extreme cold pending for DFW...

[4wd]

The grid is not failing. When icy limbs break off trees and knock down a power line, that's not a grid issue.

Snap, crackle, pop

 

[Jay73]

For the people who have 5w30 in their engines and park their vehicles outside in this weather, do your vehicles start like normal or does it struggle a bit due to the cold?

Surprisingly my 2021 Mazda CX-5 fired up quick. Only reason I was surprised on that is because it's still the original battery. I have 2 jump packs so first sign of struggling I'll jump it and replace it. This week coming up not as bad as last week but still cold, tomorrow like negative 20-25 wind chill.

 

[edyvw]

Surprisingly my 2021 Mazda CX-5 fired up quick. Only reason I was surprised on that is because it's still the original battery. I have 2 jump packs so first sign of struggling I'll jump it and replace it. This week coming up not as bad as last week but still cold, tomorrow like negative 20-25 wind chill.

Last year, I changed the battery in my 2011 BMW; it was the original one. I do 30-40 ski days a year, and the car was starting as low as -30.
Turned out, it was not the battery. My amplifier started to die off.

 

[Jay73]

Last year, I changed the battery in my 2011 BMW; it was the original one. I do 30-40 ski days a year, and the car was starting as low as -30.
Turned out, it was not the battery. My amplifier started to die off.

In my younger days we went a little crazy with the stereo, speakers, amps, JL Audio subs etc... Now that I'm older I just deal with whatever upgraded stereo comes in the car Harmon Kardon in the Mercedes, Bose in the Mazda with a little amp under the passenger seat and a small sub screwed into the spare tire. Not as good as doing my own thing like the old days but I barely drive anymore and my home stereo makes up for it.

 

[edyvw]

In my younger days we went a little crazy with the stereo, speakers, amps, JL Audio subs etc... Now that I'm older I just deal with whatever upgraded stereo comes in the car Harmon Kardon in the Mercedes, Bose in the Mazda with a little amp under the passenger seat and a small sub screwed into the spare tire. Not as good as doing my own thing like the old days but I barely drive anymore and my home stereo makes up for it.

Nah, I am still into it at 46.
Have in BMW two JL’s, but system is very well hidden. Took me 17 days to install. Initially had JBL and Pioneer amps. Replaced that JBL junk fast. Pioneer was pushing for several years two 8” subs. So it started to lose base. Just not there any more. Checked battery, original, made in 2010. Bumped to 95aH from80ah, but no change. Replaced with JL monoblock. Works like a charm. I got pissed I changed battery. It would be interesting to see how long it would last.

 

[Japanese]

Do whatever you like for your own car. Just don’t make recommendations to others based on your own biases that aren’t rooted in science, because how you think your car sounds. That’s my only objection. Good luck.

I usually don't make recommendations but follow my owner's manual and share experience.
I know a couple of people on here who make recommendations way far of what owner's manual say, especially to people who live in completely different climate region.

 

[edyvw]

The good thing is that after -6 degrees (-40 real feel), 10 degrees feels very warm. (picture from Friday)

View attachment 321530

My wife is from Morton Grove. When she talks about winters there (and I am very well aware of them), I always tell kids: listen, Mom. She walked at -50 to school, while a pack of wolves was chasing her, and she was jumping over trenches where mountain lions were waiting for her

 

[edyvw]

Not sure how it’s relevant to the discussion, but I will humor you.

Lowest start for me: -25F (absolute temp, not wind chill). Multiple starts at -20F and below. Countless below 0F.

Oil: BMW LL-01 5W-30.

No issues ever. I trust the science behind winter grades.

I should add the engine ran great for years after those starts. It did just as well in 114F weather later on.

