"Mr. Luddite" Wrote in message:
On 12/30/2017 12:33 PM, wrote:
On Sat, 30 Dec 2017 02:35:31 -0500, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

On 12/29/2017 9:06 PM, True North wrote:
On Friday, 29 December 2017 20:32:03 UTC-4, Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 12/29/2017 7:21 PM, Alex wrote:
Mr. Luddite wrote:

Rethinking my early morning Dunkin' Donuts run.

4 degrees F. right now with a wind chill of minus 5-10.


Got remote start on that Colorado?



Thankfully, yes. This morning I let it run through two complete, 10
minute warm up cycles before I ventured out. Temp had actually dropped
another degree to 3.

Below a certain temp the remote starter also automatically turns on the
seat heater which is nice. Makes a big difference!



From what I've read...warming up while sitting idling isn't good for the vehicle or the environment. They say it's better to drive away slowly for the first 5-10 minutes.
I have a dedicated long extension cord that I use to plug in the block heater. I bought an electric battery blanket also but haven't installed it yet.
An hour before I go anywhere on mornings below -10C, I throw the inside switch that controls 2 of my 3 outside plugs. The Highlander starts easily and warms up much faster.


Car manufacturers used to warn about idling a car for long periods
because it was bad for the catalytic converter. Don't know if that's
true anymore as remote starters in cold climates have become very
popular. I don't have a garage and when you use the remote start it
also turns on the windshield and rear window defroster full blast.
Without that benefit, I'd be sitting in the driveway for a while anyway
waiting to see where I was going.

In any event I only use it on these very cold mornings. My total drive
to and from the local Dunkin's is only 10 minutes and I like doing it
without freezing my ass off.

I can see why the rest of the world is ****ed at Americans. You ran
your car for a half hour to take a 10 minute drive for a cup of coffee
and a doughnut. Maybe Uber should deliver doughnuts ;-)


You betcha and I did it again this morning and will do it again
tomorrow! Let the rest of the world be ****ed. :-)

You can't win. If you had Uber do the fetchin, you'd be called lazy.


--
x


----Android NewsGroup Reader----
http://usenet.sinaapp.com/

On Saturday, December 30, 2017 at 12:16:22 PM UTC-5, Keyser Soze wrote:
On 12/30/17 12:05 PM, True North wrote:
On Saturday, 30 December 2017 11:39:53 UTC-4, Its Me wrote:
On Saturday, December 30, 2017 at 10:20:36 AM UTC-5, justan wrote:
True North Wrote in message:
On Saturday, 30 December 2017 08:02:21 UTC-4, justan wrote:
True North Wrote in message:
On Friday, 29 December 2017 20:32:03 UTC-4, Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 12/29/2017 7:21 PM, Alex wrote:
Mr. Luddite wrote:

Rethinking my early morning Dunkin' Donuts run.

4 degrees F. right now with a wind chill of minus 5-10.


Got remote start on that Colorado?



Thankfully, yes. This morning I let it run through two complete, 10
minute warm up cycles before I ventured out. Temp had actually dropped
another degree to 3.

Below a certain temp the remote starter also automatically turns on the
seat heater which is nice. Makes a big difference!

From what I've read...warming up while sitting idling isn't good for the vehicle or the environment. They say it's better to drive away slowly for the first 5-10 minutes.
I have a dedicated long extension cord that I use to plug in the block heater. I bought an electric battery blanket also but haven't installed it yet.
An hour before I go anywhere on mornings below -10C, I throw the inside switch that controls 2 of my 3 outside plugs. The Highlander starts easily and warms up much faster.


None of my local auto parts stores sell block heaters or electric
battery blankets. Did you get yours on line?
--
x


----Android NewsGroup Reader----
http://usenet.sinaapp.com/

Every half decent auto parts or hardware store carries block heaters..
When I bought the RAV4 in 2009, I insisted that they throw in a block heater along with other accessories. My 2013 Highlander already came equipped with one.


