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Whoops; Uhhh, fog
Topic Started: Jan 15 2016, 08:20 AM (1,282 Views)
WiscoMetro
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Seeking the Science of MPG

So leaving from work this morning my car was frosted over, so I brushed it off and left. I must have been parked where it was 31.99 degrees and drove into a above freezing area and drove through some fog and poof, WHITE frosted windshield, it's only one lane so I had nowhere to pull over. Hit my wipers and spray, no effect, then reached to roll down my window. It was still warming so I had my foot off the gas idling forward in 3rd, so I was probably doing about 18. While rolling down the window I drove onto the edge of the median :die (drivers side wheels only) and immediately turned back onto the road. There was some hardpack snow plowed against the curb so It wasn't as bad as it could have been but it worries me. Drove home, got 53 MPG which is typical, I let go of the steering wheel going 50 MPH on the freeway and I'd say within 90% certainty it tracked the same as before the incident.

This is by far the hardest jar it has ever taken since I owned it, Could the suspension have taken damage, alignment tweaked yet be unnoticeable, or other part damaged?

PS - The defroster started to clear the flashfrost away literally seconds after returning all 4 wheels to the road. :banghead
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34me
New Member
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It's unlikely you did any damage if it still goes straight with no hands on wheel.


A glancing blow like that might gouge the tire but that's about it. I have taken my ride off road and bumped all kinds of big rocks, never did more then scuff the sidewall. Now if you jumped the curb - you might want the local alignment shop to look at it. But like I said - if it goes straight your good!
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geogonfa
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:gp
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Johnny Mullet
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Fear the Mullet

These cars are tough. Should be fine if everything feels fine.
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1DCGUY
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Don't be a "Richard"

If the windows are fogged up, you are not letting that new motor warm up enough before you drive it.
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WiscoMetro
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Seeking the Science of MPG

The following day that I worked I got a better look at the location (I worked those 2 days at a different plant that I only occasionally work at), the median sloped down on the end to the road so I didn't jump the curb, or touch the curb. I hit about 5 vertical inches of hardpack ice which extended about 15 inches from the median, up until that point the road had no median and was completely plowed.
34me
 
It's unlikely you did any damage if it still goes straight with no hands on wheel.
Johnny Mullet
 
These cars are tough. Should be fine if everything feels fine.

This makes me feel better, and Pepper would seem to show no problems luckily.

1DCGUY
 
If the windows are fogged up, you are not letting that new motor warm up enough before you drive it.
I brushed off the windows without putting my coat on so I figured it was a 15 second oil circulation normal startup, and even when it's 0°F out I don't sit for more than a minute, I just can't stand idling. But I do drive very gently keeping my foot off the gas and RPM's below 2K as much as possible until I start to see the thermometer move. One tip to help keep the windshield clear on the inside from your breath is to run the fan on defroster blowing cold air until warm, letting the engine keep it's heat, but that wouldn't have helped driving through the fog any.
If anyone has a favorite electric pre-heater, I'm open to suggestions! :cold
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Hanuman
"The Almighty Grounds Cleaner"

Sometimes I'll poor a gallon of hot water over the window to warm it up inside and out.....once the inside is free of frost, squeegee it off...then drive away.
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Scoobs
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:D

Pour hot water on a cold window and it will sometimes shatter :P

What i usually do, when its snows or freezing rain, i have a small ceramic space heater, i fold my back seat down, and set a solid block down, either concrete block, or similar, and run a thick heavy duty extension cord to the car and plug it in. Car never needs to "defrost" since nothing will stick to the windows while its warm inside :D. Never have to scrape ice, or clean snow XD. Also annother addon is a coolant heater, circulation type.
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myredvert
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myredvert

Quote:
 
Also annother addon is a coolant heater, circulation type.
:thumb The circulating coolant heaters are best, but even a smaller lower radiator hose heater like I installed works well enough to get the heater core coolant temps easily over 100F and the throttle body warmed in an hour or less with the outside temp at 20F.

