what am I missing? (aside from the extension cord for the block heater)

5w30 oil....check
new spark plugs....done last time the intercooler froze on me!
new battery....check
Driving randomly out to banff every now and again to blow out the engine to apparantly keep condensation from building up and leaving me wtih a big hunk o ice in the intercooler....check.

why does she still not like starting if its colder than -30? What on earth am I missing? Okay, when it was -50....I didn't even try! and I would give her no blame for not starting in that! but come on!

do I just have unrealistic expectations for my car?

5W30 oil... check

But what kind? If you're not running at least Mobil1, you will see a difference by switching. I promise. The pour point of M1 5W30 is so much lower than either a non-synthetic or a fake-synthetic, it's not even worth trying to save money.

pretty sure by default the dealership put dino in my car.

there was 0w30 synthetic in it before the friggin intercooler froze up the last time and i flooded the engine lol

i'm just screwed in winter. maybe me and my car should move to hawaii.

I don't care what oil you have in what car and what shape the battery is in, it's not going to like it at -30. It should start but it won't like it...

And wind chill "temperatures" don't affect cars...



No moisture content in/on your car as there is in skin...

And Matt is right about synthetic oil. I've got 5W30 Quaker State synthetic in both my cars and they start to complain at anything lower than -20. However, they both started at -30...

And my car with 5w30 Mobil builds nearly instant oil pressure at -35. Cranks a bit tougher than normal but spins quickly enough to fire up.

Wind doesn't need moisture to affect anything - it requires a heat differential. If your car is warmer than the surrounding area, the wind will sweep that heat away much quicker. Once it's down to the air temperature, wind chill stops affecting it.

Naturally...but a "wind chill factor" of -50 doesn't mean you're attempting to start your car in -50 temperatures...your car only is as cold as whatever the thermometer reads...

...which was still somewhere inarounds -40 if i remember correctly dale. even with out the wind chill it was bloody cold

I had no trouble starting the celica in the cold days. It has castrol syntec 5w30 in it and although it was a tad slow it started like a champ even without being plugged in. I think the bonus is the lack of oil in the oil pan so that theres less of it to get in the way

You said it, I didn't. Blanket statement FTL. Let that be a lesson.

i dont care matt it was still cold!!!

What the hell, Kat? You trying to keep a thread ON TOPIC?

zomg...hell just froze over...no,, wait, that was monday....

uhh...oh look! a flying pig!

Lesson, schmesson... it irks me when people talk about it being minus 50 out there. What does the thermometer say? Minus 30? That's what it is then. Is it windy? Yup? Better cover up...

funny thing is i was getting wierd looks from people for walking on the bus in a full snow suit (yes snow pants and all) ski mask, bigass ski gloves, etc etc.

The HR lady at my work loved it. I was her humour for the week. 80s ski suit ftw!

Hmm. My 940 started right up in -30 with 10w30 and without being plugged in