So what do yu do when it does way below zerp???

[John Rogers]

I grew up in the mid Atlantic states and we would have snow and enough freesing so we could ice skate on the lake. When I got stationed at the atomic power site north of Schenectday NY the winters up there in the "snow belt" were just brutal. I used a block heater that went in the dip stick tube and still would get up every 3 hours or so or the transmission lube would get solid. Later when I had a Dodge Van all customized I would use a Colman camp heater that burned white gas and I would pull the engine cover so every thing stayed about 40 degrees! At the atomic power site we would have the students go out hourly to start the cars and cycle through them. Then two hours later do it all over again! Sometimes we would come out after midnight shift and it had snowed and everything was covered except the front of my Dodge van! I imagine heated garages are nice but I never knew anyone who had one.

[red-beard]

As a kid in Schenectady, I only remember one winter in the 1970's where we hit -30F. My parents garaged the cars, so no issues.

In the 1990's, when I commuted to Schenectady from Western Mass, my cars had Fuel Injection and I used Mobil 1, which generally has less trouble than dino oils. I only remember one day not starting and I was later able to get it going with some starting fluid.

[stevej37]

Todays batteries better?
We just had below zerp temps for 3 days in a row. One of the cars sat outside through each night..started right up..no problem.

[legion]

My cars are garaged. No issues this week.

[livi]

We are not unfamiliar with cold weather here in Sweden.
Personally I usually make a large hot Lumumba and stay on the couch.

[recycled sixtie]

We have had -20C or about -10F for a whole week and our Camry and Lexus RX350 both start up no problem in an unheated garage. The RX has no block heater but there is no need for it.

Newer cars and suv's are way better at starting than the older cars. Having said that my 1958 VW bug would start no problem in -20F with no block heater. Loved that old car but had next to no heat when the car was running.

[recycled sixtie]

Originally Posted by livi

We are not unfamiliar with cold weather here in Sweden.
Personally I usually make a large hot Lumumba and stay on the couch.

I had to google that one! What typically do Swedish drivers drive in Sweden? I am guessing Volvo?

[id10t]

Get on a plane and get my azz back to Florida.


Where it is currently 32 and raining hard. Where I've been camping in February and the temps have hit 19f overnight. Where 2" of snow closed town and shut down the local mall for 2 of the last shopping days before Christmas (this was in '89).

[BeyGon]

high 60s and some clouds here today, still in shorts but have a long sleeve shirt

[flipper35]

Same old routine regardless of the weather. Some days it just takes a bit longer to warm the car up. Still have to clear the drive when it snows. The only real difference is we don't play outside as much.

[VincentVega]

The old honda was a bit slow this am, I think it was ~10. I hope its just the battery getting low but the first 1-2 shift was a little wonky too. My knees sure tell me its cold outside.

I remember tending my folks old diesel benz's in winter. No garage so I was chasing extension cords to the block heaters. No change starting w/o plugging in. I also got pretty good at changing glow plugs, never remembered to change them in the summer.

[motion]

I really didn't know what a garage was growing up in Montana. When I was 16-17, my '68 Fairlane GT with a 289 froze up solid for about 2 months. Had to wait for a thaw to start it.

More recently, one of my 5.4L F150s wouldn't start when it was anything colder than -15 or so. Had to wait for the sun to warm it up. More of an electrical issue, though. I also had to bang on the transfer case with a rubber mallet to get the 4WD to engage. That's so much fun when its cold and snowy outside!

[speeder]

Take an Uber straight to the airport and gtfo of that place. That's what I'd do.

[legion]

How cold is zerp?

[Erakad]

3 years in Minot, ND...block heater every night on my 89 Suburban, other car was garaged. At that time, routinely -20 to -30, windchill was worse. We used to joke, the garage was our walk-out freezer.

[crb07]

My fingers get really cold when I am getting ice out of the freezer, but it is only for a few seconds.
Going to be in the 40's later this week, got to find that jacket, cant remember where it is.

[stevej37]

Originally Posted by legion

How cold is zerp?

One letter colder than zero???

[speeder]

Was on the phone w a friend who was walking down the street in NYC the other day. After about 3 minutes, his phone started cutting out and he said that he had to hang up because his fingers were starting to hurt bad.

Fk that sht.

[CurtEgerer]

Ski trip to Northern Mich in high school. We took my brothers car and after below-zero temps the car wouldn't turn over in the morning. Back then we thought it was a really good idea to run straight 50W Kendall GT1 because that's what Don Garlits used in the Swamp Rat So we took a propane torch and heated up the oil pan for about an hour. Voila!

[911_Dude]

Below zerp?! Thats some cold chit right there.