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

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Toronto Temperatures (-13F / -25C)
2018 F150 3.5 Ecoboost - M1 FS 0W40 - No issues
2015 F150 5.0 V8 - PUP 5W30 - No issues
2018 Merc C300 - M1 FS 0W40 - No issues

All started without any abnormal noises. Starter speed normal
 
Originally Posted by Patman
Originally Posted by ekpolk

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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I'm heading to Orlando tonight, keep some warm weather ready for me
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Be careful -- you might not be able to convince yourself to go back! Swaying palms and warm sea breezes can have a powerful effect. . .
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Orlando might be a tad less "convincing," but you'll still be in jeopardy!
 
Originally Posted by ekpolk


Be careful -- you might not be able to convince yourself to go back! Swaying palms and warm sea breezes can have a powerful effect. . .
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Orlando might be a tad less "convincing," but you'll still be in jeopardy!


Orlando isn't our usual Florida destination, but we found a flight for $100 round trip so we couldn't resist. We usually like to go to SW Florida (Marco Island is our fave!) Since I met my wife in 2011, we have been to Florida 10 times! We're retiring in 2022 and from that point on we're going to spend every winter in SW Florida so the word polar vortex will be something we laugh at in the future
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Originally Posted by Patman
Orlando isn't our usual Florida destination, but we found a flight for $100 round trip so we couldn't resist. We usually like to go to SW Florida (Marco Island is our fave!) Since I met my wife in 2011, we have been to Florida 10 times! We're retiring in 2022 and from that point on we're going to spend every winter in SW Florida so the word polar vortex will be something we laugh at in the future
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I'll look after the Vette while you are gone.
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Originally Posted by Patman
That's awfully kind of you to offer Stevie but on those trips the Vette will be coming with us!
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That's what I thought, but it was worth a shot.
 
My 2002 Focus started OK Tuesday night at -23f but failed to start Wednesday at -33f. It tried to start but just couldn't. It has Super Tech synthetic high mileage 5w20 with 4000 miles on the oil.
My 1993 Grand Cherokee with the 4.0 did start Wednesday with Resolute 10w30. It was banging pretty loud at first. If I didn't have to get to work, I would have just shut it off. It has 100 miles on the oil.
My kids Focus across town started OK at -27f with Maxlife 5w20. It has just over 1000 miles on the oil.
 
January 21st, overnight temp hit -28C, my Soul failed to start. It had started a couple of times at that temp before the 21st, but couldn't do it that day.

Now, mea culpa, it has M1EP 10W-30 in it, a nine-year old battery (original!), and was not plugged in.

Since then, have been plugging it in, but even with that, it struggles to start as we are still in -28C overnight temps.

Battery is obviously on its last legs, but can't change it now or change the oil, so we will see what happens.
 
I discard four year old Costco batteries and I am near Ohio. The last time I bought 10w30 for my GMs / Chryslers, was in the early 1990s.
You are too far north for 10w in January and old-old batteries. Preventative care is needed when seasons change drastically and things become old and brittle.
 
Originally Posted by addyguy
January 21st, overnight temp hit -28C, my Soul failed to start. It had started a couple of times at that temp before the 21st, but couldn't do it that day.

Now, mea culpa, it has M1EP 10W-30 in it, a nine-year old battery (original!), and was not plugged in.

Since then, have been plugging it in, but even with that, it struggles to start as we are still in -28C overnight temps.

Battery is obviously on its last legs, but can't change it now or change the oil, so we will see what happens.





Why can't you change the battery?
 
Originally Posted by Triple_Se7en
I discard four year old Costco batteries and I am near Ohio. The last time I bought 10w30 for my GMs / Chryslers, was in the early 1990s.
You are too far north for 10w in January and old-old batteries. Preventative care is needed when seasons change drastically and things become old and brittle.


