-57? Yikes! - Well, it's a balmy -2c here in Brampton. Lowest it got so far was -18c. Just glowed twice and started up. Not plugged in..

Why?
 

OK so, I may be stirring a little hornets nest here, but I just wanna know why this happened.

I'm about to go home and as is my SOP, I'll pop outside to start my Benz and let it idle for about 10 minutes to warm it up. This time, I made a conscious effort not to touch the pedal. It was actually the first time I ever had a situation where I felt the car would not start! The starter actually had to kinda 'carry' (dunno how else to explain it) the engine until it started. :eek:

Previously, with the pedal movement I described earlier, my Benz would always start at the first 'kick'. No hesitation at all. I dunno, maybe its just colder tonight? I'll try again tomorrow evening with the pedal down and see what happens.

As it stands, I understand all the logic of cold fuel etc. But if so, why without the pedal did it crank longer? :confused: Any thoughts?

The governor will provide a bit of extra fuel when the rack is advanced to the "start" position. You need to depress the pedal slightly for this to occur.

Without a "start" position, you only get idle fuel which might make the time lengthen slightly.

Note that this "no pedal" procedure is not utilized on a daily basis. If the engine will start normally, it's not required. Only when it's very cold, and you anticipate a crank time longer than 5 seconds..........due to the condition of your engine/starter/glow plugs/battery..........will you need to use this procedure.

Heatwave
 

Let's flip this around ... I agree w/ Graplr that windchill is simply for shock value.

My reason, when it's 90 out and we have a stiff breeze, do the talkingheads say - "The breeze will cool us down, and you'll be comfortable outside" OR do they say "This is the 19th day of this oppressive and dangerous heat wave"?:mad:

I can assure you of one thing ... If I did as poorly with my assessments at work as the weather dorks do with theirs ... I'd be fired. Think about it!

Here in So CA. They don't have Chill Factor, they have "Feels Like". Being from the Chill Factor states, My sis and I roared with laughter the first time we saw it stated so.......
But it does explain it very well.

Whether it's "bogus" or whether it is factual has nothing to do with the intentions of the forecaster.

The forecaster may use wind chill for shock value. However, this does not diminish the fact that a warmer object will cool faster in the presence of convection.

I'm not sure, but I believe you are needlessly waisting the skin on the ends of your fingers. I don't think any amount of proof will convince them.

Chris

:eek: I don't know how you stand it?!

I post not to convince those that will not see.

I post to show others the fallacy of their argument.

AH, then the skin was not wasted!

I don't want to offend anyone here. I respect everyone for having thier own opinions. And I am not saying this due to the fact that I WILL call on someone here to help me out in the future.

The Wind Chill Factor is a value used to help calculate what an ambiant air temperature would 'feel like' on your skin during the winter months.

With regard to objects such as an engine if that engine was cooling down. Yes, it will cool down quicker if there is a breeze or a wind blowing across it but the actual temperature will not reach a lower temperature than that of the ambient air temperature such as the Wind Chill Temperature.. If the engine was plugged into a block heater, it will take longer for the engine block to reach its temperature due to the fact that you have cooler air moving across the engine, resulting in heat loss being carried away as the block heater is working. The result will take more time to accomplish the same amount of work.
Hope this helps,
Mike

put a blanket around your engine. that'll keep the windchill off....

We had a freakishly warm weekend (upper 60s); I kept the top down all day Sunday. Now a chance of snow tomorrow, highs in the 30's, yuck. At least i had a break.

Brian,
I NEVER said ANYTHING about the rate of cooling. I talked about the air temperature itself which is what forecasters always associate wind chill with.

It sure will cool FASTER, but I can figure that out myself if the wind is blowing. I don't need some arbitrary number from a forecaster.

When I listen to the forecasters, they say for example "The temperature outside is 4F, but it FEELS like -15F. This is impossible. There is absolutely NO WAY it can be -15F if the air temperature is 4F!! The coldest possible temperature if the air is 4F is 4F!!!

They NEVER say the windchill will cause you to cool down faster, they say it FEELS like -15F, which is impossible.

Naturally, this is a fact, not me believing anything!

By the way, I am a science teacher. Specifically Earth Science which includes the area of meteorology.

See post #24.

Maybe that's why the education system is in the toilet...........