Has anyone had oil-related issues during the polar vortex?

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Chicago suburb, low of -24, high temperature for the day-10. 2013 Camry sitting outside for 26 hours ( MB1 0w20) a little hesitant to start, but it did start.The battery is original, almost six years old.I guess I should be thankful!
 
Originally Posted by 69Torino
No problems in my driveway with a 294k mile Ford Freestyle and a 210k mile Hyundai Santa Fe. Both have 5w-20 in them at the moment. Starting 137 diesel school buses this morning however was quite the challenge. We went through CASES of ether.

What kind of diesel engines in the busses? Does the manufacturer say that that ether is OK to us in them?
 
Originally Posted by SteveG4


I believe Mobil makes a 0w-30 oil for that need. I wonder what other company does?





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had an oil thirsty 72 nova 307 cu in, running valvoline conventional 20-50 to cut consumption, 0 degrees = no start!!! few years ago in my traded hardly i had Amsoil 20-50 in it in a cold garage prolly hi 30's lo 40's killed battery before starting. back then Amsoil synthetic was advertised as PAO, but i wonder about that!!!
 
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Started once Opel Vectra B 20.16V in Bosnia on -42c having Olma 10W40 oil in it (Slovenian company). Camshafts complaind for 2-3 seconds, but everything was OK.
In Colorado, started various vehicles I had around -37c while sitting overnight, none had issues with 5W oils in them, and Tiguan since it always had 0W40, never complained. None vehicle had rattling noise.
Sienna on other hand ALWYAS has rattling noise regardless of ambient temperature.
 
Originally Posted by PimTac
Originally Posted by Dylan1303
No problems starting my cruze in low 20's with pp 10w30




Wait until next week.

My zip is 99006 i only see a low of 18 comming up. I think i will be fine. I never had a cold start issue in my life but theres always a first time.
 
My 2016 Chevy 2500 started and had a bad power steering whine this morning at -15f. Coworker started his work truck yesterday in about -25f and didn't get oil pressure till he shut it off and restarted it. He said it started fine this morning but when he went to leave the truck said the outside temp was -35f. Where he lives I belieave it was officially lower than -30f. Don't know if the truck was accurate or not.

I keept forgetting to take out the calibrated tempature probe in my truck to see how cold it really was. They finally decided they were going to give up on trying to get our pipeline run yesterday. My valve actuators that are supposed to be good for -40 wasn't wanting to operate. I use arctic grease and synthetic gear oil and it isn't enough.
 
Originally Posted by dwcopple
Nope, thanks to an insulated garage.

Nope, not me either, thanks to living in South Florida. I almost had to put a jacket on the other day. Thank goodness I've got 0w-20 in the Prius...
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My Yukon did not want to idle smoothly when I started it at 5 degrees, real feel -3. PP10w30
 
I was a little concerned at the 5W40 in my Colorado at 40C after work (105F).

But I think I got away with it.
 
Originally Posted by Shannow
I was a little concerned at the 5W40 in my Colorado at 40C after work (105F).

But I think I got away with it.



Well that because you should have had a straight 40 grade in your Colorado
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Started my 97 F150 4.6 with 301,000 miles, original engine and transmission in -9F. The engine (M1 0W30), trans (Amsoil ATF) and diff (Amsoil Severe Gear 75W140) were fine but the power steering sounded like a mashed cat for the first 20 seconds. Later that day, I vac'd out the reservoir and the lines leading to the power steering pump. I replaced it with Super Tech low viscosity ATF. The next morning it was -5F, but no power steering noises.
 
Originally Posted by Michael_P
Started my 97 F150 4.6 with 301,000 miles, original engine and transmission in -9F. The engine (M1 0W30), trans (Amsoil ATF) and diff (Amsoil Severe Gear 75W140) were fine but the power steering sounded like a mashed cat for the first 20 seconds. Later that day, I vac'd out the reservoir and the lines leading to the power steering pump. I replaced it with Super Tech low viscosity ATF. The next morning it was -5F, but no power steering noises.


That's seriously an issue of undermaintenance in so many vehicles on the road.
 
That's probably a PS fluid leak. When it gets cold, the PS fluid level drops even more, causing screeching sounds. Unfortunately, I have the same problem. Perhaps, you can find out where the leak is and fix it. Or keep checking the level of the PS fluid.
 
Originally Posted by Gokhan
That's probably a PS fluid leak. When it gets cold, the PS fluid level drops even more, causing screeching sounds. Unfortunately, I have the same problem. Perhaps, you can find out where the leak is and fix it. Or keep checking the level of the PS fluid.


No, I've had it here in Oz, on cold mornings no lower than -7C...with a perfectly fine oil level, on multiple cars as the fluid ages.

Two of the three pumps failed not very long (a year) after it started...but the problem went away after a reservoir change and a short drive.

I'm pretty sire that the poster would have known if he was running of oil.
 
Well, it could be (1) a PS fluid that is in a really bad shape, (2) leaks in the system, or (3) a low PS fluid level. It was (3) in may case and it happened in cold days and cold starts. Interestingly, the PS fluid was never changed in my car in 34 years -- it would definitely be good to change it though but it's a messy job with the hoses in all the unreachable places and I don't want to do it.
 
minus 6 this morning and the 99 accord started like it was a 80 degree day running 5-30 napa oil which I believe is vavoline the ford focus the same no problems at all
 
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