Fraid not. In fact, it's difficult to find a snow shovel south of
the Mason/Dixon line.

I'll never forget when I first travelled up north in the winter years ago on business. I walked into a home improvement type store one evening to pick up some supplies, and there was a big display up front of snow shovels. I'd never even seen one in person until then. I'm not sure I could find one locally if I tried. No need. Same for block heaters or battery blankets.


They sell snow shovels in larger drug and grocery stores up here. They always have a display at the front.


Same here. When my wife retires, we're moving to Hilton Head Island in
South Carolina. Well, she'll be moving, and if I'm still above ground, I
will, too.

There goes the neighborhood.

On 12/30/2017 12:41 PM, wrote:
On Sat, 30 Dec 2017 06:22:09 -0800 (PST), True North
wrote:


I wouldn't bother with block heaters unless I had a diesel.

My purpose is to lessen engine wear due to cold starting and the problem with thicker oil trying to coat and apply lubrication to frozen internal parts. I believe the block heater helps with this. I'm more interested in the long engine life of my vehicles than my own comfort.
On the other hand I do try to dress properly when going out in temperatures lower than -8 C. That is..undershirt, flannel shirt, fleece layer and winter coat. Even wear mitts if walking the dog.

Block heaters do make sense up in the frozen north. Where we vacation
in the western mountains, it is not unusual to see NEMA 5-15 plugs
sticking out of the grilles of cars. I assume that is for the heater.
I agree with Don. At anything below 0 F motor oil is going to be
molasses and not doing a lot of flowing/lubricating, even if it is
5wsumpin. I also wonder how well the oil in the rear axle and
transmission is working.

If you read stories about the Russian campaign in WWII, they even had
problems with lubrication in their small arms.



Even at 30-40 degrees the oil in a car isn't going to flow normally
until it warms up. Operating temp is what, about 195-205 degrees?

My wife's former car ... a 2008 Mercury Mountaineer ... had close to
200,000 miles on it when she traded it in. It had a remote start that
she used pretty much every day during the winter months, even if the
temperature was above freezing. I used to warn her that it wasn't good
for the catalytic converter (as I had been told). The engine was
perfectly fine when she traded it as was the catalytic converter (still
had the original and still passed emission tests).

The only reason she got rid of it was because she was forced to by
family members who occasionally had to ride with her. The damn thing
smelled like a hay wagon.

On Sat, 30 Dec 2017 12:26:25 -0500, "Mr. Luddite" wrote:

On 12/30/2017 10:41 AM, Its Me wrote:
On Saturday, December 30, 2017 at 10:33:19 AM UTC-5, Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 12/30/2017 10:10 AM, justan wrote:
True North Wrote in message:
On Saturday, 30 December 2017 08:29:43 UTC-4, Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 12/30/2017 7:05 AM, justan wrote:
"Mr. Luddite" Wrote in message:
On 12/29/2017 9:06 PM, True North wrote:
On Friday, 29 December 2017 20:32:03 UTC-4, Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 12/29/2017 7:21 PM, Alex wrote:
Mr. Luddite wrote:

Rethinking my early morning Dunkin' Donuts run.

4 degrees F. right now with a wind chill of minus 5-10.


Got remote start on that Colorado?



Thankfully, yes. This morning I let it run through two complete, 10
minute warm up cycles before I ventured out. Temp had actually dropped
another degree to 3.

Below a certain temp the remote starter also automatically turns on the
seat heater which is nice. Makes a big difference!



From what I've read...warming up while sitting idling isn't good for the vehicle or the environment. They say it's better to drive away slowly for the first 5-10 minutes.
I have a dedicated long extension cord that I use to plug in the block heater. I bought an electric battery blanket also but haven't installed it yet.
An hour before I go anywhere on mornings below -10C, I throw the inside switch that controls 2 of my 3 outside plugs. The Highlander starts easily and warms up much faster.


