Octopuses cheat at chess.
Cold weather oil
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Originally Posted By: Uphill_Both_Ways
It might as well have been tar. The oil made no sound when shaking the can. I idled the very low-oil engine on the side of the highway with the oil can under the heater outlet for 20 minutes before I ran out of nerve and punched two holes through the top. I had to get it into the engine. And the car was running low on gas. The oil poured, but man was it slow.
I had to add some 5w-30 GTX to my oil burning LTD back in the day when it was -40 in Saskatoon. I was squeezing the bottle like a toothpaste tube.
It might as well have been tar. The oil made no sound when shaking the can. I idled the very low-oil engine on the side of the highway with the oil can under the heater outlet for 20 minutes before I ran out of nerve and punched two holes through the top. I had to get it into the engine. And the car was running low on gas. The oil poured, but man was it slow.
I had to add some 5w-30 GTX to my oil burning LTD back in the day when it was -40 in Saskatoon. I was squeezing the bottle like a toothpaste tube.
Originally Posted By: dnewton3
There are very, very, very few BITOGers that actually live in a place that really "needs" the benefits of a premium syn lube for cold weather. Very few; despite all the BITOG fear mongering.
If you don't live where it ROUTINELY gets uber-stupid-cold (-20F on a daily basis), you're diluting yourself with unfounded bias. Where I live, it once got down to -37F. I had to go to work that day. The truck moaned and groaned a bit until it warmed up fully. But after a few days that cold snap was over, and everything was fine. Never had an engine problem in the many years AFTER that frigid exposure. The "normal" low in my area is +18. It will get down to 0F every single year where I live, a few days intermittently throughout the winter season.
For reference, I run dino 5w-20 and 5w-30 in various gas engines, and every year my UOAs (season to season) show no ill effects of the "cold" or "heat".
If your daily average low is -10F or lower, you can at least start to consider if syns are appropriate for your area. If not, then just get over yourself and worry about something else.
I fully agree. I've used various name brands of conventional 5W30 oils in quite a few motors over many years in Utah winters. I have a '97 Ford pickup and an '01 Toyota Corolla, which has pretty high mileage, and both are still running like a top.
For my wife's Dodge Journey, I do use PP 5W20 syn, but that's for my piece of mind; she's a lead foot, and will not take it easy at first when driving a cold motor.
There are very, very, very few BITOGers that actually live in a place that really "needs" the benefits of a premium syn lube for cold weather. Very few; despite all the BITOG fear mongering.
If you don't live where it ROUTINELY gets uber-stupid-cold (-20F on a daily basis), you're diluting yourself with unfounded bias. Where I live, it once got down to -37F. I had to go to work that day. The truck moaned and groaned a bit until it warmed up fully. But after a few days that cold snap was over, and everything was fine. Never had an engine problem in the many years AFTER that frigid exposure. The "normal" low in my area is +18. It will get down to 0F every single year where I live, a few days intermittently throughout the winter season.
For reference, I run dino 5w-20 and 5w-30 in various gas engines, and every year my UOAs (season to season) show no ill effects of the "cold" or "heat".
If your daily average low is -10F or lower, you can at least start to consider if syns are appropriate for your area. If not, then just get over yourself and worry about something else.
I fully agree. I've used various name brands of conventional 5W30 oils in quite a few motors over many years in Utah winters. I have a '97 Ford pickup and an '01 Toyota Corolla, which has pretty high mileage, and both are still running like a top.
For my wife's Dodge Journey, I do use PP 5W20 syn, but that's for my piece of mind; she's a lead foot, and will not take it easy at first when driving a cold motor.
Block heaters are sissy. Stick a light bulb under the oil pan. If you guys can figure out a way to do that so you dont burn down your house. I assume you got the car in a garage? Warms the oil against the cold. Try a 100 watt. Do I need to explain why keeping the oil warm overnight is a good thing on a oil site?
