Battery- winter edition :-)

[Vittas]

Hand-made Thermo case for battery))

[DanMC]

Is this to keep the battery from freezing whille you drive ?...good idea but i use a 110V blanket for when the car is parked to keep the battery warm and to protect whille i drive from the cold draft...ponimaete ?
Dan

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by DanMC

Is this to keep the battery from freezing whille you drive ?...good idea but i use a 110V blanket for when the car is parked to keep the battery warm and to protect whille i drive from the cold draft...ponimaete ?
Dan

Prompted me to think about a friend of mine who used to live in Montana and kept a cardboard box in his pickup to lodge in front of (but not touching) his radiator when needed during the winter.

[Killchain]

Originally Posted by nookandcrannycar

Prompted me to think about a friend of mine who used to live in Montana and kept a cardboard box in his pickup to lodge in front of (but not touching) his radiator when needed during the winter.

Yep, When lived in Great Falls. I did that! Ah winters there, -55f below wind chill some days. I did have block heater, battery mat heater too.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by Killchain

Yep, When lived in Great Falls. I did that! Ah winters there, -55f below wind chill some days. I did have block heater, battery mat heater too.

Too funny. My friend lived in two places during his time in Montana, Whitefish and Great Falls. After moving back to California, he wanted to take a trip to Montana and Idaho (to visit friends) and to Wyoming. His sister (also a friend of mine) was worried that he might have Sleep Apnea (not diagnosed) and wanted me to go with him...she suggested we take my car and split the gas and (when we couldn't stay with his friends) hotels. I thought this was a great idea. At the time I'd been to Wyoming (skiing), but I'd never been to Yellowstone and I'd never been to Montana, nor Idaho.

We left the San Francisco Bay Area on I-80 and headed across Nevada and then headed north on Highway 2 (through Jackpot, NV) and into Idaho. We stayed in Twin Falls, ID and then headed to Yellowstone for a few days. We left Yellowstone early one morning and had breakfast at a favorite restaurant of his in Livingston, MT. We then headed toward Great Falls, and stopped briefly in Butte and Helena along the way. We spent about 4 days in Great Falls with his friends and visiting the C.M. Russell Museum and I ventured out on my own to the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center. We then headed through the indian reservation and over the Going To The Sun Highway to Kalispell. We spent a couple of days in Kalispell and then headed south -- near Flathead Lake -- and through Polson. We headed to Lolo ('suburban' Missoula) because he had a friend who owned a business there. His employees were 'minding the store', but his friend was out of town on business. We headed to Couer d'Alene and spent a couple of days there. We then headed to Spokane (my friend used to live there as well) and then to Pullman (toured the Washington State University Campus) and on to Lewiston, ID to stay with a married couple who were both really good friends of his. We stayed there for 5 days, explored the area, and then returned to California.

I raved about the physical beauty observed on this trip (as well as the nice people encountered) so often that, before adopting my little cousin (and knowing she'd have a 'sidekick' for the next 17 years ), my cousin decided to largely retrace my trip in her new SUV (with her beloved dog in tow). She had a great time!

My plan is to visit MT, ID, ND, and WA again next year. I've been to all of the 'Lower 48' states and DC. My Yaris has 'been' to nearly all as well, 'missing out' on only ND, MT, and ID.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by Killchain

Yep, When lived in Great Falls. I did that! Ah winters there, -55f below wind chill some days. I did have block heater, battery mat heater too.

I also remember that my friend told me you HAD to do what he did with the cardboard. He said if you HAD to drive during certain weather (just about the wind chill temp you mention) that if your truck stalled you might die.

[DanMC]

Originally Posted by nookandcrannycar

I also remember that my friend told me you HAD to do what he did with the cardboard. He said if you HAD to drive during certain weather (just about the wind chill temp you mention) that if your truck stalled you might die.

I have been to Montana once,back in the early 90's...back in those days i owned a VW Jetta GTX 16V ...a crazy fast car .Back then state of Montana lifted the speed limit during day time so i took the GTX for a spin...it did 195 Km/h !...and the car was loaded with camping gear plus the cat....
Winters can be nasty,you don't plug in and i kid you not ,when it's -45*C you arent going anywhere...so you will do whatever it takes to keep your car protected from the elements...we have three cars (Toyota,Honda and a BMW) and they all have engine block heaters and electric battery blanket ...not to mention engine oil that MUST be in fluid state (synthetic 100% Mobil 1 or Red Line...ok,maybe Penzoil Platinum) otherwise you will need all the !
You haven't seen nasty winters untill you see and experience the western prairie Canadian wnters...hey it's only the begining...for the next 7 months ...but i'll take cold and snow over Catrinas,Sandy's...hey we got tornadoes too !
Have fun !
Dan