Car manufacturers used to warn about idling a car for long periods
because it was bad for the catalytic converter. Don't know if that's
true anymore as remote starters in cold climates have become very
popular. I don't have a garage and when you use the remote start it
also turns on the windshield and rear window defroster full blast.
Without that benefit, I'd be sitting in the driveway for a while anyway
waiting to see where I was going.

In any event I only use it on these very cold mornings. My total drive
to and from the local Dunkin's is only 10 minutes and I like doing it
without freezing my ass off.



I wish I could remember to use my remote start when my car has
been baking under the hot Florida sun.



I became curious again after reading Don's comments about remote
starters and read several reviews and query's regarding if their use to
warm up the engine for a bit before driving in extreme cold weather is
bad for the car. Turns out, it's a myth, based on older engine
technology.

In reality, warming the engine up a bit before driving is actually
better for the engine than just starting it and driving slowly. If you
do the latter, the engine is actually working harder than normal under
load, is using more gas and is less efficient emission control wise than
if you let it warm up a bit at idle under little load.

I wouldn't bother with block heaters unless I had a diesel.

My purpose is to lessen engine wear due to cold starting and the problem with thicker oil trying to coat and apply lubrication to frozen internal parts. I believe the block heater helps with this. I'm more interested in the long engine life of my vehicles than my own comfort.
On the other hand I do try to dress properly when going out in temperatures lower than -8 C. That is..undershirt, flannel shirt, fleece layer and winter coat. Even wear mitts if walking the dog.


Machines are meant to serve man, not vice versa.



If I went to all that trouble to run down to Dunkin's to get coffee, I
may as well ride one of Mrs.E's horses.

I like being warm.

You need to finally pull the trigger and move down south.


I am ready. Others not so much.



Been there doing that. I'm ready to go.

On Sat, 30 Dec 2017 12:33:23 -0500, wrote:

On Sat, 30 Dec 2017 02:35:31 -0500, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

On 12/29/2017 9:06 PM, True North wrote:
On Friday, 29 December 2017 20:32:03 UTC-4, Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 12/29/2017 7:21 PM, Alex wrote:
Mr. Luddite wrote:

Rethinking my early morning Dunkin' Donuts run.

4 degrees F. right now with a wind chill of minus 5-10.


Got remote start on that Colorado?



Thankfully, yes. This morning I let it run through two complete, 10
minute warm up cycles before I ventured out. Temp had actually dropped
another degree to 3.

Below a certain temp the remote starter also automatically turns on the
seat heater which is nice. Makes a big difference!



From what I've read...warming up while sitting idling isn't good for the vehicle or the environment. They say it's better to drive away slowly for the first 5-10 minutes.
I have a dedicated long extension cord that I use to plug in the block heater. I bought an electric battery blanket also but haven't installed it yet.
An hour before I go anywhere on mornings below -10C, I throw the inside switch that controls 2 of my 3 outside plugs. The Highlander starts easily and warms up much faster.


Car manufacturers used to warn about idling a car for long periods
because it was bad for the catalytic converter. Don't know if that's
true anymore as remote starters in cold climates have become very
popular. I don't have a garage and when you use the remote start it
also turns on the windshield and rear window defroster full blast.
Without that benefit, I'd be sitting in the driveway for a while anyway
waiting to see where I was going.

In any event I only use it on these very cold mornings. My total drive
to and from the local Dunkin's is only 10 minutes and I like doing it
without freezing my ass off.

I can see why the rest of the world is ****ed at Americans. You ran
your car for a half hour to take a 10 minute drive for a cup of coffee
and a doughnut. Maybe Uber should deliver doughnuts ;-)

Would that Uber guy be saving a lot of resources?

I can really empathize with this. I used to go to a local 7/11 every morning for coffee, when I was
stationed at Fort Belvoir. The manager and I would shoot the ****, and the coffee was always on the
house. He wouldn't let me pay. Said he really liked having a customer in the place at 5:30 AM. Made
him feel a bit more secure.

