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I thought it might be important to start a thread on how car engines react to the frigid temps here in ND. I had a guy change my anti-freeze but guess he did it wrong and now this morning I have what seems to be slush in the motor or even frozen. I do believe it has at least a 50/50 mix in it. I did put on one of those magnetic heaters, but I think between the engine size and the size of the heater combined with -22 right now, it just didn't cut it. This is the only part of living in ND that kinda bugs me. The motor cranks up and runs great, just over heats and no heat from the inside vents. Its a good thing to have the vehicles serviced correctly before winter hits due to the fact all garages are full and you cant do any repairs yourself. I guess I just have to wait a day or 2 for it to thaw out.
Did you have a mechanic change your fluids or did a "friend" do it?
A 50/50 mix of antifreeze should take care of your engine right down to about -35 to -40 with no problem.
If it starts fine and overheads, you have one of two problems. The first, one, I don't think it's the problem, but Antifreeze is sold in two different ways. Straight antifreeze, and 50/50 mix antifreeze. I wonder if they got the 50/50 mix and then mixed it 50/50 with water, giving you a 25% mix. That would only keep your engine down to about -10, if that. Many auto parts stores will check it for you for free. They have a little tester that they can take a small sample of fluid and be able to tell you to what temperature it is good to.
The second thing is your Thermostat may be stuck. You can find out how a thermostat works with a car, here : HowStuffWorks "How does the thermostat in a car's cooling system work?" If it is stuck shut, it will not allow the water to circulate and it will overheat. If it is stuck open, it won't allow your water to heat up much at all. Thermostat's generally stick shut when they fail.
If your antifreeze is not sufficient, the water could freeze and actually bust the block, or the head, causing thousands of dollars of damage. You need to have it tested right away. If the antifreeze is good, and it's simply your thermostat, you can get by for a few days until you find someplace to get it replaced. They are a pretty easy replacement, depending on the type of automobile.
Thanks elkhunter. It did the same thing a month or two ago when it got real cold. Its an older van and for some reason I feel its the thermostat getting stuck. It corrected itself as soon as it warmed up. I havent had the van to long and I am hoping its just the thermostat. Its going to be neg 30 here tonight, so I plan on getting a ride to work tomorrow. Thanks for the info!
#1 - Got to have a GOOD battery.
#2 - Get into the habit of starting your car once every 8-12 hrs in this weather, let it run 15-20 minutes. (in the normal winter months if the car is outside, do it at least every 2 days)
#3 - Never just get in your car and go. Give the trans and rest of driveline fluids a chance to warm up and circulate. Basically idle around for several blocks before you get up to posted speed. Don't need to be driving much faster in these conditions anyways.
Elkhunter gave some great info on coolant & coolant systems..
Diving and maintaining cars in these extremes is a learned skill, don't worry as you are learning fast and it will get easier and better..
Thanks for the good advice Rod. I did my best to prepare. I did new brakes, changes the fluids, and got new all season tires put on. It was kind of a hardship, but being from Florida i didn't want to take any chances. Its a learning cure, I will be better prepared next year for sure. That little magnetic heater was no match for a big motor and low temps with wind chills.
Here is another tip that people forget. Your car is probably new enough to be computer controlled. The computer reads some 300+ test points and then makes adnustments to injectors, dwell, timing, etc. It takes a second or two.
When you put the key in the ignition, don't just crank it over to start the engine. Stop with the car in the on position and wait for 2 seconds, give the computer a chance to read all the test points and make those adjustments. Then continue to the position where the engine cranks. You'll find it starts a lot easier.
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