket-style Battery Warmer : JC Whitney: Auto Parts & Accessories etc.

So do you think that most people use these type fluids in these areas that get thie cold? Or does this type cold only happen for a week or two?

I can't imagine the average person knowing to use special fluids in a tranny or diff because of cold weather.

I can't see a car starting in the morning sitting outside in -20 all night.

It's supposed to be in the upper teens here tonight. It hasn't got that cold here in years. We usually pull batteries out of our jetski's and 4 wheelers below 40 degrees. Disconnect and cover our outside spickets and cut up plenty of firewood. I don't think I would even go outside for a piece of firewood at -20 degrees.


I know gas freezes up as well. Do people in these areas have a special gas mix or add stuff to their gas all the time?

When we would go 4 wheeling in our mountains in the winter we would have to add gas line antifreeze to our jeeps or the packed in snow would freeeze up our supply lines.


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[HSURB]

When I go to lunch, I stop at a Subway type place, I just let the damn thing run the entire time I'm there. It's just too cold this time of year.

And, we need to keep the Middle East prosperous, you know we're all going to own one of them personally one day.

HSURB®

[rpretzel]

Anything below 70 degrees is too cold in my book. I am living in the wrong state.

[The Bone]

When I was a kid we didn't have block heaters so when the temps got this low cars just would not start. Most garages weren't attached to the house so it was just as cold there as outside. Most people never change the fluids in there cars ever most just run what came from the factory. Radiators would freeze up because there antifreeze wasn't good. Sometimes we didn't have school because the buses wouldn't start. O happy day.

[hellfyr]

Originally Posted by TOMMY GUN

So do you think that most people use these type fluids in these areas that get thie cold? Or does this type cold only happen for a week or two?

I can't imagine the average person knowing to use special fluids in a tranny or diff because of cold weather.

I can't see a car starting in the morning sitting outside in -20 all night.

It's supposed to be in the upper teens here tonight. It hasn't got that cold here in years. We usually pull batteries out of our jetski's and 4 wheelers below 40 degrees. Disconnect and cover our outside spickets and cut up plenty of firewood. I don't think I would even go outside for a piece of firewood at -20 degrees.


I know gas freezes up as well. Do people in these areas have a special gas mix or add stuff to their gas all the time?

When we would go 4 wheeling in our mountains in the winter we would have to add gas line antifreeze to our jeeps or the packed in snow would freeeze up our supply lines.


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Was -38 out by us in Rockford MN last night, and still -21 when I left for work this morning.

My car (08 Fusion) sits outside all night, but, I plug in the engine block heater before going to bed. I don't do this until the nightly temp is scheduled to be sub zero.

No special fluids in my car.
Starts every time.

The biggest issue I've had with the car this year, is that the clutch is VERY slow to respond between gear changes. Push in the clutch pedal, change gears, release clutch, and the clutch basically "feathers" the engagement on its own. Can't possibly be good for the clutch plate, but nothing I can do about it.

Even after my 90 minute drive into work, still doing the same thing this morning.

I found if when sitting at a light if I hold the clutch pedal to the floor the entire time, something in the tranny must heat up because then it operates normally for about 30 seconds before returning to its STIFF methods.

Not sure if this is normal or not as this is the first standard transmission car I have ever driven through a winter.

Rod

[iceman]

Originally Posted by rpretzel

Anything below 70 degrees is too cold in my book. I am living in the wrong state.

I am with you on this one. I saw -1 on the car this morning dropping Kelly off at the airport for her flight to KC (via Minneapolis). It's the first time I've seen a -temp on the dash on the commander.

[rpretzel]

Originally Posted by iceman

I am with you on this one. I saw -1 on the car this morning dropping Kelly off at the airport for her flight to KC (via Minneapolis). It's the first time I've seen a -temp on the dash on the commander.

It got down to -18 (-35 with wind chill) in Denver last month. Miserable. No human should have to endure that kind of cold.

[Joe G]

Originally Posted by rpretzel

It got down to -18 (-35 with wind chill) in Denver last month. Miserable. No human should have to endure that kind of cold.

Endure is a good word.


Survive is another.








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[KR]

this reminds of anther thread, someone's tongue is stuck to a pole.......... Now That's "Too Cold"!

[SteelSteeds]

I lived most of my life in Montana at high elevation. Many times we went through long stretches of -30 to -40. I think the coldest I ever experienced was -65*, with a wind chill of a hundred below.

I would plug in the block heater anytime the temp was going to be much below zero. I rarely had a problem. I always let the engine warm up a while before driving anywhere. The biggest problems were the power steering fluid (if your pump was at all questionable, you found out in a hurry when the temp dropped!) and batteries (ditto).

I do remember one memorable occasion when I was in college, it was well below zero, and I went out and hopped into my winter beater, a rusted out '74 Dodge short box 4x4. When I stepped on the gas pedal to prime the carb a little, the accelerator cable snapped. I had a heck of time finding a replacement for that thing...

Gasoline does not freeze at these temperatures. But, if you have ANY water in your fuel, THAT freezes. So-called gas line antifreeze is just isopropyl alcohol, which combines with the water, preventing any ice from forming and potentially blocking your lines. This is one reason why it is always recommended to keep your fuel tank as full as possible in very cold weather, it prevents condensation from forming inside your tank.

[Alloy Dave]

Originally Posted by Joe G

Basically, it sux no matter what you do.

Yes, it is hard on every component of the car when it's that cold. I let the car idle a little (few minutes) before driving, but not for a very long time (wasteful IMO). When I do go, I'm easy on it knowing that it's still cold, especially for the tranny, for the first few miles.


I'm REALLY hoping 2009 is the last year we'll be in MN, but that depends on a few other things to happen.


Anyone want a great house in a great neighborhood??


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Joe, although it's unlikely, if I hear of anyone at our location transferring to the Fridley site, I'll let you know.

Dave

[Joe G]

Originally Posted by Alloy Dave

Joe, although it's unlikely, if I hear of anyone at our location transferring to the Fridley site, I'll let you know.

Dave

The Fridley plant is just 10 minutes down the road. We're in the middle of THE prime area of the north side.




Thanks Davey.


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[TOMMY GUN]

Originally Posted by Joe G

The Fridley plant is just 10 minutes down the road. We're in the middle of THE red light zone of the north side.




Thanks Davey.


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[SpeedRacer]

-13 (actual) here today! Wind chill -32... Burrr...