Doctorr

Driving to work today in the 'True North' (at 5:30a.m.) has given me two facts to share......

#1, The digital outside temp gauge only goes down to minus 40*. After that, it just displays three dashes. (Minus, minus, minus, I'm assuming!)

#2, An RX-8 in those conditions, rides like a freakin' skateboard.
The suspension ceases to suspend, the struts freeze solid. The ride becomes a bone shaking, dash rattling, crash banging torment. After a while, the gears get a little less like 'molasses-in-January', but then the clutch freezes, so the pedal takes seconds to go up & down, so shifting is still mighty slow.

You could probably have lived happily without either of these facts, but thanks for reading.....
Tomorrow I take Wifey's Pathfinder!
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doc

93rdcurrent

I've been close so far this winter to like -25* F. Are you talking C? Man that is cold no matter what and I don't envy you one bit. Let us know if the Pathfinder does any better.

w2aew

Doesn't matter if he's talkin' C or F, -40C is the same as -40F! Really!

bay

-40 without windchill?.. stay the heck inside! -40 with windchill?... STAY THE HECK INSIDE!

Jeff_pap31s

Try coming to the south pole where I am now! Its like -90 here. You know its cold when ice immediatly forms on your beard when you step outside!

RX-GR8

what kind of heat do you use to stay warm?

Japan8

What's that in Kelvin? 205? Doesn't that sound much warmer...:D

TJRX8

It got down to 60 here last night after being almost 80 during the day. It's supposed to drop to the 30's tonight though. Glad I have a garage.

RX-GR8

30's? wow cold spell. more freezing rain/snow here in NJ tonight. 19 degrees. highs low to mid 30's the rest of the week.

canzoomer

It actually got to -43.2C here last night.
That is -45.7 F
REAL temperatures. NOT windchill.
With windchill it was about -60C, or -76F

My 8 is parked outside.
It will NOT start.
Tried with roadside assistance who sent out a truck to boost me.
It turns over but will not fire. I suspect it flooded after the first unsuccessful tries.

For comparison it DID start down to -30C (-22F) in the past 3 weeks. I left it at the airport for 4 days last week, and came back to -26C (-12F) and it started OK.

How cold is it?
Weather lady on the TV tonight did a little demonstration:
Took cups of hot water, threw the water up in the air about 10'
Most of it hit the ground as a solid.

Here is my 8 waiting for it to warm up:

RX-GR8

can the canzoomer stage 1 withstand those temperatures?

canzoomer

Runs fine at -30C (-22F)
Could not start the car today as it was too damned cold.


Not much point using it much as all you get is wheelspin at any decent throttle level, and then the pretty DSC light blinks at you.

In these conditions the DSC / ABS is excellent.
I find my self going intocorners way too hot, and letting it sort it out for me.

Another thing that happens at these temps is the aluminum sill plate appliques at the bottom of each door opening bulge up, and hinder the doors from closing.

Car is fine down to -30C. After that it is not suitable.

As Doc mentioned the steering, clutch, brakes, etc. do not work right. Suspension is awful

Also the parking brake lever release has a piece inside that can break.

hotpot

Canzoomer, you shoud change your sig to Snow White powered by Stage 1.
I feel for your poor car. Don't you garages in Canada?

LRTRX8

Maybe this has been brought up before, but has anyone noticed that when it's below freezing outside the radio display is sluggish and the inside/outside air buttons are inoperable until the car warms up. Probably just normal stuff?

Jeff_pap31s

We use hand and foot warmers to stay warm. Plus, we do have buildings to keep warm. It just sucks when we have to stay outside for hours installing electronic stuff. My nose got stuck to a tower I was installing when I got to close trying to bolt on some screw anchors.LOL:D

Jeff_pap31s

Here is how it feels.

canzoomer

I do.
I refuse to keep a car in a heated garage.

They use some salt on the roads here,mixed with fine gravel.

If you keep the car in a warmer envirnment that salt dissolves in water that thaws out of the snow and ice.

That makes a lovely pickling solution, which rots the heck out of a car.
If you keep it good and cold, and no liquid water then the rust is negligible.

Japan8

As my experience living in snowy climates has been limited...

I suppose you could just the underbpdy off before garaging her.... but considering your current schedule... that really isn't feasible, eh?

HeTz

-40... omg! It's 22 here and I'm about to die!

LightEmUp

yeah it's only -31 F and -60 with the wind chill here. It's great to be in North Dakota, the most useless state in the United States.

Pirate Rex

I feel for all of you Northern brethren. It is 52 here today and might drop to mid 40's tonight. This is as cold as it has been this winter in South Florida.

I don't know how you guys can function with all that white stuff.

Genom

http://wwwa.accuweather.com/adcbin/p...33172&metric=0

Not too bad if ya ask me :D

If yer envious about that, remember that 10 months a year it's hot and muggy here.

Japan8

!... !! You are a MUCH braver man than I am. Tohoku (northern) region of Japan with temps around -10C - -15C is about my limit.

I imagine that it's quite cold inside that tent... do you guys have/use any kind of permanent shelter down there as well?

j1mb0x99

Its so sad... yesterday it got to about 30F degrees. It felt like spring. You all in Canada must be startin to think 30F is shorts weather.

-JiM

skuzbucket

Minneapolis this morning was god awful - 10 below air, but with a 25 mph wind. Took the windchill to -40 or so...

My 8 is parked now - drive a Protege 5 in the winter. That damn car always starts.....