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Temperature Gauge Limit to -35C
Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2012 11:34 am
by cq358
Does anybody has the vibe temperature gauge show less than -35C? The lowest I see is -32C from Vibe, Today I have only -31C but weather channel said we have -35C, My co worker lives out of the city she saw -40C from her Ford Edge. All Fairbanks ,Nuiqsut,, AK and Tuktoyaktuk NWT was warmer than us.
Re: Temperature Gauge Limit to -35C (cq358)
Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2012 11:43 am
by lemay.08
If there is a gauge limit for the mileage, there must be one for the temperature gauge... I guess...
Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2012 12:11 pm
by skimask
Weather here in northern N.D. is calling for -24F tonight. I'm out of the city a bit, will probably hit -30F. -17F right now and the indication matches up with the temp on the wall of the garage.I'm thinking I'll hit the limit later on...damn that's cold...
Re: (skimask)
Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2012 12:18 pm
by cq358
I am wondering who will take a picture at the temperature indicator when the vibe hit that limit..I regret my suggestion, touch screen on a cell phone could break at temperature lower than -20
Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2012 12:32 pm
by skimask
I'll be up practically all night, so I'll be watching both the Vibe's temp and the wall thermometer.
Re: (skimask)
Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2012 9:07 pm
by skimask
Didn't get it. Only got -23F last night and couldn't get a picture anyways. Camera lens fogged/iced up. Go figure...
Re: (cq358)
Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2012 7:38 am
by star_deceiver
The owners manual says -40.
Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2012 12:49 pm
by skimask
Looked at my owner's manual to ('05 Base).Manual says it goes from -22F to 122F (-30C to 50C).Guess the manual is wrong 'cause I saw -23F on it this morning!
Re: (skimask)
Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2012 1:39 pm
by lemay.08
Somehow, I don't think that a 'regular' car can start at -40... too damn cold... so Toyota/Pontiac didn't bother to go beyond -40
Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2012 1:58 pm
by skimask
Sure they can...(but why would you want to?)Back in '96 (I think it was '96, might've been the year before or after), I was staying at relatives house near Tower, Mn. I had my '74 Chevy Malibu, 350, TH350, 2bbl carb, no block heater, but I had a trickle charger on the battery. The temp gauge outside the house said something like -55F (not windchill, actual temp). I had 10W-30 oil, always had the perfect 70/30 antifreeze mix, which even at -55F, it felt a bit "thick" like it was about to freeze over, fairly new battery...blah blah blah.I did the "big block boogy" on the gas pedal about half a dozen times before I turned the key, and it fired up after about 10 or so spins. Took forever (maybe 15-20 seconds) for the oil pressure to come up. I let the thing high-idle for about a 1/2 hour before I tapped the gas pedal to idle it down and even then the temp gauge hadn't moved. Didn't want to go into gear very well either. The engine never did straighten out and run right until I got down to southern Minnesota where the temp had warmed up to a balmy -10F or so.I should've just left it idle overnight like everybody else did. A week later, again at idle, in a much warmer climate, I dropped a valve, snapped the cam in half, smacked half the valves.That'll learn me for pushing the limits...
Re: (lemay.08)
Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2012 8:06 pm
by Bedlam
Quote, originally posted by lemay.08 »Somehow, I don't think that a 'regular' car can start at -40... too damn cold... so Toyota/Pontiac didn't bother to go beyond -40this actually just came up from some of our northern members on my other forum for LX cars. A few of them have had theirs in Manitoba for years now and have been able to start at -35 down to -42 a couple times. (F and C cross at -39 so i figured it wasn't worth defining) lights dim and it takes a few minutes before you should move it, but they start every time.-10 is as low as I've started my Vibe. It barely turned over at that as well. Not sure it would have a chance to turn over without a block heater or insulated garage when it got down to -30 or worse.
Re: (Bedlam)
Posted: Fri Jan 20, 2012 3:27 am
by star_deceiver
Here's the -27C cold start, no block heater:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTHRqjIZ9ZcIt turns over very slowly but fires up right away. The 1.8L engines have the auto start feature, much like a push button start. Just turn it to start and back to run, it will crank over until it starts.
Posted: Fri Jan 20, 2012 2:33 pm
by skimask
What years of the 1.8L have the auto start?I'm gonna have to check that out now. I HATE auto start. Gives a guy zero choice when your battery is on that last bit of juice that might get it started...
Re: (Bedlam)
Posted: Sat Jan 21, 2012 12:43 am
by cq358
I guess if ambient go below -40F/C , you either should plug in your block heater or leave your car idle on/off once every 2 hours the whole night.
Re: (skimask)
Posted: Sat Jan 21, 2012 9:07 am
by star_deceiver
Quote, originally posted by skimask »What years of the 1.8L have the auto start?The '09 and '10 1.8L Vibes do... 2.4's don't... no idea about previous years.Turn the key to start then immediatly back to run. If the car continues to crank over, then you have it... if it just dies.... well then you don't.Quote, originally posted by cq358 »I guess if ambient go below -40F/C , you either should plug in your block heater or leave your car idle on/off once every 2 hours the whole night.2 hours.... mine's stone cold after 40 minutes...A cheap way to help if you don't have a block heater is to hang a 100-150watt incandesant light between the rad and block. It works surprisingly well!I've got a 200watt magnetic heater that I sometimes stick to the oil pan... but that doesn't help when I'm not at home and I've nowhere to plug it in!
http://www.nwtc.ca/new_details.cfm?ProductID=66
Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2012 9:05 pm
by skimask
No autostart on the '05. Confirmed that this morning.
Re: (skimask)
Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2012 11:36 am
by cq358
great read for common "sagging chains" for early 1zz-fehttp://www.paulstravelpictures....html
Re: Temperature Gauge Limit to -35C
Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2013 10:14 am
by cq358
[youtube]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTHRqjIZ9Zc[/youtube]
It is better to use block heater at -23C or more, according to Stardeciever video, the starter have trouble uncouple the fly wheel at 0.31 of the clip.
Re: Temperature Gauge Limit to -35C
Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2013 6:28 pm
by star_deceiver
cq358 wrote:the starter have trouble uncouple the fly wheel at 0.31 of the clip.
Could be. A more common consensus is that this was the camshaft rattle.
Re: Temperature Gauge Limit to -35C
Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2013 10:33 am
by cq358
oh that VVT Cam spocket pin fail to lock into position because low /inadequate oil pressure at -30C temperature.
conclusion, vvt-i engine or vtec..etc must plug in at minus 23 or lower
without the minus sign we could have go for picnic