Originally Posted By: resist
Block heaters are sissy. Stick a light bulb under the oil pan. If you guys can figure out a way to do that so you dont burn down your house. I assume you got the car in a garage? Warms the oil against the cold. Try a 100 watt.
Our Grade 7 phys-ed teacher did that with a 100-watt bulb. Every kid lucky enough to be on the south side of the school watched as his VW turned into slag. The flames, of course, also damaged the car on each side.
Block heaters are sissy. Stick a light bulb under the oil pan. If you guys can figure out a way to do that so you dont burn down your house. I assume you got the car in a garage? Warms the oil against the cold. Try a 100 watt.
Our Grade 7 phys-ed teacher did that with a 100-watt bulb. Every kid lucky enough to be on the south side of the school watched as his VW turned into slag. The flames, of course, also damaged the car on each side.
Funny, that's why you should never use a block heater.
Block heaters are used by almost everyone in this province, with problems as rare as hens' teeth.
Not that I am considering a block heater, but I hooked my OBD2 reader up to my truck on a 15*F (~-9*C) morning just to see.
Just after a few minutes (if that) of slow driving, the temp was up to around 75*F (~23*C). Isn't that about what they hold temperatures at? I plan on doing another test when temps get well below 0*F.. Going to get in the single digits next week too.
I am sure they get really beneficial at -20*F and colder.. Lol.
Just after a few minutes (if that) of slow driving, the temp was up to around 75*F (~23*C). Isn't that about what they hold temperatures at? I plan on doing another test when temps get well below 0*F.. Going to get in the single digits next week too.
I am sure they get really beneficial at -20*F and colder.. Lol.
Originally Posted By: resist
Funny, that's why you should never use a block heater.
Right. Except an oil pan isn't a block and a light bulb under it isn't a block heater.
Funny, that's why you should never use a block heater.
Right. Except an oil pan isn't a block and a light bulb under it isn't a block heater.
Originally Posted By: Uphill_Both_Ways
Originally Posted By: resist
Funny, that's why you should never use a block heater.
Right. Except an oil pan isn't a block and a light bulb under it isn't a block heater.
Exactly, just because dumb and dumber did something doesn't mean it is wrong when done the correct way.
Originally Posted By: resist
Funny, that's why you should never use a block heater.
Right. Except an oil pan isn't a block and a light bulb under it isn't a block heater.
Exactly, just because dumb and dumber did something doesn't mean it is wrong when done the correct way.
Originally Posted By: resist
Funny, that's why you should never use a block heater.
I use a oil pan heater, block heater and battery pad heater all run to one heavy duty connection on my land cruiser. 30 years in and I think it'll be just fine.
The biggest danger I've ever heard of people using block heaters (and everybody has one here) is forgetting to unplug them and pulling the cord out of the wall. Hardly a tragedy.
Funny, that's why you should never use a block heater.
I use a oil pan heater, block heater and battery pad heater all run to one heavy duty connection on my land cruiser. 30 years in and I think it'll be just fine.
The biggest danger I've ever heard of people using block heaters (and everybody has one here) is forgetting to unplug them and pulling the cord out of the wall. Hardly a tragedy.
Originally Posted By: PimTac
Putting a 100w light bulb under the oil pan might seem to be a simple answer but the dangers are there is that engine had oil residue or even worse, fuel residue from leaks.
Furthermore, a 100W light bulb close to an oil pan wouldn't do anything in actual cold temps ( less than -20 Fahrenheit)
My oil pan heater is 250 watts directly on the oil pan. That combined with the block heater and it still take 2+ hours to bring my 8.3 qt oil pan up to around 40F for -40F.
Putting a 100w light bulb under the oil pan might seem to be a simple answer but the dangers are there is that engine had oil residue or even worse, fuel residue from leaks.
