What’s the coldest your truck has ever been?

-36C. Block heater was running for 4 hrs and it started with no hesitation. Steering, shifting, and suspension are a bit sluggish until its driven a few KMs, of course.

 

My goodness! In what icy hell do you live?

 

Prudhoe Bay can be super cold for sure. First time I flew up there I thought I was on another planet due to the frozen flat tundra with no trees at all and felt I was headed to work for the devil.

Turns out is very different during the short 'summer'. Full of life and lakes. Also happy to find out the area was super focused on the environment and safety for workers and animals

Different and interesting for sure. This photo taken early this winter -10ish F

 

It's supposed to get that cold tonight in the Northern Yukon We can often see a week or more of -40 or around that each winter.

 

As for not letting your vehicle warm up before putting it into gear: I think the ambient engine bay warming from letting your engine heat up will help your brakes and power steering a little bit. But even if you don't believe in that, I'd rather not be forcing a still cold engine (if it's below 0F) to push your cold transmission around. If it's a Toyota you might get away with it for a while though...

 

Wow man, I’m getting chilly just thinking about living in Yukon during winter. Beautiful up there I’m sure.

 

supposed to hit -41c tonight. rip

 

Right around the point Fahrenheit and Celsius cross paths.

Cold either way.... stay warm!

 

Same. I have remote start and give it at least 5 or 6 minutes. Then I drive a gently as I can until things warm up.

 

Last year in our TDI Golf, I just let it run all night while I was working night shift. Taco and nice and warm in the heated garage.

 

I almost took a trip up to Pruhoe Bay back when I worked for an engineering firm that did alot of work up there. I decided against it once I realized I'd need like $3k worth of gear just to work up there haha. Crazy place, almost like a different planet up there.

 

Food for thought...

The biggest winter energy myth: That you need to idle your car before driving
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...hat-you-need-to-idle-your-car-before-driving/

 

That depends on what you consider winter.

 

You obviously didn't read the article.

 

You are correct. WP wanted me to pay, guess I've exceeded the limit of free reads this month. First hand experience tells me they are wrong if the article follows the title.

 

Use an incognito window or wait a month, but don't respond based on the headline.

The gist of the article and the follow article is that modern fuel injected engines using the proper modern engine oil don't need an extended or possibly any warm up time spent idling. The best way to warm it up is driving it gently. Major disadvantages of idling your engine include increased emissions, fuel usage, and engine wear.

While I did warm up my cars in the 1980's I don't bother anymore unless I'm defrosting the windows or getting it warm for a hot date. I do still warm up my carbureted 2-strokes because they run like crap when cold even in the summer.

 

65 degrees I guess.

 

Not with the Tacoma, but a Chevy work van in Watertown NY at -52*f at a motel outside of town and -48*f in downtown Watertown. (Feb 18 1979) Also -34*f near Dover-Foxcroft Me. Mid 1970's.
Sorry not Rochester ny.

 

-52F in New York state? Are you sure?

https://www.currentresults.com/Year.../extreme-annual-rochester-low-temperature.php

 

Albeit I didn't own a taco in 1996 (I had a Ranger), I do remember the week in 1996 when Tower, MN set the state record of -60F. In the Twin Cities we had about a week straight with highs of around -30F. There were so many cars in the work parking lot unable to start.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tower,_Minnesota