On Saturday, 30 December 2017 13:33:29 UTC-4, wrote:
On Sat, 30 Dec 2017 02:35:31 -0500, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

On 12/29/2017 9:06 PM, True North wrote:
On Friday, 29 December 2017 20:32:03 UTC-4, Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 12/29/2017 7:21 PM, Alex wrote:
Mr. Luddite wrote:

Rethinking my early morning Dunkin' Donuts run.

4 degrees F. right now with a wind chill of minus 5-10.


Got remote start on that Colorado?



Thankfully, yes. This morning I let it run through two complete, 10
minute warm up cycles before I ventured out. Temp had actually dropped
another degree to 3.

Below a certain temp the remote starter also automatically turns on the
seat heater which is nice. Makes a big difference!



From what I've read...warming up while sitting idling isn't good for the vehicle or the environment. They say it's better to drive away slowly for the first 5-10 minutes.
I have a dedicated long extension cord that I use to plug in the block heater. I bought an electric battery blanket also but haven't installed it yet.
An hour before I go anywhere on mornings below -10C, I throw the inside switch that controls 2 of my 3 outside plugs. The Highlander starts easily and warms up much faster.


Car manufacturers used to warn about idling a car for long periods
because it was bad for the catalytic converter. Don't know if that's
true anymore as remote starters in cold climates have become very
popular. I don't have a garage and when you use the remote start it
also turns on the windshield and rear window defroster full blast.
Without that benefit, I'd be sitting in the driveway for a while anyway
waiting to see where I was going.

In any event I only use it on these very cold mornings. My total drive
to and from the local Dunkin's is only 10 minutes and I like doing it
without freezing my ass off.

I can see why the rest of the world is ****ed at Americans. You ran
your car for a half hour to take a 10 minute drive for a cup of coffee
and a doughnut. Maybe Uber should deliver doughnuts ;-)

Bingo!
Up here money is a little harder to come by...is worth less and we're taxed higher on it. Items also cost more...from the original vehicle purchase to gasoline. It's very prudent and thrifty to think twice about wasting it.
"Waste not...want not!"

On 30 Dec 2017 15:41:38 GMT, Keyser Soze wrote:

justan wrote:
True North Wrote in message:
On Saturday, 30 December 2017 08:02:21 UTC-4, justan wrote:
True North Wrote in message:
On Friday, 29 December 2017 20:32:03 UTC-4, Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 12/29/2017 7:21 PM, Alex wrote:
Mr. Luddite wrote:

Rethinking my early morning Dunkin' Donuts run.

4 degrees F. right now with a wind chill of minus 5-10.


Got remote start on that Colorado?



Thankfully, yes. This morning I let it run through two complete, 10
minute warm up cycles before I ventured out. Temp had actually dropped
another degree to 3.

Below a certain temp the remote starter also automatically turns on the
seat heater which is nice. Makes a big difference!

From what I've read...warming up while sitting idling isn't good for
the vehicle or the environment. They say it's better to drive away
slowly for the first 5-10 minutes.
I have a dedicated long extension cord that I use to plug in the block
heater. I bought an electric battery blanket also but haven't installed it yet.
An hour before I go anywhere on mornings below -10C, I throw the
inside switch that controls 2 of my 3 outside plugs. The Highlander
starts easily and warms up much faster.


None of my local auto parts stores sell block heaters or electric
battery blankets. Did you get yours on line?
--
x


----Android NewsGroup Reader----
http://usenet.sinaapp.com/

Every half decent auto parts or hardware store carries block heaters.
When I bought the RAV4 in 2009, I insisted that they throw in a block
heater along with other accessories. My 2013 Highlander already came equipped with one.


Fraid not. In fact, it's difficult to find a snow shovel south of
the Mason/Dixon line.

More of your ignorance. Look up Mason’s and Dixon’s Line and get back to us
when you figure out its boundaries.

You don't reckon he was joking a bit, do you Krause?