Yeah, my battery lasted 6 years and I replaced it this summer. Putting either M1 0w30 or 0w20 AFE in really soon
 
The 5w30 in my 02 Xterra seems okay, starter is a little sluggish on -25C days. New battery. But the lifters clatter sometimes on cold starts. But only for a few seconds. If the idiot light is to be believed the pressure comes up very quickly. I changed the oil from Valvoline conventional to the regular mobil1 synthetic and noticed no difference at all in cold starts....

Wonder if I should start using the block heater lol. The supercharger ain't happy at those temps.
 
The next two nights are supposed to be cold here and the Cherokee has conventional 10w40 in the engine. We'll see how that works but it's never had issues starting before. It may make a bit of a tick for a few seconds but after that it's fine.
 
Originally Posted by Triple_Se7en
Facing the vehicle to the wind in an open area, gives those cold starts a real-feel temperature to deal with.


Wind chill has zero effect on an engine, it's all about the ambient temperature.
 
Originally Posted by Patman
Originally Posted by Triple_Se7en
Facing the vehicle to the wind in an open area, gives those cold starts a real-feel temperature to deal with.


Wind chill has zero affect on an engine, it's all about the ambient temperature.


Wind only effects the rate of heat loss, but yeah, it can't get any colder than the still air temperature.
 
Here in northern Illinois, my IS300 sat outside from last Saturday, the 26th, until Wednesday morning. It was about -30F. Wind chill was around -53F. The cat had a vet appointment at 9am. I went out to start it up at 8. It cranked as slowly as I've ever heard a car crank. The battery is 3 years old. It fired up after what seemed like 20 seconds of turning over. I let it run for 25 minutes before leaving and I left it running at the vet's while I was inside for an hour. Other than the very hard start, the only other thing that struck me was that the power steering fluid never thinned out. After two and a half hours running, the steering was still very heavy. This car is a champ! Fifteen years old with almost 150,000 on it and it's as solid and reliable as most new cars out there. My neighbor's 2016 Chevy small-suv-thingy didn't start that same morning.

Also, the forecast for Monday is 41F and rain. What a difference 5 days makes.
 
You were definitely past the cold cranking
Originally Posted by 2003GPW
Here in northern Illinois, my IS300 sat outside from last Saturday, the 26th, until Wednesday morning. It was about -30F. Wind chill was around -53F. The cat had a vet appointment at 9am. I went out to start it up at 8. It cranked as slowly as I've ever heard a car crank. The battery is 3 years old. It fired up after what seemed like 20 seconds of turning over. I let it run for 25 minutes before leaving and I left it running at the vet's while I was inside for an hour. Other than the very hard start, the only other thing that struck me was that the power steering fluid never thinned out. After two and a half hours running, the steering was still very heavy. This car is a champ! Fifteen years old with almost 150,000 on it and it's as solid and reliable as most new cars out there. My neighbor's 2016 Chevy small-suv-thingy didn't start that same morning.

Also, the forecast for Monday is 41F and rain. What a difference 5 days makes.


You were definitely past the Cold Cranking rating for your "blend" and were probably right into the pumping limit. The CCS limit for the 5w-xx designation is -30C (-22F), you were roughly 5C below that at -35C, which is where the cold temp pumping limit for the designation is tested. Considering you have it mixed with 1/2 a quart of 15w-50, you are lucky it pumped.
 
2005 Matrix with 5w30 VWB in it. Car has 150k and started up just fine at -3 the other morning. Just put a new battery in since the old one was over 6 years old. Glad I replaced it. I only let it idle for 30 seconds since the cold idle is pretty high, around 1600 or so. I just go very easy on it and the rpms are around 1800 or so when driving. Car seemed to do fine. Also have 4500 miles/3 months on the VWB so time for an oil change soon. Fourth consecutive interval of that oil and doesn't burn a drop of it unlike with some other oils like MC syn-blend 5w20 and 5w30.

Have 5 qts of PUP 5w20 on hand along with 20 qts of Idemitsu 0w20 full syn that I can use.
 
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