That's an interesting article Tony, I didn't know how far back it went.
The Ford ads now say there is a heating element at the base of the windshield. I can't see anything so I will assume it is inside the dash.
How to Use the Windshield Wiper De-Icer | Ford How-To | Ford - YouTube
The Ford ads now say there is a heating element at the base of the windshield. I can't see anything so I will assume it is inside the dash.
How to Use the Windshield Wiper De-Icer | Ford How-To | Ford - YouTube
Electric block heaters are installed to most cars here. Gasoline operated heaters are even better, but then a battery charger is recommended. All houses have outdoor electricity posts for car heating and so do some factories and office buildings.
My new BMW PHEV doesn't have a block heater, but one can set cabinet pre-heating remotely. Seems like battery cells don't have pre-heating. I don't know if it heats up coolant, but at least when motor starts all heat warms up the engine only. At temps colder than -10C engine starts immediately when car moves, because cold batteries can't deliver full current. Engine and gearbox have synthetic oil, so up to -30C no problems so far and I'm not concerned of engine wear of damage with cold starts.
My new BMW PHEV doesn't have a block heater, but one can set cabinet pre-heating remotely. Seems like battery cells don't have pre-heating. I don't know if it heats up coolant, but at least when motor starts all heat warms up the engine only. At temps colder than -10C engine starts immediately when car moves, because cold batteries can't deliver full current. Engine and gearbox have synthetic oil, so up to -30C no problems so far and I'm not concerned of engine wear of damage with cold starts.
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Oh he has one of those as well. Although this was his commuter he wanted it to be able to cope with anywhere he went. He drove from UK to the artic circle and back just for a laugh one year. He, like all my friends does not fit any form of normal.
I miss that evil pink fluid that would melt sheet ice off the windscreen. Not safe for sale in UK 🙂
Ford have the patent on invisible heating elements. I can see them and they annoy me when I remember there are there. For last 15 years or so some manufacturers have put a 1-2kW heating element in the fan box mainly as modern Turbo diesels can be left idling all day and not warm up. Peugeot oddly were an early adopter. Odd because french cars and electricity have a long history of not being good bedfellows, although not taking over from lucas prince of darkness on classic British cars 🙂
The secret is to heat it to just below the point it might risk cracking the screen! The aftermarket kit he has also has a neat feature to pump unused fluid back to the nozzle cannot freeze whatever.
Real men* light a fire under the engine and fuel tank in the morning to get things warmed up before starting.
*At least in the cold parts of siberia.
I take it real men don't have eyebrows or other exposed hair after trying to start a gasoline vehicle with fire!
Real men use diesel as well. Although I have seen films of people trying to dry out a tuk tuk with a rag dipped in the petrol tank and lit. Given the safety profile of the average tuk tuk it's low additional risk.
I myself used to do this in Northern New England; well, time trials, not racing, since we we poor and didn’t want to prang our cars. (Excellent French word for that: depannage)
I had a matched set of 850 cc Minis, one LH, one RH drive. Drop the tire pressure, remove the rachet mechanism from the handbrake, and drive sideways, blipping the throttle to find adhesion. Without studs in the tires, 850 ccs was a pretty good displacement, although not as good as the 2-stroke Saab 96s.
The Finns were our ice racing/rally HEROS. Of course, their bravery (not to say reckless abandon) is not surprising if you know the history of the Winter Wars...
Speaking of diesel -- from one of our consulting engineers in Spain -- refinery runs on the EU are running so much below normal that there's a shortage of the light products you need for ethylene, propylene, glycols, etc. Problem compounded by shipping delays attributable to testing and quarantines.
WRC Arctic Rally Finland (Replacing Rally Sweden)
26-28th February 2021
WRC newcomer which ventures deep into the frozen and remote Arctic Circle in northern Finland, where temperatures are extreme and daylight hours are short. Studded tyres provide remarkable grip in the snow. Paradoxically, it is one of the season’s fastest rounds.
ps. Kalle Rovanperä comes from Jyväskylä like Tommi Mäkinen, and Juha Kankkunen from our neighbour town
Kalle Rovanpera - first year of rally driving at age of 8 - YouTube
Kalle Rovanpera - ikaa 11 vuotta ja vauhtia yli 200 km/h (Teknavi 2012) - YouTube
Kalle's father Harri was a WRC driver too, but here with Mustang Shelby Super Snake https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HL8DBLTW8Wo
26-28th February 2021
WRC newcomer which ventures deep into the frozen and remote Arctic Circle in northern Finland, where temperatures are extreme and daylight hours are short. Studded tyres provide remarkable grip in the snow. Paradoxically, it is one of the season’s fastest rounds.
ps. Kalle Rovanperä comes from Jyväskylä like Tommi Mäkinen, and Juha Kankkunen from our neighbour town
Kalle Rovanpera - first year of rally driving at age of 8 - YouTube
Kalle Rovanpera - ikaa 11 vuotta ja vauhtia yli 200 km/h (Teknavi 2012) - YouTube
Kalle's father Harri was a WRC driver too, but here with Mustang Shelby Super Snake https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HL8DBLTW8Wo
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-10C and 5cm more snow during the night
Winter sports and outdoor recreation is an integral part of community provided services in Scandinavia. Jyväskylä call's itself Capital of Sport
Here is a map of central region, purple trace is skiing/hiking trails. I must walk only 100m to reach the nearest lighted trail!
Winter sports and outdoor recreation is an integral part of community provided services in Scandinavia. Jyväskylä call's itself Capital of Sport
Here is a map of central region, purple trace is skiing/hiking trails. I must walk only 100m to reach the nearest lighted trail!
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Global Warming Update:
On Monday, forecast to reach 20 degrees F (-6.66 deg C., a diabolical temp) overnight.
For Houston Texas (30 degrees N, same as Cairo) that's like a week of -30 in northern New England.
On Monday, forecast to reach 20 degrees F (-6.66 deg C., a diabolical temp) overnight.
For Houston Texas (30 degrees N, same as Cairo) that's like a week of -30 in northern New England.
We had some girly snow earlier. Cold enough so it looked attractive but lightweight and fluffy so it went the way of the wind. Good temperature to use the patio as a fridge.
Perhaps we are still on our way out of last Ice Age? But seriously, last 100years is a climate catastrophe!
-18C and 3cm more snow in the morning, but what's the bright spot on the sky? My eyes are hurting!
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-23C this morning. That's the coldest so far this year at my house. Forecast says back to normal (hovering around zero) in a few days.
Burning plenty of wood.
Burning plenty of wood.
No, it's just a fresh water tank!
We don't have a big observatory around here, just two small ones held by a local association Observatoriot – Jyvaskylan Sirius ry
We don't have a big observatory around here, just two small ones held by a local association Observatoriot – Jyvaskylan Sirius ry