Cold Start Oil ?

[demarpaint]

I run a painting business, and for years during the winter time I put an oil filled electric radiator inside the van to keep the paint and spackle from freezing. It doesn't raise the electric bill much and beats carrying gallons of paint inside when its freezing out. It's a joy coming out to a warm van w/o ice on the windows. Cuts down on warm up time too. I would imagine it could easily work in an SUV, and possibly a car too. You just have to find a place to stand it up.

Frank D

 

[TallPaul]

Originally Posted By: Nyquist
Quote:
..... hmmmmm, if I mention tornadoes I'll have to move, but there will be no place left to go.

You get more linear systems with big wind than anything up there don't you? If I recall correctly, I think Michigan averages 11-13 tornadoes per year. One of these days when I get an avatar up it might make sense why I'm posting this reply

Well I see from your profile that you are a meteorologist. I would have to ask my co-worker who is a meteorologist. But we do seem to get a lot of storms ripping across the state from west to east. Sometimes coming out of Wisconsin, but Lake Michigan can knock some of the life out of them. Michigan gets a fair share of tornados, even Upper Michigan, but nothing like tornado alley and seems Kentucky, Arkansas and other places near those get hammered pretty bad. Where I live the worst storms usually split veer northward or southward of me, but only by a couple of miles sometimes. At any rate, there is no perfect place. Nobody expected a tornado in that Utah town that a few years ago was hit with a freak tornado.

Anyway, I'll take winter starts half the year over gators, fire ants, poisonous snakes, etc.

 

[tonycarguy]

The owners manual of the cars I've had all say to idle the car very briefly (less than 1 minute) and drive slowly until it's warmed up. Idling it wastes gas and doesn't warm up the entire drivetrain.

 

[Saab9-3]

My first oil analysis showed very high fuel after a winter of starting and idling for 5-10 mins. Since then in the winter ihave started and left and much no more fuel. This year I got an oil pan heater and I love it. I put it on a timer for 2 hours with the block heater and instant heat plus the engine starts effortlessly. Can't wait till it actually gets cold up here.

 

[gogozy]

Originally Posted By: webfors
Originally Posted By: scoobie
You need to get an extension cord and put a heater inside your car, on a timer, as well as the block heater. I find that works wonders in my 95 Dodge Colt, which is otherwise MISERABLE if it's cold. Windshield is just one solid piece of ice, and it doesn't matter if you clear it, it instantly re ices. Probably in Japan it doesn't get so cold, so the Mitsubishi engineer overlooked it. The engine usually works extremely well no matter how cold, but the car interior and windshield is a totally different beast.


excellent idea, and put that block heater on a timer too to save $$ on electricity. Have them both kick in around 5am and you should be golden on those artic winter mornings... time to start watching the Canadian Tire specials again for timer and interior heater

i put a switch to control electric outlet outside,for a block heater and interior heater in the car that my wife drives. it worked very well, but watch out some cheap interior heater(the $19 or $15 one at CTC), the core cant handle cold weather and insulation broke off and bare copper wiring was exposed. now i am trying to come out with something that can easily disconnect device from extension core.

 

[Gary Allan]

Quote:
Can't wait till it actually gets cold up here.


A true BITOG'r ...enduring -30 temps and expressing the little joys that one can experience in lubrication excellence. Some BITOG members have pondered moving north just to use all the neat toys that one can in severe cold

 

[Steve S]

I am thinking of moving south, as 50*f in the winter for long periods of time is just way too cold.

 

[webfors]

Originally Posted By: Steve S
I am thinking of moving south, as 50*f in the winter for long periods of time is just way too cold.


ummm... that's not cold eh!

I miss my two oci's per year with amsoil... Fall and Spring, it was such an easy life, never had to think about oil. That subaru mandated 3750 mile oci messed with my amsoil utopia that I had going with my two previous Hondas.

Now it's back to finding a good deal on syn that provides that cold weather performance and reasonable cost per oci.

Then again, 99% of people up here run dino, so what the heck am I so worried about?

 

[HTSS_TR]

Originally Posted By: Steve S
I am thinking of moving south, as 50*f in the winter for long periods of time is just way too cold.


San Diego ?

 

[XS650]

Originally Posted By: webfors
Originally Posted By: Steve S
I am thinking of moving south, as 50*f in the winter for long periods of time is just way too cold.


ummm... that's not cold eh!

Take off, eh!

Anytime it's too cold to be comfortable in a short sleeve shirt, it's cold.

 

[Patman]

Originally Posted By: XS650


Anytime it's too cold to be comfortable in a short sleeve shirt, it's cold.



I agree! Although I still wear short sleeve shirts in the winter! (I do wear a jacket when going outside though, I'm not that insane!)

I really wish my family and our careers weren't so established up here, I'd move somewhere that never sees snow, and rarely gets below 50F. (somewhere like Miami!!) I just hate cold weather and snow so much! And the older I get the more I hate it! (and I'm not even 39 yet)

 

[webfors]

Originally Posted By: Patman
Originally Posted By: XS650


Anytime it's too cold to be comfortable in a short sleeve shirt, it's cold.



I agree! Although I still wear short sleeve shirts in the winter! (I do wear a jacket when going outside though, I'm not that insane!)

I really wish my family and our careers weren't so established up here, I'd move somewhere that never sees snow, and rarely gets below 50F. (somewhere like Miami!!) I just hate cold weather and snow so much! And the older I get the more I hate it! (and I'm not even 39 yet)


Blasphemy!! How dare you!!

While I love going south, I could never pass up the full seasons. It's just too beautiful. And then there's snowboarding.. yes I'm 36 with two kids and I love snowboarding

Maybe a couple more decades of the Great White Northern abuse and I might think differently

 

[NismoMax80]

Originally Posted By: webfors
Originally Posted By: Patman
Originally Posted By: XS650


Anytime it's too cold to be comfortable in a short sleeve shirt, it's cold.



I agree! Although I still wear short sleeve shirts in the winter! (I do wear a jacket when going outside though, I'm not that insane!)

I really wish my family and our careers weren't so established up here, I'd move somewhere that never sees snow, and rarely gets below 50F. (somewhere like Miami!!) I just hate cold weather and snow so much! And the older I get the more I hate it! (and I'm not even 39 yet)


Blasphemy!! How dare you!!

While I love going south, I could never pass up the full seasons. It's just too beautiful. And then there's snowboarding.. yes I'm 36 with two kids and I love snowboarding

Maybe a couple more decades of the Great White Northern abuse and I might think differently

True guy after my own heart! Snowboarding transformed my most dreaded season to my favorite. And I live on the ice coast. NOTHING like cruising down a mtn, hitting jumps, accomplishing a new trick. I'm 28, but I see this passion lasting until the end.

Going to CO in January for the 1st time. Just hope it doesnt kill my meager PA boarding from now on. Oh well I'll just move lol.

 

[webfors]

mmmm... CO. Been there several times for work/pleasure.

The grandest winter views I've ever seen was boarding down several runs at:

http://breckenridge.snow.com/info/winter/mtn.maps.asp

Yes, it will dwarf our non-mountain slopes... but that only makes you want more

 

[crazyoildude]

Give your engine a minute or two in the freezing temperatures... your engine wears diffrently in the cold if you start your engine and put it in drive and listen closely as you apply the gas you will hear a very different sounding engine.. We get those calls from people time to time in the winter.. Also depending on the engine type mileage and if short trip driving is involved 4000 is the magic number on oil changes if you want your engine to last a long long time..