From: bense@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Ron Bense)
Newsgroups: rec.autos.tech
Subject: Re: CRX Lost MPG oxy gas
Date: 27 Jan 93 20:25:00 GMT
Reply-To: bense@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Ronald Bense)
Organization: Carderock Division, NSWC, Bethesda, MD

In rec.autos.tech, mrein3@cfsmo.honeywell.com (Matt Rein #3) writes:
>> In rec.autos.tech, mrein3@cfsmo.honeywell.com (Matt Rein #3) writes:

>You never drove a car in Minnesota for an extended period of time have you?

No, but I did drive a 4Runner through Alberta in weather below -20F
for 2 months (2 separate times). Does that qualify? (BTW, just to mention
another thing, you ever get in a car at -40 with an 80mph wind? Brrr....)

>If this is a fallacy, why does my '71 Monte drop from 18 MPG to 12 MPG?

Not Tuned? (Beats the hell out of me, perhpas you should get a winter
thermostat, or any of a hundred other factors could be the cause, including
bad design.)

>84 Tempo 30 MPG to 22 MPG, warmup time same, I don't warm them up!!!

This one is in the ranking for "worst cars". I wouldn't judge anything
by how it reacts.

>Now you may try to blame them both on the gas, but the Monte has been
>pulling this low MPG crap during the winter for the 5 years I've owned it.

It's from '71, and probably has a summer thermostat in it (or warm weather,
and requires a "winter" thermostat for cold weather).

>Only this winter it is worse with the bad gas.  (this winter is the first
>one where the Twin Cities required oxngenated gas).

Same here. It's also the first time I've noticed a huge decrrease in
mileage.

>> Perhaps the true reason is this unnecessary warming up?

>If you think warming up a car is unnecessary, you obviously never drove
>a cold car when it was -40 F without the windchill.  Add the wind blowing
>through a rusted out MN car at 55 MPH and you got one cold ride!!!

It is unnecessary, if you plug it in for about 10-20 minutes. (and you
have a properly installed block warmer)

>-40 degrees F and your car is no where near warm in 20 seconds!  Try it

No joke. It isn't when it's a 100 out either.

>sometime.  Most cars left outside won't even start at -40 below, plugged
>in or not (except the Monte ;-) ).

Perhaps they have problems. The only car I've ever owned that didn't
start at the first or second attempt in the cold was a 74 Maverik with
a twenty year-old engine design. (and it didn't start at 40F)

>The coldest start for the Monte:  -41 F, The car never did warm up for the
>13 miles I drove that day.
>-40 degrees F and things break.  You ever try to move a stick shift
>at that temp?  It doesn't.

That is why you drive slowly. (They do move, at least on my cars. Perhaps
your gear oil is too thick?)

Maybe you should think about really winterizing your car(s). In a place
like Mn, this actually means something, and also has an effect. If you
live in Houston, Tx, you can get by on your summer/all weather setup.

>The pump I used last night said January 31 is the last day for the bad gas.
>I heard ADM was behind this corn-gas deal.  They supply 80% of the ethanol
>used in making gas.

Then you're lucky. We have to put up with this garbage until the end
of February (and wouldn't you know it, all the stickers say Feb. 29th!
That's not for another three years, but they have said that it will
end Feb 28th)

Ron

You didn't get flames, just observations.