Almost every liquid has a freezing point (except for helium which can not freeze). Looking at low temperatures that will near all-time records, I decided to see what the freezing point of normal engine oils are. They are described using a "pour point" which isn't necessarily where the liquid will become solid, rather its the lowest temperature which oil will readily flow without disturbance.Conventional motor oils will become as thick as peanut butter when they reach -25 to -30°. (You might be asking how people in Alaska start their cars. Good question! They have specially formulated motor oils that work in colder temperatures.) So, if you're one of the unlucky ones who can not start the car or truck Friday morning, it may be because the oil has reached it's "pour point." It would be a wise decision to wait in line at the local lube-change tomorrow and change your oil (especially if you're overdue). Having less gunk in your oil will only increase your chance of driving freely when it gets really bitter. Oh! Another thing: make sure your battery is fully charged and all fluid levels are tip-topped.
As always, we're looking for your stories of how you're coping with this cold. Please continue to post using the comment button below.
7 comments:
I am coping with the cold by staying indoors unless I have to travel and when I do go outside, I have a lighter red jacket that I am putting on underneath a blue heavier jacket that doesnt zip up and putting my hood on and a mouth strap across my mouth. And that does keep me warm. Also eric, I am just curious, is it typical for windshields to frost up on the inside rather than the outside, or is that a sign of something not right.
What happened to all the closings on wrex.com? All most all of them went away.
Driving home from work tonight I saw the school bus barn all lit up and the busses running. They must be determined!
Once cold hits we always keep a bag of warm clothes (most of them are fleece/flannel lined , extra blankets, crackers,flashlight and other things in the car.
It took just getting stuck once on a cold night. Our car got quickly cold while we were waiting for tow truck.
Stay warm out there!
I hope that what I just saw was a typo from the Rochelle reporting station. At 7:15 it was -36 according to what I just saw from their airport and that was the actual temperature. I am guessing this is just a misprint of somekind.
We had -23 this morning on our thermometer...brrrr! We live about 5 miles northwest of Mt. Morris. My husband has to work outside loading trucks...glad it's not me. I'm looking forward to the heatwave coming this weekend!
Garrett, there was definitely something screwy going on with Rochelle's air temperature. At 5:45am it was reporting a temp of -19°, but then by 7:25am it was reporting a temp of -36°. A drop like that is definitely not possible without the aid of cold air advection (frontal passage). As of 8:45am Rochelle is showing a temp of -22°, which is plausible.
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