Winter's here

We're getting our first taste of winter here today, and an "auto expert" was on radio, saying that the most important thing you can do for the winter is to have a good block-heater and plug in your car.

I disagree. I haven't used a block-heater for years, since I started using the proper engine oil; 0-W synthetics. The most important factor for winter in my opinion is a good ice-tire. I'm getting them installed at the dealer on Tuesday.

Only once in the last 15 years have I had trouble starting my car as a result of not plugging it in. It was in the minus 40s one morning, and the remote starter on my '93 Ford Taurus gave up after 3 tries. I caught a ride to work, and when I went back to it in the afternoon, it started without a boost.

I expect that the Prius won't have any trouble at all starting up in cold weather. With 0-W20 oil engine, I don't expect the motor-generator won't have any trouble turning it over and firing it up. If anyone has any experience with starting the Prius in extreme cold weather, please share.

 

I had a bit of experience last spring when it was around -15 or so. The engine warmed up in about 3-4 minutes, thanks to the Prius exhaust heat recovery system.

 

I used to block the grill when the engine temperature wasn't staying up, but my last few vehicles haven't needed it. Since I started using zero-grade synthetic winter engine oils, they maintain a low viscosity, even in very low temperatures, therefore I haven't seen the need to use a block heater.

 

I still find it unnecessary. By a long-term process of trial-and-error, I have concluded that it has no benefit.

 

One other thing I've noticed; most block-heaters don't work, due to the cord fluttering in the wind, breaking the wires inside. I keep mine tied-up and inside the hood, in factory condition.

 

Actually, in Calgary, it's illegal to string out a cord across a sidewalk, for those who park in the street. Most people just chance it, and if the car won't start, a mechanic will probably suggest an oil change to a winter grade. After that, it's not usually a problem. Now that I think of it, I don't see many cars plugged-in here unless it's it gets below -25.

 

Whether they're mandated or not, I'm not sure, but every dealer I know in Alberta won't sell a car without a block-heater.

 

That's the other thing; a lot of vehicles here have no block-heater cord, on account of driving away with it still plugged in. For some strange reason, most outdoor cords are very hard to plug into in cold weather because the plastic becomes very stiff. For that reason, I recommend adding a household cube-tap that's made out of hard plastic. It's not weather-proof, but it's a lot easier to unplug and plug into.

When I lived in Montana, I bought a block-heater cord, which looked almost exactly what we used in Canada, but when it got below -30, it broke into a lot of pieces like dry spaghetti.

 

It's fun to play that economy-game once in awhile, but not so much when it involves driving with no heat or a/c. I agree, there's probably a marginal benefit in warming up the engine with electricity compared to doing it by running the engine. However, at least 90% of the time, I find that a 5-minute warm-up is all I need before I get in and drive. The rest of the warm-up happens while I'm driving. It's simply not worth it to plug-in a block-heater, in my opinion.

 

I'd imagine that the Prius might be the only vehicle capable of being driven on the dark side of the moon.