[T3] BBbbrrrrrr!

[Bobsnotch at aol.com]

In a message dated 1/6/2014 5:27:55 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
jadney at vwtype3.org writes:
 
It was -14 F outside just before noon today, and it's probably  colder 
now. This is the coldest weather we've had here in more than 20  
years. My '73 square doesn't get run much in the winters, so I put a  
charger on it a few days ago to keep the battery charged up. Did you  
know that the electrolyte in a discharged battery will freeze at a  
much higher temp than if it's charged? If I let it run down, and it  
freezes, that's really hard on the battery. Sometimes it ruins  them.

Well, I figured this would be a good test. The battery should be  
fully charged and the FI should work as well as ever. Still, there 
was  no joy. The 15W-40 that was in the engine was just too thick at 
this temp.  Even with a fully charged battery, the starter could turn 
the engine over  only very slowly, not enough to have any chance of  
starting.


 
I had to go out later this morning, after it warmed up to -8, and  the Geo 
really didn't like rolling over. I'm running 10W40 in it (like I do in  the 
type 3s), and it was turning over hard. At least the battery was fully  
charged (drove it yesterday when temps were above 0). It did finally start,  but 
the blower motor and belts sure didn't want to go at that temp. As I drove  
around, it sounded like the rubber bushings were groaning too. This is the  
coldest I've ever driven this car, and I don't think it really liked it.


Bob 65  Notch S w/Sunroof and IRS aka Krusty
64 T-34 Ghia aka Wolfie
71  Square-vert under  construction


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