hey all

just wondering what can I do to my car to prepare it for the bitter cold days.
I work at the airport so my car is just sitting in a field (cause the parking lot is open) and the weather today was -23 deg. C but with teh wind it was an easy -35 ... I had to sit with the car for 20 min. before the damn thing would start. What could I do to help my car have an easier time starting and making it forsure start.

Thanks

5w-15 synthetic oil ? A shot of ether ? Automated periodic start and idle ? Car cover ? Carry the battery inside with you ? A job at MCO ? BTW "chill factor" does not affect machinery other than how fast it cools off..

BTW it has been quite some time since I have had to worry about that but when I lived in Indiana and Michigan, my FI cars would always start almost instantly reguardless of temperature. Sounds like you have something wrong.

what is that converted to F

i was wondering the same thing

-18 is about 0F, so about -10F or so. There is a way to convert it.. I just don't feel like doing it. That isn't bad at all. It gets that cold here sometimes, car started in less than a second everytime. You've got a problem, bud.


-justin

Well I have to disagree. I had my Malibu sit overnight without plugging it in ( similar temp and yes it is about -10F) and it was only sheltered from the wind ( wall in front vehicle beside ) and it started no problem. I went to work and the car sat for 8 hours and there was a wind blowing but it was warmer outside ( about -15 C so about +5 F ). I had a harder time starting the car after work than in the morning.

Well, the really cold days like -40C (-40F, ironically) with the wind (-30C, -22F) ambient, if you have time, go out and run the car for 10 minutes at lunch or on break. You could get a remote starter as well to make that alot easier. By no means is my car good at starting, but after 6 or 7 hours in -30C temps it will start with about 5-10 secs of cranking, so I would think something is wrong with the car. My car just doesn't start when its warm out.

Also, beleive it or not my car starts way better when I park against a wall, or with the rear end facing north rather then the front. It does effect when It gets that cold out.

-10F???!!!! Is that with the sun shining? Damn, that'* cold. I try the best I can to make SURE my car will start in the dead of winter. Is your car "in tune". That is to make sure that the plugs, air filter, gas filter, etc., have been replaced within the past two years. Your Battery is the key in the cold. If your battery is more than 3 years old I would replace it. I'm not a fan of synthetic oil, but in your case you might want to check out Mobil One 0W-30. A fuel additive might also help.

And finally I would have the coolant changed with at least a 50/50 mixture and a new 195 F degree thermostat.
I hope you warm up soon.

For those of you who doubt, Padgett is right about the wind chill not affecting machinery. People feel the wind chill because there is moisture in our skin, which evaporates as the wind passes over it. This produces a cooling effect. Yes, the machine will cool faster with a constant supply of cool air blowing at it, but it will not get any cooler than the actual temperature of the air.

Of course, the wind blowing may cool down a car that is being warmed slightly (above air temperature) by the sun, but that'* not usually a factor in the winter. And it would still only cool the car down to the temperature of the air, not below.

Since I don't have too many stars, here'* an article or two for the diehard doubters :
http://www.umext.maine.edu/emergency/9024.htm
and
http://avc.comm.nsdlib.org/cgi-bin/w..._To_Wind_Chill

At night there is one other issue: night sky radiation which can cool a surface 10-15F degrees below ambient air temperature and is the reason dew forms. Park next to a wall and you cut it a lot (why a car facing a building can get dew on the back window and not the front. Under a carport and it is not a factor.

True, black body radiation is not nearly as important as the convection that air flowing across the car will cause, but can have a surprising effect.

Of course garaging a car is even better but a carport is ablmost as good because it keeps the elements (including sunlight which is very damaging) off.