SLP958 said:I did not read everything, sorry if this has been answered.
What is plugging in the car?
I am from Alabama and have never heard of someone plugging in a car. Is it an electric car?
CdnCarrie said:It's -20 F without the windchill here. -40 with the windchill. If you leave your car outside for too long without plugging it in it the battery won't start.
No they are not electric cars.
tvguy said:I bet your owners manual says to start the car, take right off, but drive conservatively. Nothing pollutes more than an idling car engine.
And at least here in California, cars are designed to get to operating temperature quickly. Normally my temperature gauge is at normal operating temperature in 2 city blocks......although we just had a stretch of 25 degree weather the last 2 weeks and it took 4 blocks to get to full operating temperature.
Funny you mention plugging your car in, I mentioned that here a year or two ago and a lot of people who said they lived in snow country said they had never heard of that. Last time I was in Calgary, the hotel I stayed in had a plug at every parking spot. I know my family up there has the engine block heater, and a small electric heater mounted under the dash on the passenger side to keep the oil and water in the engine warm, and the interior warm too.
If I went outside right now and tried to start my car nothing would happen so I couldn't just take right off. It's -28F outside right now. We HAVE to plug in our car or it isn't moving the next day. I don't know one single person who uses a block heater (if that's the one inside the car). Cars around here have extension cords coming out of the front grill so they can be plugged in, wherever they are. Store parking lots don't have plug ins but most office buildings do. I worked at a place without plugs and on my lunch break I would have to go let the engine run for a few minutes to make sure it started at the end of he day. Even when the car is plugged in, you have to let it run a few minutes before driving off. Otherwise it feels like you are driving a big, frozen block of metal.
mommasita said:I've never plugged mine in. We don't see much of that. Well maybe tomorrow we will. You definitely get colder conditions than us, but we may be even right now. It is downright nasty.
kimblebee said:If I went outside right now and tried to start my car nothing would happen so I couldn't just take right off. It's -28F outside right now. We HAVE to plug in our car or it isn't moving the next day. I don't know one single person who uses a block heater (if that's the one inside the car). Cars around here have extension cords coming out of the front grill so they can be plugged in, wherever they are. Store parking lots don't have plug ins but most office buildings do. I worked at a place without plugs and on my lunch break I would have to go let the engine run for a few minutes to make sure it started at the end of he day. Even when the car is plugged in, you have to let it run a few minutes before driving off. Otherwise it feels like you are driving a big, frozen block of metal.
So glad this was asked and answered, I'm from NC/SC and have never heard of this either! I just thought there must be more electric cars out there than I realized, lol!
Contrary to belief windchill only has an affect on organic objects IE flesh. -5 degrees on a metal object with a -30 wind chill will be -5.
Sometimes. If the windows are frosted over, or if the temperature is really really cold, I will. It makes me nervous because we have on-street parking, and I don't have my spare set of keys (DH has them on his ring), so I leave the car running and unlocked on the street. My neighborhood is pretty safe, but it only takes one "bad guy" to hop in and drive off in my mini-van...
When it's negative outside, I'm not putting my behind in a freezing cold car. That is why its warmed up for as long as it is. Plus, I know my car and if she's not warmed up, she not a happy car.
We HAVE to plug in our car or it isn't moving the next day. I don't know one single person who uses a block heater (if that's the one inside the car). Cars around here have extension cords coming out of the front grill so they can be plugged in, wherever they are..