The Beast From The East 2

[richardfrost]

Did we even think about the actual temperature before our cars and phones started insisting on telling us.

At my previous employer, for many years after the Halifax and Bank of Scotland merged, I used to regularly travel (fortnightly) to Edinburgh, and would alternate between driving (M6/A74), the train (East Coast Mainline) or flying (Leeds/Bradford or Manchester to Edinburgh).

One particularly cold day, I had flown and remember the pilot telling us Edinburgh was  going to have a balmy maximum of -7C that day. I was in a meeting at Sighthill when we had a fire alarm go off and we all trogged out to the car park. Having travelled, I had my coat with me but those based in that office were in their shirts only. I had to lend my coat to someone who was starting to look like a White Walker, as I had me suit jacket on underneath.

That felt bitterly cold. Colder than 9,000 feet up a mountain in Bulgaria skiiing.

[Jocko]

The east coast of Scotland is a cauld, draughty place, Even in the summer. When the tulips are passed down south, the daffs are just coming out here.

[Jocko]

Blowing a blizzard here at the moment. I just looked out the window and the main A910, which passes my house, is completely covered. There is an Amber warning from 03:00 tomorrow until 21:00. I have had the last two days at home and guess what? Tomorrow morning I am out and about at 06:30—lucky white heather.

[embee]

In Jan 1982 we had record -26.2 deg C in Newport Shropshire, ......

I lived in Cheshire then, out in the countryside, we got down to -22C. I had a Mini Countryman, the battery was under the rear seat. The coolant turned to slush, and I put a fan heater in the car to directly warm the battery for about 15mins before trying to start it. It did start, which considering it probably had 20W50 in it was quite surprising. The rubber suspension may as well have been wood. At least at those temps the carb didn't ice up, the air was too dry for that.

For a Finn is sounds strange to have starting problems already in -26 C temperature. We had a very cold winter in 1987, even down to -40 C in southern Finland and cars with carburettors were started in -35 C without preheating. .....

You will have proper winter fuel, we don't really, we just have a mildly more volatile brew, more like a transition type grade. The best stuff to get an engine going when really cold here is a quick squirt of brake cleaner into the intake (basically hexane, evaporates very easily).

[TnTkr]

In Jan 1982 we had record -26.2 deg C in Newport Shropshire, ......

I lived in Cheshire then, out in the countryside, we got down to -22C. I had a Mini Countryman, the battery was under the rear seat. The coolant turned to slush, and I put a fan heater in the car to directly warm the battery for about 15mins before trying to start it. It did start, which considering it probably had 20W50 in it was quite surprising. The rubber suspension may as well have been wood. At least at those temps the carb didn't ice up, the air was too dry for that.

For a Finn is sounds strange to have starting problems already in -26 C temperature. We had a very cold winter in 1987, even down to -40 C in southern Finland and cars with carburettors were started in -35 C without preheating. .....

You will have proper winter fuel, we don't really, we just have a mildly more volatile brew, more like a transition type grade. The best stuff to get an engine going when really cold here is a quick squirt of brake cleaner into the intake (basically hexane, evaporates very easily).

Winter grade diesel for sure yes, but gasoline we have the same brew year around.

For coolant 50 % ethyleneglycol / 50 % water is basic mixture here and it goes down to -36 C. In Lapland you may need 60/40 mixturte, which goes down to -45 C. Colder than that you need pre-heating anyways.

[JimSh]

I've just turned 74 on Sunday. 1947 was asnowy winter
https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=2Q5iO2Qh&id=9B0C9230AAEA420E923DE5F1FB2783F5E9A9FB7A&thid=OIP.2Q5iO2QhZmr95ovgu8pJvgHaFj&mediaurl=https%3A%2F%2Fth.bing.com%2Fth%2Fid%2FRd90e623b6421666afde68be0bbca49be%3Frik%3Devup6fWDJ%252fvx5Q%26riu%3Dhttp%253a%252f%252fi.dailymail.co.uk%252fi%252fpix%252f2010%252f01%252f07%252farticle-0-07C6BE81000005DC-1_634x475.jpg%26ehk%3DDwwMp9LBUhprjX2dTh87myU9USG8yDf2KZVYk%252b9tQeM%253d%26risl%3D%26pid%3DImgRaw&exph=475&expw=634&q=1947+snow+central+scotland&simid=608018287103444837&ck=9AD66118B1DA5E039B0454A6971A2040&selectedindex=8&form=IRPRST&idpp=overlayview&ajaxhist=0&vt=0&sim=11

