Newsgroups: rec.autos.tech
Organization: mailEnteringNews at Honeywell SRC

> 
> >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.)
>
Runs like a top.  It finally did get beat though.  About 2 weeks ago an
SHO took it for its first loss since I bought it.  (He didn't pull away
until around 80 MPH.  Then he kept pulling away)  As far as bad design
goes think again.

> >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.
> 
Worst cars?  My 84 has 141,000 miles, uses no oil.  A co-worker has an 84
with 139,000 miles.  A guy my dad works with has an 84 with 250,000 miles.
Worst cars?  I think not!  (All are 84 models with 5-speeds and 140 CID HSC
motors).  Mine cost me $400 six months ago... Now that's an economy car!

> >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).
> 
Hmmmm.... Lets see.  I was a auto mechanic for 3 years and winterized 100+
cars every fall.  If there was such a thing as a "winter thermostat" I
probably would have heard about it.  There are "hot" and "cold" thermostats.
Is that what you mean?  If so I never changed one just for winter.

> >> 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)
> 
Where I used to live they made parking only on one side of the street...
THE OTHER SIDE.  I couldn't really run a cord across the street so I
took the HOSE heater off. :-(
Block heaters (frost plug heaters) tend to leak, I wouldn't put one on my
car and talked many people out of one and sold them a heater-hose heater.

> >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 Monte is never "summerized".  It is a classic Minnesota "winter beater".
I don't even have any radials to replace the snowtires on the back anymore.
It sits (working AC and all) all summer long.  :-(

Here is one for all you front-wheel drive fans out there...  The Monte
goes through snow better than ANY front-driver I ever drove.  (And working
at a service station I drove them all)

> Ron
> 
> You didn't get flames, just observations.
> 

--
- Matt Rein
- mrein3@cfsmo.honeywell.com