Furthermore, a 100W light bulb close to an oil pan wouldn't do anything in actual cold temps ( less than -20 Fahrenheit)
My oil pan heater is 250 watts directly on the oil pan. That combined with the block heater and it still take 2+ hours to bring my 8.3 qt oil pan up to around 40F for -40F.
Originally Posted By: Uphill_Both_Ways
Right. Except an oil pan isn't a block and a light bulb under it isn't a block heater.
A light bulb would be about my third last choice, just ahead of lighting a fire under the oil pan and dumping kerosene in the crank case.
There are so many different options available for people to aid winter starts, including stick on oil pan heaters, internal pan heaters, dipstick tube heaters, magnetic heaters, block heaters, recirculating heaters, Webastos, permanent mount automatic chargers, and so forth, that one doesn't need to hack. Of course, living in Winnipeg, I don't need to tell you any of this.
Resist's concern about block heaters, as you know, is unfounded. I can think of only one case where a block heater created a stink in Canada, and that was a VW product in Quebec years ago, burning down a garage. The fool sued VW so VW/Audi responded by removing block heaters from all new Canadian vehicles, thank you very much. They were replaced with oil pan heaters, which is such a radically different electrical approach, right?
Right. Except an oil pan isn't a block and a light bulb under it isn't a block heater.
A light bulb would be about my third last choice, just ahead of lighting a fire under the oil pan and dumping kerosene in the crank case.
There are so many different options available for people to aid winter starts, including stick on oil pan heaters, internal pan heaters, dipstick tube heaters, magnetic heaters, block heaters, recirculating heaters, Webastos, permanent mount automatic chargers, and so forth, that one doesn't need to hack. Of course, living in Winnipeg, I don't need to tell you any of this.
Resist's concern about block heaters, as you know, is unfounded. I can think of only one case where a block heater created a stink in Canada, and that was a VW product in Quebec years ago, burning down a garage. The fool sued VW so VW/Audi responded by removing block heaters from all new Canadian vehicles, thank you very much. They were replaced with oil pan heaters, which is such a radically different electrical approach, right?
I thought everyone in Canada owned a block heater. Just like everyone here in La. owns a crawfish burner rig. Oh, and said rig can be used to fry turkey's on Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Yes, just above everyone does. Finding one at the dealer, new or used, without a block heater is usually a chore. Up here, if a dealer decided to try to charge me extra for the cold weather package, I'd simply walk out. This is Canada, and Saskatchewan. A cold weather package is more than just something that's a nice to have luxury for a lot of people.
Originally Posted By: Garak
Yes, just above everyone does. Finding one at the dealer, new or used, without a block heater is usually a chore. Up here, if a dealer decided to try to charge me extra for the cold weather package, I'd simply walk out. This is Canada, and Saskatchewan. A cold weather package is more than just something that's a nice to have luxury for a lot of people.
Garak, can you please explain what a cold weather package is, and what it includes? Down here in the South, having that option on a vehicle would be about as funny as a submarine with a screen door!
Yes, just above everyone does. Finding one at the dealer, new or used, without a block heater is usually a chore. Up here, if a dealer decided to try to charge me extra for the cold weather package, I'd simply walk out. This is Canada, and Saskatchewan. A cold weather package is more than just something that's a nice to have luxury for a lot of people.
Garak, can you please explain what a cold weather package is, and what it includes? Down here in the South, having that option on a vehicle would be about as funny as a submarine with a screen door!
Originally Posted By: BlueOvalFitter
I thought everyone in Canada owned a block heater. Just like everyone here in La. owns a crawfish burner rig. Oh, and said rig can be used to fry turkey's on Thanksgiving and Christmas.
We only sell block heaters on one out of 200 new cars. Might even be less than that. But it is not that often we see below -30C.
When I worked up in Northern Alberta (about an hour from the NWT), we did not use block heaters either. We just did not shut off our trucks for the entire winter. LOL Because if you shut it off, and let it fully cold soak, it would not start till spring.