[Jocko]

One of my ex work mates told the tale of busing it from Cowdenbeath and the ploughed snow was up to the top deck of the double decker

[Kremmen]

If this continual minus zero keeps on much longer I'll need to ditch the short pants for a while

[culzean]

Interesting thing about Eyhylene Glycol is that as a pure antifreeze its freezing point is about the same as pure water.  When water and Glycol get mixed something magic happens,  at about 60 to 65% aqueous solution the freezing point reaches its minimum value.   Most premixed antifreeze comes as a 50/50 mixture which is good down to -40 C and F ( yes that is where deg C and deg F align exactly ).  So using pure glycol would give very little protection.

https://www.carid.com/articles/antifreeze-explained.html

[embee]

Winter grade diesel for sure yes, but gasoline we have the same brew year around.

For coolant 50 % ethyleneglycol / 50 % water is basic mixture here and it goes down to -36 C. In Lapland you may need 60/40 mixturte, which goes down to -45 C. Colder than that you need pre-heating anyways.

I'm very surprised Finland doesn't have different grade gasoline (petrol) for winter/summer. You wouldn't expect an engine to start on a summer fuel with an RVP of around 7psi down at -30C, winter fuel could be as high as 15psi at the extreme. You wouldn't have that in summer, even if rarely above 20C, we (car industry) used to see vapour locking issues when certain eastern Europe markets dumped excess winter grade fuel from Russia in the spring if it was unusually warm.
https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a15339380/the-vapor-rub-summer-versus-winter-gasoline-explained/
Winter temps in the UK rarely get much below -10C so we don't generally need anything like a continental grade winter fuel.
(this is from 2012, but shows dumping https://www.spglobal.com/platts/en/market-insights/latest-news/oil/032812-uk-still-buying-winter-gasoline-as-european-refiners-switch-to-summer  )

As for my Mini slush coolant, I doubt as an impoverished apprentoid back in 1982 that I would have changed coolant as long as it was wet, so it was probably well diluted.

[culzean]

As for my Mini slush coolant, I doubt as an impoverished apprentoid back in 1982 that I would have changed coolant as long as it was wet, so it was probably well diluted.

With the rate original mini used to lose coolant the anti-freeze was probably useless 12 months after it left the factory,  IIRC those were the days when coolant only lasted max 2 years ( it was the corrosion inhibitors used to give up not the glycol, with todays improved Organic acid inhibitors the coolant lasts 10 years. )

Going to replace coolant in Civic this year, checking prices the proper Honda stuff from Cox motors was cheaper than the stuff from Halfords.  Cox price was £18 for 5 litres premixed 50/50.

[Kremmen]

Talking about climbing hills .....

Back in the 60's we lived on a cul de sac road that had a fairly steep feeder road. Most couldn't get up the 100 yard steep bit so they all parked 'down the bottom'

Then along came my dad with his Hillman Imp, engine over driving wheels, and got up the hill with ease.

Once he drove along the top flat bit, past all the neighbours, they all went out thinking the hill was now OK and as usual all walked back = failed again.

[Jocko]

My uncle and aunt went to live in Marypark which is a one road village (no through road) off the main Granton on Spey to Elgin road.
He bought a Lada Cossack 4x4. The first heavy snow he dug it out the drive, drove up to the main road, to find the snowplough had left a 10ft bank of snow across the side road. He drove back to the house and that was him for two months.

[culzean]

Talking about climbing hills .....

Back in the 60's we lived on a cul de sac road that had a fairly steep feeder road. Most couldn't get up the 100 yard steep bit so they all parked 'down the bottom'

Then along came my dad with his Hillman Imp, engine over driving wheels, and got up the hill with ease.

Once he drove along the top flat bit, past all the neighbours, they all went out thinking the hill was now OK and as usual all walked back = failed again.

That is why the original VW beetle was OK on snow, engine over driving wheels - ( and narrow tyres ),  with proper winter tyres on a a fairly low powered car like a Jazz you can get pretty much anywhere ( ground clearance allowing ),  the jury still out whether using traction control with winter tyres is a help or hinderance on snow, although I suppose if traction control actually tries to brake spinning wheel ( rather than just cutting power to everything ) it may help the diff put power onto the other wheel which has most grip..

[guest9236]

If this continual minus zero keeps on much longer I'll need to ditch the short pants for a while

I suppose that's getting to the Crux!!!! of the matter.