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reading the weather forecast people in Minnesota will experience a -60 wind chill. Coldest temp throughout the US in decades. What do you do in those kind of temps and how does your truck perform in those conditions ?
I would be using my block heater for sure in those temps. I will admit I am a pansy even at below 20 in the high Sierra's I plug my truck in and leave it plugged in.
reading the weather forecast people in Minnesota will experience a -60 wind chill. Coldest temp throughout the US in decades. What do you do in those kind of temps and how does your truck perform in those conditions ?
You must be talking about the contiguous 48 states. -60 isn't unheard of around my neck of the woods, and that doesn't even include a windchill.
We plug our trucks in, and let them idle for a while before driving.. that is if you even shut them off. A lot of folks just leave them run all day at those temps.
Don't forget, wind chill is just a way for us living things to judge what it FEELS like. Wind chills do not affect metal and plastic.
Now, a wind chill will affect a warm engine, and will cause it to cool down to ambient temperature faster than if there were no wind (like a fan pulling air through a radiator).
I'll let you know Wed morning, they are predicting -30 before windchill here tonight. Truck is plugged in, seems to help warmup. Always carry snowmobile suit, and Sorels in back seat.
Truck performs well because I leave it in the garage and stay home if it gets like that. I knew I retired for a good reason!
But seriously, the truck seems to roll over slower after sitting for 5-6 days with no activity. I have a little Pontiac Torrent that I drive around for better fuel mileage and to keep miles off my truck, so the truck often sits for days. Could the battery be on the way out already on a 2017 truck? One of these days I'll have the ambition to charge it up and then load test it. Just wondered if anyone else experienced this on a gasser.
Poncho, mine does the same thing after sitting but always starts. There is some parasitic draw on the battery but they sit for weeks on the dealership lots and always start. I've checked battery voltage after sitting and it's always in the 12.6 to 12.8 range so good there. I almost think the starter drags a little but not sure. I have a '17 as well.
When I was in the service we did a month 150 miles above the arctic circle in Norway. Temps were well below zero most of the time and our vehicles and equipment took a huge beating. Glass was breaking, tires froze to the ground, field equipment malfunctioned, weapons lubricant failed, even our weapons optics didn't hold zero, etc. Extreme cold is worse than severe heat, it will be interesting to hear how well these trucks perform.
Truck performs well because I leave it in the garage and stay home if it gets like that. I knew I retired for a good reason!
But seriously, the truck seems to roll over slower after sitting for 5-6 days with no activity. I have a little Pontiac Torrent that I drive around for better fuel mileage and to keep miles off my truck, so the truck often sits for days. Could the battery be on the way out already on a 2017 truck? One of these days I'll have the ambition to charge it up and then load test it. Just wondered if anyone else experienced this on a gasser.
Mine also sits for weeks at a time so I installed an onboard battery charger. Bought mine at Napa but there are plenty to choose from. Then get a multiple plug adapter and you can join it to the block heater and plug them both in at the same time if needed.
Mine also sits for weeks at a time so I installed an onboard battery charger. Bought mine at Napa but there are plenty to choose from. Then get a multiple plug adapter and you can join it to the block heater and plug them both in at the same time if needed.
I've got a ton of tenders around here between 2 motorcycles of our own plus on of my friend's. And I used to have a towable lift with 4 lawnmower cart batteries, the dump trailer, etc.etc. Maybe I should leave one on the truck if it's only going to be driven once a week or so.
Spotted one at West Marine but the link posted here was a mile long.
I can't believe the temps predicted in the upper midwest this week. Wind chills in the 20's forecast for us in southeast Louisiana and thats cold enough!
This weekend back up close to 70 which is OK with me. Hope everyone survives the cold blast this week!
When I was in the service we did a month 150 miles above the arctic circle in Norway. Temps were well below zero most of the time and our vehicles and equipment took a huge beating. Glass was breaking, tires froze to the ground, field equipment malfunctioned, weapons lubricant failed, even our weapons optics didn't hold zero, etc. Extreme cold is worse than severe heat, it will be interesting to hear how well these trucks perform.
Super Duties have been performed amazingly well on the north slope of Alaska. Of course, like any equipment, you can have failures, but as a whole, the trucks hold up well.
Battery tenders rock. Since I started using them on our vehicles I have never replaced a battery. Not much of a test but enough to convince me they are worth the money.
I had -28 on the truck this morning in northern MN, -35 last week, its just a normal winter for us for as long as i remember growing up. it gets cold, we get snow, its life in the northland. schools close all around except in Hockey towns along the border. Big game tonight for the locals. wont close the 2 schools till tomorrow if they do at all so they can play hockey tonight. We plug the vehicles in and let them run a bit before taking off. everyone does it up here no matter what they drive. Nothing really shuts down because of cold weather. you adapt and live with it.