Submitted by giuliomagnifico t3_yk2sm8 in science
Reply to comment by dr_xenon in 30 minutes of car preheating in sub-zero conditions produces as much particulate emissions as driving 97km in a gasoline car, or 20km in a diesel car “These findings do not suggest to stop preheating cars; instead, we could reduce the emissions by using similar methods that are in place for engine” by giuliomagnifico
Gas cars will also not start given sufficient cold
While they do become harder to start, most modern gas cars will start in extreme cold weather (Below -40c/f) without block heaters, so long as the battery is in good condition.
Diesel vehicles suffer more because of the incredibly high compression that the starter has to overcome, in addition to the environmental factors that effect both vehicles the same.
In my youth, I lived in the far north of Canada and I remember having to put an insulated tarp over the front of the truck and running a tiger torch under the truck for 15 minutes to get things warmed up. You did this if the truck cranked but didn’t fire. You didn’t want to grind down the battery too much. We couldn’t plug the truck’s block heater in while on the ice road, off the grid. It worked like a charm. Craziest part was when you disconnected the torch from the propane tank, I remember seeing liquid droplets of propane flow out onto the ice before boiling off in the frigid air.
Managed to successfully start my car in -73F weather when I was in high school. Thankfully the cold snap only lasted a couple of weeks.
Car had a battery pad and battery blanket, oil pan heater, and a heating/circulation pump. These days I use a trickle charger in place of a battery blanket or battery pad.
-73F! Where were you if you don’t mind me asking. Canada? Does that include windchill? It got down to -35F during the polar vortex in 2019, but it was considered pretty dangerous and we were all told to remain indoors, whole city got off work and everything.
Interior Alaska. There was zero wind. We were suffering from an inversion at the time so all of the moisture from the vehicle exhaust and wood smoke from wood stoves was collecting in the valley as ice fog, and it was so dense you could barely see to drive (plus it reflected headlights back at you worse than regular fog).
They didn’t close schools due to the temperature, but only closed them because of the number of bus accidents occurring on the roads due to poor visibility because of the ice fog. I don’t know if things have changed, but they didn’t even have a provision for closing schools at the time because of the temperature.
Oh wow. Yeah I know what you mean about the temperature causing school closures, it’s common now but it didn’t used to be a thing. That’s crazy though! Especially if people had had to go outside after those accidents. -70F puts you at extreme danger of frostbite within minutes (although perhaps less so if zero wind? Not sure, just my guess).
Yes that has to include the windchill unless they are in alaska or northern Canada. I live in northern Canada and the coldest I have seen is -50c without the wind
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-50F is such an extreme you pretty much need to leave it running.
That is…literally true, but it’s practically not an issue for most people with well-maintained vehicles.
I’ve started every vehicle I’ve ever had, one with over 200k miles it (with a good battery),in sub-zero Fahrenheit at least once without issue. The oldest was a Subaru with the short piston skirt design, so it made an awful lot of noise, but there was never an issue actually starting.
It'll likely start, but it if the coolant is all frozen solid......
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