On 12/30/2017 1:28 PM, John H wrote:
On Sat, 30 Dec 2017 12:33:23 -0500, wrote:

On Sat, 30 Dec 2017 02:35:31 -0500, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

On 12/29/2017 9:06 PM, True North wrote:
On Friday, 29 December 2017 20:32:03 UTC-4, Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 12/29/2017 7:21 PM, Alex wrote:
Mr. Luddite wrote:

Rethinking my early morning Dunkin' Donuts run.

4 degrees F. right now with a wind chill of minus 5-10.


Got remote start on that Colorado?



Thankfully, yes. This morning I let it run through two complete, 10
minute warm up cycles before I ventured out. Temp had actually dropped
another degree to 3.

Below a certain temp the remote starter also automatically turns on the
seat heater which is nice. Makes a big difference!



From what I've read...warming up while sitting idling isn't good for the vehicle or the environment. They say it's better to drive away slowly for the first 5-10 minutes.
I have a dedicated long extension cord that I use to plug in the block heater. I bought an electric battery blanket also but haven't installed it yet.
An hour before I go anywhere on mornings below -10C, I throw the inside switch that controls 2 of my 3 outside plugs. The Highlander starts easily and warms up much faster.


Car manufacturers used to warn about idling a car for long periods
because it was bad for the catalytic converter. Don't know if that's
true anymore as remote starters in cold climates have become very
popular. I don't have a garage and when you use the remote start it
also turns on the windshield and rear window defroster full blast.
Without that benefit, I'd be sitting in the driveway for a while anyway
waiting to see where I was going.

In any event I only use it on these very cold mornings. My total drive
to and from the local Dunkin's is only 10 minutes and I like doing it
without freezing my ass off.

I can see why the rest of the world is ****ed at Americans. You ran
your car for a half hour to take a 10 minute drive for a cup of coffee
and a doughnut. Maybe Uber should deliver doughnuts ;-)

Would that Uber guy be saving a lot of resources?

I can really empathize with this. I used to go to a local 7/11 every morning for coffee, when I was
stationed at Fort Belvoir. The manager and I would shoot the ****, and the coffee was always on the
house. He wouldn't let me pay. Said he really liked having a customer in the place at 5:30 AM. Made
him feel a bit more secure.



5:30 am is just about the time I arrive at Dunkin's every morning. The
girls there know my voice when I pull up to the order speaker and
automatically know what coffees and donuts to get. I gave the morning
crew there a $100 tip on Christmas Eve morning. They have to be there
before 4 am to receive the donuts that are made and then distributed by
truck. They probably have remote starters too. :-)

On 12/30/2017 1:29 PM, True North wrote:
On Saturday, 30 December 2017 13:33:29 UTC-4, wrote:
On Sat, 30 Dec 2017 02:35:31 -0500, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

On 12/29/2017 9:06 PM, True North wrote:
On Friday, 29 December 2017 20:32:03 UTC-4, Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 12/29/2017 7:21 PM, Alex wrote:
Mr. Luddite wrote:

Rethinking my early morning Dunkin' Donuts run.

4 degrees F. right now with a wind chill of minus 5-10.


Got remote start on that Colorado?



Thankfully, yes. This morning I let it run through two complete, 10
minute warm up cycles before I ventured out. Temp had actually dropped
another degree to 3.

Below a certain temp the remote starter also automatically turns on the
seat heater which is nice. Makes a big difference!



From what I've read...warming up while sitting idling isn't good for the vehicle or the environment. They say it's better to drive away slowly for the first 5-10 minutes.
I have a dedicated long extension cord that I use to plug in the block heater. I bought an electric battery blanket also but haven't installed it yet.
An hour before I go anywhere on mornings below -10C, I throw the inside switch that controls 2 of my 3 outside plugs. The Highlander starts easily and warms up much faster.


Car manufacturers used to warn about idling a car for long periods
because it was bad for the catalytic converter. Don't know if that's
true anymore as remote starters in cold climates have become very
popular. I don't have a garage and when you use the remote start it
also turns on the windshield and rear window defroster full blast.
Without that benefit, I'd be sitting in the driveway for a while anyway
waiting to see where I was going.