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by DanMC

I have been to Montana once,back in the early 90's...back in those days i owned a VW Jetta GTX 16V ...a crazy fast car .Back then state of Montana lifted the speed limit during day time so i took the GTX for a spin...it did 195 Km/h !...and the car was loaded with camping gear plus the cat....
Winters can be nasty,you don't plug in and i kid you not ,when it's -45*C you arent going anywhere...so you will do whatever it takes to keep your car protected from the elements...we have three cars (Toyota,Honda and a BMW) and they all have engine block heaters and electric battery blanket ...not to mention engine oil that MUST be in fluid state (synthetic 100% Mobil 1 or Red Line...ok,maybe Penzoil Platinum) otherwise you will need all the !
You haven't seen nasty winters untill you see and experience the western prairie Canadian wnters...hey it's only the begining...for the next 7 months ...but i'll take cold and snow over Catrinas,Sandy's...hey we got tornadoes too !
Have fun !
Dan

That must have been interesting at that speed with the cat along for the ride! I remember back when I had cats, they HATED riding in a car.

My friend told me 50 degrees below zero Farenheit. I guess he was exaggerating re the temp. His point was that there is a certain temp that if your vehicle stalls, you might freeze to death. Would that not be true?

The lowest temperature I've ever driven in was somewhere between 5 above zero and five below zero (F) fairly near Lake Tahoe. The coldest temp i've ever experienced was walking down a street in Oslo, Norway. We walked into a bar (we had been walking in blowing snow). The bartender said it was the equivalent of 10 below zero F...BEFORE taking the wind chill into consideration. It felt colder than on any ski slope I've ever been on.

[edmscan]

Originally Posted by DanMC

You haven't seen nasty winters untill you see and experience the western prairie Canadian wnters...hey it's only the begining...for the next 7 months ...but i'll take cold and snow over Catrinas,Sandy's...hey we got tornadoes too

Yes ... after living in Edmonton for 47 years I am kinda used to the winters (7 months of hell) , but I will agree that the cold (got my block heater cord fixed on the Yaris 2 weeks ago) and the snow is the worst we get. No chance for earthquakes and such but yes the very rare tornado may get us.

I don't know about my battery .. but the dealer tested it and said it was fine. I just hope that I get through the winter with it. Nothing worse than being stranded when it gets really cold. Btw .. -40C is the same as -40F .. about the coldest I remember being in around here. When it gets that cold... I usually don't go out. But that really doesn't help my Yaris too much.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by DanMC

I have been to Montana once,back in the early 90's...back in those days i owned a VW Jetta GTX 16V ...a crazy fast car .Back then state of Montana lifted the speed limit during day time so i took the GTX for a spin...it did 195 Km/h !...and the car was loaded with camping gear plus the cat....
Winters can be nasty,you don't plug in and i kid you not ,when it's -45*C you arent going anywhere...so you will do whatever it takes to keep your car protected from the elements...we have three cars (Toyota,Honda and a BMW) and they all have engine block heaters and electric battery blanket ...not to mention engine oil that MUST be in fluid state (synthetic 100% Mobil 1 or Red Line...ok,maybe Penzoil Platinum) otherwise you will need all the !
You haven't seen nasty winters untill you see and experience the western prairie Canadian wnters...hey it's only the begining...for the next 7 months ...but i'll take cold and snow over Catrinas,Sandy's...hey we got tornadoes too !
Have fun !
Dan

I'll take hurricanes over any other natural disaster (for my particular situation). With hurricanes, I get a warning and can drive out of the area as a pre-emptive measure. I have spent most of my past in California (a lifetime of earthquakes). One house I had was on a pad in a very hilly area and an earthquake caused the chimney to tilt/lean. I also don't like to be cold in the winter (unless I'm skiing). I may buy a small boat (20-28') to put in a marina (that has live aboard slips) in the Tampa/St. Pete area...or perhaps a teensy condo instead... to stay in in the winter time....the average winter low temperature is about 20 degrees F higher there than in my zip code in Texas.

It must be some of my mother's blood...loving skiing but also loving warm weather. My mother (before meeting my dad) went to Hawaii for a 2 week vacation. She didn't come back (except for Christmas) for 3 1/2 years.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by edmscan

Yes ... after living in Edmonton for 47 years I am kinda used to the winters (7 months of hell) , but I will agree that the cold (got my block heater cord fixed on the Yaris 2 weeks ago) and the snow is the worst we get. No chance for earthquakes and such but yes the very rare tornado may get us.

I don't know about my battery .. but the dealer tested it and said it was fine. I just hope that I get through the winter with it. Nothing worse than being stranded when it gets really cold. Btw .. -40C is the same as -40F .. about the coldest I remember being in around here. When it gets that cold... I usually don't go out. But that really doesn't help my Yaris too much.

DanMC doesn't, but you know I love Canada.....just not during the winter......unless it means skiing at Whistler!

[Vittas]

Dan, of course i understand))))) the blanket lies on the motor too. it's not electric but helps to save heat of the yaris motor at night ;-)