If you want to take good care of that engine, installing a good oil pan heater in addition to the coolant heater can heat the oil to around 100F in that same hour, which will decreases the viscosity of a typical 5W oil at startup by a factor of 6+ - significantly more if the outside temperature is lower.

I have both heaters run to a 3 way adapter secured to the radiator support brace - plug in an extension cord and lower the hood.

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mt999999
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Self-Declared "Genious"

Hmm... I have a garage to keep the snow/frost off of it. :rasp :lol
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Daox
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Circulating heater is really nice. I just installed mine a couple weeks ago and I absolutely love it. 1000W kats type heater. Give it 30 mins and it gets my coolant around 100F when I jump in the car.

http://geometroforum.com/single/?p=1042153&t=5929835
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sphenicie


1DCGUY
Jan 15 2016, 09:47 PM
If the windows are fogged up, you are not letting that new motor warm up enough before you drive it.
this is a condition that actually happens with some frequency in close proximity to lake Michigan. I remember the first time it happened to me. I hadn't been driving long and never experienced it before. driving along at 45 or so and bam, just like that. instant white out! it happens a lot in the summer with fogging. I have been going down the hiway at 70mph when poof white out. I have since learned to recognize the signs.....lots of brake lights for no visible reason, people pulled over scraping their window. sucks when you drive into it first!

glad you didn't crash!
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snowfish
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Basic GearHead

Quote:
 
I have since learned to recognize the signs.

Listen to Sphenecie! He knows! :deal

Posted Image

Posted Image

Or was that when he was teaching his dog to drive? :hmm :news ;) :whistle :lol
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1DCGUY
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Don't be a "Richard"

sphenicie
Jan 19 2016, 07:37 AM
1DCGUY
Jan 15 2016, 09:47 PM
If the windows are fogged up, you are not letting that new motor warm up enough before you drive it.
this is a condition that actually happens with some frequency in close proximity to lake Michigan. I remember the first time it happened to me. I hadn't been driving long and never experienced it before. driving along at 45 or so and bam, just like that. instant white out! it happens a lot in the summer with fogging. I have been going down the hiway at 70mph when poof white out. I have since learned to recognize the signs.....lots of brake lights for no visible reason, people pulled over scraping their window. sucks when you drive into it first!

glad you didn't crash!
Hold on, I was not commenting on the amount of fog in the area, I was commenting on the lack of warm up time for a newly built Glenn motor.
The tolerances of his rebuilds are so tight, that simply getting in the car and driving it, is not a great idea.
I witnessed this first hand on my new Glenn build the first winter. With temps in the -20 to -25 range it would not turn over, but as soon as it got to 0, it fired right up.
After I had a year on the motor, I have not had any problems since in extreme cold weather.
I know for a fact Glenn told Clive to warm that motor up before he drove it anywhere, and after reading the first post stating that there was ice on the windshield, I'm betting it didn't get warmed properly.
Sorry WiscoMetro, I'm not trying to bust your chops here, but I know what you paid for that rebuild, and I don't want you to regret it in the future, gas is cheap, let it warm up before you drive it!!
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sphenicie


it has nothing to do with the fog in the area. it has nothing to do with warm up time. it is a condition that occurs due to vary rapid temp changes, literally along a line. The correct conditions for this to occur, happen within a few miles of lake Michigan. it may only happen in winter during years when the lake is open. when it freezes over, you don't get the 'warm effect' from the lake. you may have been driving for 2 hours, and when you go across 'the line' WHAM, frost in winter and fog in summer.

I have had it happen while I was going down the interstate, 70 mph, engine plenty warm. my last thoughts before the windshield frosted over; oh, what a nice sunny winter day, hmm, wonder whats going on up ahead...HOLY #*@%!

when it happens in summer, both the inside and outside of the windshield fog over. you have to pull over.

wish I could explain it better. a person living close to the lake may never get the treat of this experience. you just have to be in the right place at the right time.

can't say for sure if this is what he experienced, but it sounds like it.
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