View attachment 321686

Started X5 35d at -42 after being parked outside more than 24hrs in Gunnison (coldest area of the lower 48). Valvoline 5W40 European Vehicle MST.
Once I did the same around -42 °C, -43 °C (who counts) in Europe, Opel Vectra B, 10W40 in it. Camshafts exercised their first amandment rights loudly

 

[CleanSump]

My wife is from Morton Grove. When she talks about winters there (and I am very well aware of them), I always tell kids: listen, Mom. She walked at -50 to school, while a pack of wolves was chasing her, and she was jumping over trenches where mountain lions were waiting for her

You left out that she walked up hill both ways.

 

[edyvw]

You left out that she walked up hill both ways.

lol True.

 

[zzyzzx]

I am concerned with how hard it's going to be to get into the car. I am only willing to pull so hard on that plastic door handle. My car will start just fine.

 

[facility1]

if your door and handle is freezing up, get a cordless hair dryer, but don't use on the glass.

 

[Snagglefoot]

if your door and handle is freezing up, get a cordless hair dryer, but don't use on the glass.

“ Honey, I bought you a new blow dryer. Its cordless ” Mods, I posted the screen shot to show the availability of these things, which I did not know existed.

 

[Wylie6G72]

The grid is not failing. When icy limbs break off trees and knock down a power line, that's not a grid issue.

So you don't remember the brown outs in 2021 where the power went off every 20 minutes because the grid was failing to provide power for all of its customers?

 

[Number_35]

My wife is from Morton Grove. When she talks about winters there (and I am very well aware of them), I always tell kids: listen, Mom. She walked at -50 to school, while a pack of wolves was chasing her, and she was jumping over trenches where mountain lions were waiting for her

It were only -50? Wif only wolf's after 'er? An' joost trenches instead of great chasms? Looxury!

(With apologies to Monty Python and their Four Yorkshireman skit.)

 

[BrendanC]

I have a ground wire from my panel, to the outlet , and through the cord to the 220v outlet on my genset. A ground wire on the generator is connected to the frame. Everything seems to work fine, well pump, furnace etc. Is this correct?

View attachment 321488

you should double check continuity from neutral to ground in one of the 120v outlets with nothing plugged in, generator off and the circuit breakers on the generator set to on. if you have continuity it isn’t the end of the world but it isn’t technically correct according to NEC. there should only be ONE neutral to ground bond and it should be the first panel after the electrical meter.

in my case, it was as simple as pulling the generator end cap off and undoing the neutrals from the case ground and lugging them together on a stud that i installed inside the case. there was already an existing place for it, i just had to provide the nut&bolt.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Well I was wrong. We ended up at -14 on Saturday morning!
Burnt through a ton of wood in the wood stove I have in the garage but it maintained 85 or so all weekend so I could work on the jeep.

 

[gfh77665]

So you don't remember the brown outs in 2021 where the power went off every 20 minutes because the grid was failing to provide power for all of its customers?

View attachment 321733

No need to post that gigantic screen shot. Calm down.

FYI, this is not "2021". The grid is strengthened (over the objections) and the weather is not as severe as that one time anomaly. The grid is not failing. Limbs are randomly falling on some power lines. Again, that's not a grid issue.

 

[Pew]

In my younger days we went a little crazy with the stereo, speakers, amps, JL Audio subs etc... Now that I'm older I just deal with whatever upgraded stereo comes in the car Harmon Kardon in the Mercedes, Bose in the Mazda with a little amp under the passenger seat and a small sub screwed into the spare tire. Not as good as doing my own thing like the old days but I barely drive anymore and my home stereo makes up for it.

OT but while we're here, did you replace the factory bose amp with that JL space saver one? I'm so tempted to do it because no-highs-no-lows-bose but I don't want to cut into the factory wiring (unlike my previous focus with a big ole' sub box in the trunk.)

 

[Wylie6G72]

No need to post that gigantic screen shot. Calm down.

FYI, this is not "2021". The grid is strengthened (over the objections) and the weather is not as severe as that one time anomaly. The grid is not failing. Limbs are randomly falling on some power lines. Again, that's not a grid issue.

Ok Mr Ercot, I'll get rid of my generator.