I thought everyone in Canada owned a block heater. Just like everyone here in La. owns a crawfish burner rig. Oh, and said rig can be used to fry turkey's on Thanksgiving and Christmas.
We only sell block heaters on one out of 200 new cars. Might even be less than that. But it is not that often we see below -30C.
When I worked up in Northern Alberta (about an hour from the NWT), we did not use block heaters either. We just did not shut off our trucks for the entire winter. LOL Because if you shut it off, and let it fully cold soak, it would not start till spring.
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: BlueOvalFitter
Originally Posted By: Garak
Yes, just above everyone does. Finding one at the dealer, new or used, without a block heater is usually a chore. Up here, if a dealer decided to try to charge me extra for the cold weather package, I'd simply walk out. This is Canada, and Saskatchewan. A cold weather package is more than just something that's a nice to have luxury for a lot of people.
Garak, can you please explain what a cold weather package is, and what it includes? Down here in the South, having that option on a vehicle would be about as funny as a submarine with a screen door!
Cold weather package is usually a block heater , possibly a cold weather fascia cover to block flow to the radiator ( usually just on trucks) heated mirrors, seats, windshield washer/wiper heaters, additional electric PTC cabin heaters..... etc.
Rather than letting them run for 72 hours straight and using fuel, using a little electricity ensures cold starts without the extra waste.
Originally Posted By: Garak
Yes, just above everyone does. Finding one at the dealer, new or used, without a block heater is usually a chore. Up here, if a dealer decided to try to charge me extra for the cold weather package, I'd simply walk out. This is Canada, and Saskatchewan. A cold weather package is more than just something that's a nice to have luxury for a lot of people.
Garak, can you please explain what a cold weather package is, and what it includes? Down here in the South, having that option on a vehicle would be about as funny as a submarine with a screen door!
Cold weather package is usually a block heater , possibly a cold weather fascia cover to block flow to the radiator ( usually just on trucks) heated mirrors, seats, windshield washer/wiper heaters, additional electric PTC cabin heaters..... etc.
Rather than letting them run for 72 hours straight and using fuel, using a little electricity ensures cold starts without the extra waste.
Originally Posted By: mightymousetech
Originally Posted By: BlueOvalFitter
I thought everyone in Canada owned a block heater. Just like everyone here in La. owns a crawfish burner rig. Oh, and said rig can be used to fry turkey's on Thanksgiving and Christmas.
We only sell block heaters on one out of 200 new cars. Might even be less than that. But it is not that often we see below -30C.
When I worked up in Northern Alberta (about an hour from the NWT), we did not use block heaters either. We just did not shut off our trucks for the entire winter. LOL Because if you shut it off, and let it fully cold soak, it would not start till spring.
That reminded me of when I was stationed in Kodiak AK in the mid-70’s. Trucks were left running at the piers constantly since there were no electrical connections. The cold was brutal and we weren’t even that far north. I witnessed a 4” steam line to the ship rupture during the cold. That was something to see as we succeeded in securing it. That was a flexible steel line. The hot steam cooled and iced within moments.
Originally Posted By: BlueOvalFitter
I thought everyone in Canada owned a block heater. Just like everyone here in La. owns a crawfish burner rig. Oh, and said rig can be used to fry turkey's on Thanksgiving and Christmas.
We only sell block heaters on one out of 200 new cars. Might even be less than that. But it is not that often we see below -30C.
When I worked up in Northern Alberta (about an hour from the NWT), we did not use block heaters either. We just did not shut off our trucks for the entire winter. LOL Because if you shut it off, and let it fully cold soak, it would not start till spring.
That reminded me of when I was stationed in Kodiak AK in the mid-70’s. Trucks were left running at the piers constantly since there were no electrical connections. The cold was brutal and we weren’t even that far north. I witnessed a 4” steam line to the ship rupture during the cold. That was something to see as we succeeded in securing it. That was a flexible steel line. The hot steam cooled and iced within moments.
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