Screw Hypermiling Techniques: I'm just plain happy my car works in this weather!

[Peakster]

It's -38*F outside with the windchill. 20mph winds with snow drifts. Sound like fun?

Today, I drove to the lake and the maximum speed of my car was 65 mph with the gas floored (and 24mpg at that speed). Just for kicks, I tried to open the driver's door to see how much force was being pushed onto the car... I couldn't open it more than about 12 inches!

FAS'ing is clearly out of the question as I'd turn into an ice cube in about 10 seconds with the heater off. With those temperatures, my car's coolant temperature dropped from the normal 195*F to the 130*F mark just from idling in line at the gas station for a few minutes. Oh, and by the way, the SG showed a trip of 29.0 mpg coming back home from the gas station (with just 'regular' driving)

OK I'm done venting now.

I think it's pretty amazing that the Geo can be parked at the school parking lot (no electrical outlet for a EBH) for 4+ hours and engine still fires up to go home, even if it does get in the mid 20s for FE.

[LxMike]

grill block and rad cover??

[Peakster]

I have the grille blocked off, but no radiator blanket. Even with the grille block and the air intake hose 5 inches from the hot manifold, the AI temperature still hovers around 6*F.

[Silveredwings]

Even at 24 mpg I don't think there's any heat wasted in your car.

[landspeed]

A cheap, temporary rad block can be made be using bin liner across the front
of the radiator itself Works very well too.

[Peakster]

Originally Posted by landspeed

A cheap, temporary rad block can be made be using bin liner across the front
of the radiator itself Works very well too.

What is a bin liner? Would it make my car over-heat since the car (eventually) gets up to 195*F at crusing speeds? I'm willing to give it a try.

[Gary Palmer]

I would think that with temperatures that cold, you could go with a 100% grill block and a blanket. I wonder if anyone makes an electrical heated blanket you can plug into the cigarette lighter? I would be more than happy the car is running, and I sure wouldn't be doing anything but running the heater on high.

I'm in California and I am running my 89 Civic with a grill block, with two opening,s about 1" x 2". I had to add the first one because it became readily clear that with the heater off, it was going to run to warm. I had to add the second because I got a little warm going up hills and I didn't want to be worrying about it. Since I added the two openings, I haven't had any over warming issues with the engine temperature. I would think that if I can get by with that little, in 60-70 degree weather with 20-30 knot winds, that you should be able to get by with just using the heater to keep yourself from becoming a popsicle.

When I lived in Nebraska it used to take two of us to get a car started in the mornings. We'd have about 2 inchs of crystal clear ice on the windshield, when we'd come out. One person would have to spray starter fluid down the throat of the carburator, while the second person kept the car running, until the carburator would finally get warm enough to let the engine run on gas.

Your conditions sound at least as cold, or colder. Go ahead and vent!

[Hockey4mnhs]

Wait Wait Wait... You had be wait in line for gas is it that bad up there

[Peakster]

Originally Posted by Hockey4mnhs

Wait Wait Wait... You had be wait in line for gas is it that bad up there

Well I didn't have to wait in line for gas: I could've went to any major fuel chain and got gas with no line up.

The gas station I go to is on an aboriginal reserve 3 miles out of Regina and it's always busy as heck. Sometimes the price difference can be $0.40 a gallon less compared to 'normal' gas prices (and a person can also get another $0.38 a gallon taken off if they brought someone with an aboriginal status treaty card. Although I never have, yet).

According to www.reginagasprices.com, the current difference between the 'normal' gas price and the cheapest is only $0.21 per gallon.

So it's not that we have gas shortages in my area, I just choose to go the cheapest place possible along with about 100 other drivers at any given moment .

Check this out: a 2002 Ford Excursion's fuel tank holds 44 gallons. The $0.21 per gallon off means saving $9.24, however, it would still cost $133.58 to fill @ $3.036 a gallon! The most expensive price for gas in Regina last year hit $4.541 a gallon. That's just a hair shy of $200 to fill the Excursion!

[MetroMPG]

This thread cracks me up Peakster.

I haven't driven in temperatures like that for a couple of years. But I can sympathize with the FE techniques going out the window.

EDIT: there was another Metro owner on GS last year who lives in Red Deer - he had the same experience of watching his temp gauge fall like a stone while he was stopped at a red light.