In any event I only use it on these very cold mornings. My total drive
to and from the local Dunkin's is only 10 minutes and I like doing it
without freezing my ass off.

I can see why the rest of the world is ****ed at Americans. You ran
your car for a half hour to take a 10 minute drive for a cup of coffee
and a doughnut. Maybe Uber should deliver doughnuts ;-)


Bingo!
Up here money is a little harder to come by...is worth less and we're taxed higher on it. Items also cost more...from the original vehicle purchase to gasoline. It's very prudent and thrifty to think twice about wasting it.
"Waste not...want not!"



I can't argue the merits of not wasting but really Don ... how much gas
do you think my truck burns at idle for 10 minutes for maybe 20 days of
the year? Not much. I could probably burn more in one day during the
summer towing a Bayliner to the launch ramp and back. :-)

On 12/30/17 1:35 PM, Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 12/30/2017 1:28 PM, John H wrote:
On Sat, 30 Dec 2017 12:33:23 -0500, wrote:

On Sat, 30 Dec 2017 02:35:31 -0500, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

On 12/29/2017 9:06 PM, True North wrote:
On Friday, 29 December 2017 20:32:03 UTC-4, Mr. LudditeÂ* wrote:
On 12/29/2017 7:21 PM, Alex wrote:
Mr. Luddite wrote:

Rethinking my early morning Dunkin' Donuts run.

4 degrees F. right now with a wind chill of minus 5-10.


Got remote start on that Colorado?



Thankfully, yes.Â* This morning I let it run through two complete, 10
minute warm up cycles before I ventured out.Â* Temp had actually
dropped
another degree to 3.

Below a certain temp the remote starter also automatically turns
on the
seat heater which is nice.Â* Makes a big difference!



Â* From what I've read...warming up while sitting idling isn't good
for the vehicle or the environment.Â* They say it's better to drive
away slowly for the first 5-10 minutes.
I have a dedicated long extension cord that I use to plug in the
block heater. I bought an electric battery blanket also but haven't
installed it yet.
An hour before I go anywhere on mornings below -10C, I throw the
inside switch that controls 2 of my 3 outside plugs.Â* The
Highlander starts easily and warms up much faster.


Car manufacturers used to warn about idling a car for long periods
because it was bad for the catalytic converter.Â* Don't know if that's
true anymore as remote starters in cold climates have become very
popular.Â* I don't have a garage and when you use the remote start it
also turns on the windshield and rear window defroster full blast.
Without that benefit, I'd be sitting in the driveway for a while anyway
waiting to see where I was going.

In any event I only use it on these very cold mornings.Â* My total drive
to and from the local Dunkin's is only 10 minutes and I like doing it
without freezing my ass off.

I can see why the rest of the world is ****ed at Americans. You ran
your car for a half hour to take a 10 minute drive for a cup of coffee
and a doughnut. Maybe Uber should deliver doughnutsÂ* ;-)

Would that Uber guy be saving a lot of resources?

I can really empathize with this. I used to go to a local 7/11 every
morning for coffee, when I was
stationed at Fort Belvoir. The manager and I would shoot the ****, and
the coffee was always on the
house. He wouldn't let me pay. Said he really liked having a customer
in the place at 5:30 AM. Made
him feel a bit more secure.



5:30 am is just about the time I arrive at Dunkin's every morning.Â* The
girls there know my voice when I pull up to the order speaker and
automatically know what coffees and donuts to get.Â* I gave the morning
crew there a $100 tip on Christmas Eve morning.Â* They have to be there
before 4 am to receive the donuts that are made and then distributed by
truck.Â* They probably have remote starters too.Â* :-)




I remember the days when the donuts were made fresh in the store. I
don't eat them anymore, but I did read a couple of years ago that the
donut dough was frozen and delivered that way to the stores. I use to
like the thin, cruller-like, round donuts. Haven't had one in at least a
decade.