So how are cars starting this morning in midwest?

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Originally Posted By: fsskier
Report for Cedar Rapids:

THURSDAY MORNING: Official record set (for the date) -29F.
1994 Escort, (commuter car) 240k miles, Mobil 1 0W20 motor oil.
Car sitting in driveway, cranked effortlessly and started easily.
Digital thermometers at my house read -31, NW side of town.

FRIDAY MORNING: OK, I live in a hollow that gets VERY cold on still nights. Sometimes frosts at night in September when the City is above 40 degrees. ANYWAY:

Digital thermometers (calibrated at Rockwell International, enviromental labs) read -40.7F at 6 am. Yes, I took a picture!
Escort in driveway: Key does not turn. Several attempts and force make it happen. Clutch pedal is frozen. It cracks and breaks loose, then works ok. Motor cranks slowly, pops, stalls.
Recrank, sputters, starts, howls, growls, squeals, screeches but runs.
Then: back up into the street, cannot steer to straighten out.
Power steering seems stuck in glue but eventually I get it turned. Step on gas, pedal is stuck. Then, it breaks loose, now I am going 30 mph, 5,000 rpm in low gear, pedal will not return. So much for "drive easy till it warms up"
After two blocks it returns to idle, then works normally.

Arrive at Rockwell, Wow, not many cars here, I can park close to the gate. But, the gate will not open!!!
All in all, just another day in paradise.
(And, the ski areas have lots of snow)

fsskier


A very entertaining write-up.
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Originally Posted By: MolaKule
Quote:
Only in Oklahoma would a Chevy dealer put Motorcraft oil in you car.


To add insult to injury, I should have mentioned that this is a Ford dealer, so naturally this is what they would use.

The V8 seems to start well with the Motorcraft 5W30.


Oh, in that case I should have said, only a professor from Iowa would take a Chevy to a Ford dealer in Oklahoma.
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Mazda 3 2.3L New Battery
Amsoil 0w20 Outside over night ... My starter turned 4 times .. normally 1.
 
You got it, thankfully the Escort is not a $20K car. Probably closer to 20 bucks!!
Still, skiing at Lutsen Minnesota, Jackson Hole, Wyoming, I have started several cars at -43 to -47, without block heaters.

Since I keep cars "forever" I agree with the big GM study that showed: "when viscous drag exceeds the power generated, the car fails to start". Oil vicosity (in their tests) was far more important than cranking speed, spark plug condition, etc.

My personal tests, using a BMW that I kept for 20 years.
Oil - minimum temperature that it would start at.
20W50 -4
10W30 -19
5W30 -27
5W20 SYn -32 This was the original (70's Mobil 1)

Interestingly, the car would pop and sputter when below the minimum starting temperature (-4 for 20W50 for example)
and anyone watching would say: "Maybe new plugs" or "maybe a tuneup" or "maybe a better battery" but changing to a lighter oil would result in an instant start.
Then, at -20 (with 10W30) it would return to the same state, hitting occasionally but not starting. Same comments from the stander-arounders.

This was a manual choke bimmer, you could tune it to the perfect spot, regardless of the temperature. Its minimum starting temperature was probably compromised because it had huge rod and main bearings for a 96 ci engine. And, clearly not a roller cam!

Now, I only run the 0WXXX oils for winter/mountain skiing.
Yes, at -40 you may be the only car in the hotel lot to start!
 
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