Extreme Cold Weather Woes - Fluids?

I’m in the interior of Alaska dealing with sub-zero temperatures (-8 to -21 yesterday)

I’m pleasantly surprised that she’s been starting right up, even without a block heater, however -

I notice the clutch gets stiff and sticks to the floor at these temperatures, even after the vehicle has warmed up. (Around town it eventually warms up and is ok, but driving down the highway for awhile the clutch gets cold & sluggish again)

On start-up the power steering screams and is very stiff.

I’ve also noticed that even in warmer (below freezing) temps, the truck will not warm up at idle, and if it’s already warm it will actually cool off at idle - anyone else experience this?

Are there better synthetic fluids i could be using?

Would an accumulator delete help with the sluggish return of the clutch from the floor back to the top of travel?

Also noticed cold air leaking out of the HVAC box in both footwells unless it’s on recirculate (separate from the full heat pouring out of the footwell vents)
EDIT: to clarify, this is /not/ the regular induction air flow through the case. I have it set to full heat, and heat is coming out of the vents i command —- HOWEVER —- simultaneously there’s cold air leaking out behind the pedals

 

If it cools down at idle you might have a faulty thermostat. A properly working thermostat should not circulate coolant to the radiator to cool it below midpoint.

 

The air coming through the HVAC vents when the air is off and not placed in recirculate mode seems to be normal with these trucks. If i don't want air flow, I hit the recirculate button after I turn the HVAC dial to upper vents.

 

Yeah fresh air let's air in. Recirc keeps it out.

 

This isn’t the regular air flow through the hvac vents. It’s more like, there’s probably a crack in the HVAC case itself, allowing the cold air to seep out before it goes through the heater core

it occurs with or without the blower motor going, and regardless of vent/defrost/floor or temp settings

manual climate control btw

 

No, this isn’t the regular induction air flow through the hvac case, that goes through whatever temperature and vent setting you have it at, even without the blower motor on


This is something altogether different, something i would have never noticed were it not for the extreme temperatures out here. This is, i suspect, a leak in the case prior to the heater core, that comes out in the footwell but /not/ through the footwell vents

 

If air stops coming in on recirc it's working like it's supposed to.

 

Accumulator delete will not help with the sluggish cold clutch pedal

 

Thanks!

 

Put a piece of cardboard in front of your grill. I do this sometimes with my f150 if i'm feeling bitch

 

sounds like your truck is dying cause that's not even cold and its struggling hard lol

 

Also pretty sure air seeping in is normal. The cabin isn't air tight and the hvac isn't going to keep 100 percent air flow out. especially if its ice cold air. People that live in non day after tomorrow type climates will never notice cause well they don't get sub zero freeze your balls off temperatures.

 

Hi Joe. The clutch stiffness is just how it is. My 2nd Gen (2007) did it, and my 3rd Gen (2019 TRD OR 6MT) does too. I haven't noticed the cold air flow in the footwells, but haven't had this truck any colder than -2°F, so far. Covering your grill, as mentioned, might help the engine create more heat to offset it some.

 

You may need to fully or partially block the radiator/grill to maintain engine temp. They even steel nylon kits. I used to have to use a grill block on the north slope made of snap on vinyl to keep engine temperature adequate. By slowing that air flow you may be able to get more residual heat to your clutch, brake and power steering fluids as you are idling.

link is an example

https://www.autoanything.com/winter-driving/toyota/tacoma/111A53020A53023A0A17A173A1.aspx

 

move south

 

Was just at Gunnison/Crested Butte Colorado a few days back.. waking up to -12F wind chill -30F. Same issues as OP.

 

It’s cold, that’s just how it is.

 

Lol. OP is in ALASKA and that it was -21F.

 

Op ,
1st shift back after holidays last night. My night to drive...temps -9° to -18°F. Did not use recirc. I believe the key to maintaining enough heat to offset the sub-zero cold is engine RPMs. Sweet spot seems to be 2200 RPMs or higher. After a nine hour cold soak at -16°F, I let it idle for 5 mins, then got going down the road. Kept the fan setting in a low range and kept my RPMs above 2000 until the temp gauge came up to normal operating range. After that turned blower to high with defrost/floor vent selection, within 10 mins cabin was comfortably warm. Whole trip (1 hr commute) kept blower on highest or second to highest setting. About midway I turned the temp knob down a little bit (getting too warm) , but had to keep blower on second to highest setting in order to keep windows clear.

Hope that makes sense and helps some.