Battery- winter edition :-)

[Vittas]

Hand-made Thermo case for battery))

[DanMC]

Is this to keep the battery from freezing whille you drive ?...good idea but i use a 110V blanket for when the car is parked to keep the battery warm and to protect whille i drive from the cold draft...ponimaete ?
Dan

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by DanMC

Is this to keep the battery from freezing whille you drive ?...good idea but i use a 110V blanket for when the car is parked to keep the battery warm and to protect whille i drive from the cold draft...ponimaete ?
Dan

Prompted me to think about a friend of mine who used to live in Montana and kept a cardboard box in his pickup to lodge in front of (but not touching) his radiator when needed during the winter.

[Killchain]

Originally Posted by nookandcrannycar

Prompted me to think about a friend of mine who used to live in Montana and kept a cardboard box in his pickup to lodge in front of (but not touching) his radiator when needed during the winter.

Yep, When lived in Great Falls. I did that! Ah winters there, -55f below wind chill some days. I did have block heater, battery mat heater too.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by Killchain

Yep, When lived in Great Falls. I did that! Ah winters there, -55f below wind chill some days. I did have block heater, battery mat heater too.

Too funny. My friend lived in two places during his time in Montana, Whitefish and Great Falls. After moving back to California, he wanted to take a trip to Montana and Idaho (to visit friends) and to Wyoming. His sister (also a friend of mine) was worried that he might have Sleep Apnea (not diagnosed) and wanted me to go with him...she suggested we take my car and split the gas and (when we couldn't stay with his friends) hotels. I thought this was a great idea. At the time I'd been to Wyoming (skiing), but I'd never been to Yellowstone and I'd never been to Montana, nor Idaho.

We left the San Francisco Bay Area on I-80 and headed across Nevada and then headed north on Highway 2 (through Jackpot, NV) and into Idaho. We stayed in Twin Falls, ID and then headed to Yellowstone for a few days. We left Yellowstone early one morning and had breakfast at a favorite restaurant of his in Livingston, MT. We then headed toward Great Falls, and stopped briefly in Butte and Helena along the way. We spent about 4 days in Great Falls with his friends and visiting the C.M. Russell Museum and I ventured out on my own to the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center. We then headed through the indian reservation and over the Going To The Sun Highway to Kalispell. We spent a couple of days in Kalispell and then headed south -- near Flathead Lake -- and through Polson. We headed to Lolo ('suburban' Missoula) because he had a friend who owned a business there. His employees were 'minding the store', but his friend was out of town on business. We headed to Couer d'Alene and spent a couple of days there. We then headed to Spokane (my friend used to live there as well) and then to Pullman (toured the Washington State University Campus) and on to Lewiston, ID to stay with a married couple who were both really good friends of his. We stayed there for 5 days, explored the area, and then returned to California.

I raved about the physical beauty observed on this trip (as well as the nice people encountered) so often that, before adopting my little cousin (and knowing she'd have a 'sidekick' for the next 17 years ), my cousin decided to largely retrace my trip in her new SUV (with her beloved dog in tow). She had a great time!

My plan is to visit MT, ID, ND, and WA again next year. I've been to all of the 'Lower 48' states and DC. My Yaris has 'been' to nearly all as well, 'missing out' on only ND, MT, and ID.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by Killchain

Yep, When lived in Great Falls. I did that! Ah winters there, -55f below wind chill some days. I did have block heater, battery mat heater too.

I also remember that my friend told me you HAD to do what he did with the cardboard. He said if you HAD to drive during certain weather (just about the wind chill temp you mention) that if your truck stalled you might die.

[DanMC]

Originally Posted by nookandcrannycar

I also remember that my friend told me you HAD to do what he did with the cardboard. He said if you HAD to drive during certain weather (just about the wind chill temp you mention) that if your truck stalled you might die.

I have been to Montana once,back in the early 90's...back in those days i owned a VW Jetta GTX 16V ...a crazy fast car .Back then state of Montana lifted the speed limit during day time so i took the GTX for a spin...it did 195 Km/h !...and the car was loaded with camping gear plus the cat....
Winters can be nasty,you don't plug in and i kid you not ,when it's -45*C you arent going anywhere...so you will do whatever it takes to keep your car protected from the elements...we have three cars (Toyota,Honda and a BMW) and they all have engine block heaters and electric battery blanket ...not to mention engine oil that MUST be in fluid state (synthetic 100% Mobil 1 or Red Line...ok,maybe Penzoil Platinum) otherwise you will need all the !
You haven't seen nasty winters untill you see and experience the western prairie Canadian wnters...hey it's only the begining...for the next 7 months ...but i'll take cold and snow over Catrinas,Sandy's...hey we got tornadoes too !
Have fun !
Dan

[Vittas]

Dan, of course i understand))))) the blanket lies on the motor too. it's not electric but helps to save heat of the yaris motor at night ;-)