Antifreeze how low do you go

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Hi. How low do you have your antifreeze and do you allow for wind chill. Last night the temperature up here in Northeastern Vermont was -25 with a wind chill of -38. Do you count in driving on an interstate at 60. I have my coolant at -45. I fully warm up engine before driving. Thanks
 
Yep, wind chill is about you. Temperature is what your coolant/car cares about.
 
Wind chill removes heat from the engine bay at a faster rate than if there were no wind. Then again, when driving at 60 mph you have more wind across your radiator too. As long as your coolant temp reaches set point, you're probably fine.
 
Wind chill does not affect whether or not a liquid will eventually freeze. If the freezing point is above the real temperature, adding wind will make it freeze faster, but ultimately whether it is going to freeze or not is decided by the real temperature.
 
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Great Lakes Lubricants in Franklin Park IL has an anti freeze that works to -64 F

I use it in my sons Santa Fe up at college in MN

tonite and tomorrow -20 + for lows this weekend

they do web sales
 
When I do a flush and refill I use a gallon of 70/30 as there will still be some water in the block. Then top off with 50/50 and it comes out around 60/40..... more or less.
 
60/40 for me.

A 10 degree margin for error during our polar vortex a few years ago wasn't worth it for me.
 
Originally Posted By: 69GTX
Wind chill removes heat from the engine bay at a faster rate than if there were no wind. Then again, when driving at 60 mph you have more wind across your radiator too. As long as your coolant temp reaches set point, you're probably fine.


Yes, but wind chill is about evaporation of moisture on exposed skin making it "feel colder". Wind chill or ram air over your engine and radiator will never lower the temp below ambient.

Why the news often ONLY shows "wind chill" temps makes me mad. I want actual temp to plan for pipes, plants and of course VISCOSITY! They just like the spectacular numbers I guess.
 
I worked with an old fashioned New Yorker (City, not State) and only he could say, "They can take that wind chill and shove it up their....".
I agree.

In the Winter of '80-'81 I lived where we had 3 consecutive nights of -38 degrees Fahrenheit.
That's below the freezing point of 50/50 mixes of the day.
My car had no problem. I was driving a........Corvair!

The "degree Fahrenheit" symbol came through as a jumble of characters so I spelled it out.
 
Antifreeze doesn't immediately explode a degree under its rating. It turns to slush and tries its best to not burst, unlike pure water ice.

You wouldn't want to pump slush with your water pump but if you let it thaw out you might get off scot free.
 
I've never heard of a block or heads cracking with 70/30.
I think it gets slushy, but not rock hard. Slush doesn't flow.
 
Down South we’re more worried about overheating than freezing. Of course, they go hand in hand. If the tester shows 10F, it’s usually fine. I do 50/50 or 40/60, but I’ve seen people do less.
 
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