Misc Thread VI: Return of the Threadi

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potownrob
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Re: Misc Thread VI: Return of the Threadi

Post by potownrob »

AHTOXA wrote:
94Corolla5Speed wrote:Supposed to be 13 degrees F here today. Coldest it's been since last winter I believe.
I can only imagine if it got that cold here. With crummy insulation and electrical heating, my electricity bill would be through the roof!
it was between 11 and 20*F up in here yesterday. I thought 20 was cold when I went to work around 2pm, then it was 14-16 (this is all according to my car thermometer) on the way home in the evening, then it was 11* on the way back to work at midnight. The Tank didn't have any trouble starting up, but I had to run the heater full blast to keep the cabin bearable, which was to be expected. I seem to be having trouble getting hot air, or at least enough hot air, to the lower registers, whereaver they may be. Makes me wish I took the Subaru, especially since he'll be gone once the buyer fills out the paperwork, pays me and carts the car off, probably all this week.
Been relatively cold here this winter.
yeah, just about any winter will be cold compared to last winter :)
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Re: Misc Thread VI: Return of the Threadi

Post by theholycow »

It was 2°F overnight and is 5.6°F now. In a few minutes I'll be going outside to start the Buick. Last time I tried it in this kind of cold it had a bad battery and hadn't been run in weeks and it was not pleasant. I'm pretty confident that it'll fire right up today.
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Re: Misc Thread VI: Return of the Threadi

Post by theholycow »

The battery I currently have is a $20 used one from the junkyard, had it for about a year I'd say, and it did the job. It sounded a little less hyper than usual but it cranked smoothly and fired right up. It was a little tough to keep running until I drove it down the road a bit...it stalled once so I decided to keep my foot in it a little. The carburetor isn't really adjusted for weather THIS cold (and I'm no carburetor expert!).

I could actually adjust it for even warmer weather and use the throttle actuator solenoid that I currently have disabled when in cold weather. That's there to raise the idle a little for A/C but it's unnecessary (might be necessary if it was fighting a torque converter, but not with this transmission) so I disconnected it. I could hook it up to a switch instead of the A/C.
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Re: Misc Thread VI: Return of the Threadi

Post by AHTOXA »

75* here today. Went home for lunch, drove with all windows down. Enjoyed sunny weather and a fresh breeze. Opened all the windows and the balcony in the appt. :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
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Re: Misc Thread VI: Return of the Threadi

Post by Rope-Pusher »

AHTOXA wrote:75* here today. Went home for lunch, drove with all windows down. Enjoyed sunny weather and a fresh breeze. Opened all the windows and the balcony in the appt. :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
Keep it up Tony. Yanno we got spud guns that can launch slush ball all the way to Texas, dontcha?
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Re: Misc Thread VI: Return of the Threadi

Post by wannabe »

someone reexplain to me why its easier to start (from a dead stop, like a traffic light) in snow in 2nd vs 1st.
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Re: Misc Thread VI: Return of the Threadi

Post by potownrob »

less torque; more traction
ClutchFork wrote:...So I started carrying a stick of firewood with me and that became my parking brake.
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Re: Misc Thread VI: Return of the Threadi

Post by theholycow »

It's a dumbed down suggestion for people who aren't good at fine throttle control.
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Re: Misc Thread VI: Return of the Threadi

Post by RITmusic2k »

Think about riding a bicycle. If you pedal as hard as possible from a dead stop in your lowest gear, you're likely to do a wheelie. But if you start from high gear, it's so much harder to push the pedals and it becomes impossible to get that front tire off the ground.

In the case of the car, wheelie == wheelspin in low traction environments, and trading away your mechanical advantage by starting in a higher gear reduces your car's ability to out-push the available traction. Like cow said, if you have good enough throttle control, it's completely unnecessary. Like a person who knows how to get their bike going in first gear without popping a wheelie.
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Re: Misc Thread VI: Return of the Threadi

Post by tankinbeans »

I only found it easier to start in 2nd during the first two weeks after getting the Kia, but now it's just a pain in the tookus.
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Re: Misc Thread VI: Return of the Threadi

Post by Rope-Pusher »

RITmusic2k wrote:Think about riding a bicycle. If you pedal as hard as possible from a dead stop in your lowest gear, you're likely to do a wheelie. But if you start from high gear, it's so much harder to push the pedals and it becomes impossible to get that front tire off the ground.

In the case of the car, wheelie == wheelspin in low traction environments, and trading away your mechanical advantage by starting in a higher gear reduces your car's ability to out-push the available traction. Like cow said, if you have good enough throttle control, it's completely unnecessary. Like a person who knows how to get their bike going in first gear without popping a wheelie.
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Re: Misc Thread VI: Return of the Threadi

Post by potownrob »

the 6 speed automagic tranny in my jetta has the 2nd gear start feature (when you select das 2nd Gear des PRNDLSTICK) like many recent automatic cars have had. what's cool (yet not as effective as you might expect) is that, integrated with the traction control, the car will pulse the throttle when traction is lost/not found when in this 2nd gear mode. it's not a quick pulse like with the ABS, but one where it applies throttle for a second or two and then lets off the throttle and then reapplies throttle, all while you have your foot down on the mushroom. nothing compared to being able to rock a manual back and forth, but pretty interesting nonetheless. i haven't had to use this feature since getting snow tires, but it happened once before i got the snows when i got stuck on ice and snow at the bottom of my driveway.
ClutchFork wrote:...So I started carrying a stick of firewood with me and that became my parking brake.
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Re: Misc Thread VI: Return of the Threadi

Post by noob5,000,000 »

I came across the aftermath of this today.
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My friend took pictures. I'll ask him to send them to me.
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Re: Misc Thread VI: Return of the Threadi

Post by padauk_dust »

Greetings.

What's up with your Subaru, Rob? (SuAbru, anyone? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAnpIevA1xY)
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Re: Misc Thread VI: Return of the Threadi

Post by potownrob »

padauk_dust wrote:Greetings.

What's up with your Subaru, Rob? (SuAbru, anyone? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAnpIevA1xY)
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
OMG, that is too much. No, I don't hate Surabus but went and got a newer car back in November. I didn't sell the Urabus til this week. I put a craigslist ad up last week, and I must've gotten at least 10-15 legitimate inquiries on it (not counting all the silly people looking to trade their motorcycle or gocart for it or making uber lowball offers). The seller came to fill out paperwork on Wednesday evening, and I didn't realize he would be taking the car then since he wouldn't be able to register it til thursday, but I didn't know he was bringing a trailer til 20 minutes before he arrived, and I hadn't even signed the title at that point. I was able to empty the car (it was mostly empty already other than the back wagon area and the glovebox) quickly and I let him have the Legacy GT "snowflake" rims I had bought but never used, along with some oil, a filter and other random goodness. He was cool about me not having the car totally clean and not knowing the whole history behind the car. Not sure I will miss shifting; I hadn't been driving the Urabus much over the past 5 months (back story: my mom went into the hospital in late august and i ended up driving her car more than mine over the 2 months she was there, and then i got the jetta not long after she was home) , if that's any indication. What I will and do miss is the superior heating and cooling system of the Urabus - the Jetta's fans are weak and lukewarmsauce for some reason.
ClutchFork wrote:...So I started carrying a stick of firewood with me and that became my parking brake.
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