The FMJ Weather Channel

[slant6billy]

I see icecube makers in the radiator overflow and green slurpee in the radiator. I rant to my family about the need to check the coolant mix in the car..... "that old Billy, just making noise out his mouth again." Had coolant separate once for me and that is one of my points to knock home. "Water wetter" and other coldown additives for performance do something- I'm not sure what. Perhaps in the summer- they work. I don't trust any magic additive to anything. Anyone in the mood for a green slushie? It might blind you though?

 

[Jack Meoff]

-14°F starting my poor Fifth with a stupid windchill of -34°
It was close but the old gal fired up as usual.
I hate this blasted winter....
And yeah Billy I'm with you...
No snake oil in my cars.
No Lucas, no water wetter....
When I put in my new rad I mixed the coolant a little more on the 60/40 side.
Less water....runs cool in the summer and I haven't seen any slushie's yet.
Mind you....winter ain't over by a long shot here...

 

[My imp]

I know none of us drive Navistar's as a regular ride, (except Shaq) but if you don't put additives in the coolant (DCA level) any coolant related failures aren't covered by warranty. With all the aluminum/iron they're running in power trains, it's only a matter of time before the big two & Fiat figure that's a good way to weasel out of warranty claims! I've been out of the game for over 10 yrs now, & my former boss (since fired for not adding DCA & other things) didn't believe it until Navistar refused to cover two engine failures due to liner porosity while under warranty! IMHO I believe that's why we have pre-mixed A/F, or people are too lazy, stupid, or both to mix it themselves. Keeps them out of court for failure due to A/F failure. Puts it all on us!

 

[greymouser7]

Dropped from 65 to 24 here 31547

 

[Jack Meoff]

I know none of us drive Navistar's as a regular ride, (except Shaq) but if you don't put additives in the coolant (DCA level) any coolant related failures aren't covered by warranty. With all the aluminum/iron they're running in power trains, it's only a matter of time before the big two & Fiat figure that's a good way to weasel out of warranty claims! I've been out of the game for over 10 yrs now, & my former boss (since fired for not adding DCA & other things) didn't believe it until Navistar refused to cover two engine failures due to liner porosity while under warranty! IMHO I believe that's why we have pre-mixed A/F, or people are too lazy, stupid, or both to mix it themselves. Keeps them out of court for failure due to A/F failure. Puts it all on us!

No worries for me....
Pretty sure the warranty is up on my Fifth.

 

[My imp]

You sure? Just pointing it out as the Merc that my wife drives was in immaculate condition with 26,000 mi on the odometer. It was 8 yrs old, had regular oil changes @ 3000 mi, but the coolant was never changed. Won't bore you with details, but Ford had the car for 5 mths trying to figure out the sediment in the cooling system. We didn't complain, my wife drove an MKX all winter long, free of charge. Long story short, maintain the coolant. Would hate to see someone told their newish cars engine isn't covered under warranty due to.......

 

[MiradaMegacab]

:sunny:She can warm things up!

 

[Jack Meoff]

View attachment 4850
:sunny:She can warm things up!

Yep...she'd thaw me out!

 

[My imp]

View attachment 4850
:sunny:She can warm things up!

Holy snappin' arseholes Batman!

 

[ramenth]

You sure? Just pointing it out as the Merc that my wife drives was in immaculate condition with 26,000 mi on the odometer. It was 8 yrs old, had regular oil changes @ 3000 mi, but the coolant was never changed. Won't bore you with details, but Ford had the car for 5 mths trying to figure out the sediment in the cooling system. We didn't complain, my wife drove an MKX all winter long, free of charge. Long story short, maintain the coolant. Would hate to see someone told their newish cars engine isn't covered under warranty due to.......

One of the reasons I don't believe in the whole 100,000 mile coolant crap. Call me old fashioned from the ethylene glycol days, but a coolant system should be flushed every two years, no matter what the mileage, a minimum of 50/50 mix, with a new t-stat installed. And don't believe the hype on "the mix with anything hype." The coolant system plays a large part in timing, especially in today's OBDII cars as the computer monitors engine temp, air intake temp, the cats, all to be able to set A/F mixture and timing. With our older cars we still work within these parameters, but we do it manually.

The coolant system and the trans are probably the two most overlooked maintenance items.

 

[My imp]

One of the reasons I don't believe in the whole 100,000 mile coolant crap. Call me old fashioned from the ethylene glycol days, but a coolant system should be flushed every two years, no matter what the mileage, a minimum of 50/50 mix, with a new t-stat installed. And don't believe the hype on "the mix with anything hype." The coolant system plays a large part in timing, especially in today's OBDII cars as the computer monitors engine temp, air intake temp, the cats, all to be able to set A/F mixture and timing. With our older cars we still work within these parameters, but we do it manually.

The coolant system and the trans are probably the two most overlooked maintenance items.

Just like tha 100,000 mi spark plugs in the SBC. We in the rust belt change our plugs more often than that due to rust. We had a guy who was known as a ham fisted mechanic. If he took a job ticket on the upside down bath tub Caprice Classics with a SBC, he just cranked on the plugs to remove them. More often than not, he'd snap one or more plugs right at the tapered seat. Remember the " Think months, not just miles" campaign? Nah, brake, P/S, & differential fluids usually only get changed at a time of failure. We were instituting Ph testing coolant & brake fluid for contaminants. Next we'll be checking air quality in the tires before they blame the internal pressure sensor failures on stale air! lol

 

[Jack Meoff]

Arctic weather update...
It's bloody freezing with a windchill of stupid freezing.
Tomorrow's forecast....all out freezing.
Upside is by Saturday we're supposed to hit the plus side of freezing.
This winter sucks.....did I already mention that?

 

[kkritsilas]

Captain:

I'm in Montreal, visiting my folks. I had a very rude reminder of just how cold -14C feels out East.

Kostas

 

[My imp]

My wife & I proved an old wives tale to be true. Got out a bottle of children's bubbles & blew them out into the -3F. They turned from clear to white (froze in mid air), & crashed to earth as a solid! So I guess I better keep my thumb & farts where they belong, & pee inside, before I pee a yellow stick!

 

[ramenth]

You know it's bad when you don't even want to pee.

It's a ten minute walk across the plant to get from the parking lot to the building I work in. By the time I got the time clock my hands were so cold I didn't even want to unzip!

 

[mirada80]

So Monday was +10C (50F) right to -15(5F) this morning, temperature swings are a killer. I see it is breaking record lows across the US.

 

[Jack Meoff]

Captain:

I'm in Montreal, visiting my folks. I had a very rude reminder of just how cold -14C feels out East.

Kostad

I don't envy your cold out west at all...but yeah we get the damp cold out here....cuts right through you.

Hey Imp..
That's crazy....I'll have to try that sometime.
I still have to try the other one where you throw a glass of water in the air and it freezes before it hits the ground.

Ramenth.....
I feel your pain.
Had to go to my car yesterday to get my lunch out of my Fifth Ave refrigerator and by the time I got to the shipping doors I didn't want to go anymore....I did but the last thing I wanted to do was go outside.

Today it's a comparatively balmy 7°F and supposed to get gradually warmer till we hit above freezing temps by Saturday..

 

[My imp]

I tried to video it, but you know how that goes! It's hilarious! I wish I had my G-Daughters bubble machine up here. It's Lawrence Welk to the 10 th power! It almost looks like glass ornaments crashing in slow motion! Anyone with computer & video skills ought to try it. It's hard here to get below 0 without wind. No wind, no wind chill factor. But when it's windy, the bubbles blow away to fast to watch the transformation. But it is cool as hell!

 

[Jack Meoff]

Sounds damn cool!!
The next arctic wave we get (which probably won't be that far off) I'm gonna give it a go and I'll definitely make a video!!

 

[My imp]

Good luck,