Do you guys use engine block heaters? Is it bad for your engine to start it up when it's that cold?
Most folks in my area run engine block, battery, oil pan, and transmission pan heaters during the winter. As Carl also mentioned, I put a winter grill cover on my Powerstroke. Still, the engines make some horrific noises when they start after sitting for awhile. Most cars just take it in stride, as long as you let the engines warm up before driving.
Other "cool" things that happen in the extreme (and sometimes not-so-extreme) cold:
1. Rubber door seals and plastic trim pieces get very hard and brittle in the cold, which increases breakage and makes it difficult to shut doors (I actually shattered the flimsy rubber gasket on my canopy door the other day).
2. Tires freeze overnight and you spend the first few miles each day driving with flat spot until the rubber warms up and becomes more pliable.
3. Batteries freeze...I actually started my car and drove to the gym one morning. My battery froze solid while the car was sitting outside for an hour or two (I learned the hard way I had a faulty battery heater).
4. Power steering and brake fluid become very viscous at about -30F...which makes both systems feel like old school manual steering and brakes.
5. Windshields will crack along the bottom if you run the defroster too hot or for too long, especially if you have a rock chip in the glass.
6. The moisture in air compressor lines can condense in your valve stems and freeze them open if you try to inflate your tires outside.
7. Moisture in the fuel lines can freeze and cause blockages or breaks in the fuel line...most people use fuel additives and keep their tanks full to reduce moisture in the tank.
8. It's highly recommended to wear gloves when working with metal tools and parts outside; otherwise, you can get contact frostbite when your bare skin touches the extremely cold metal.
Unfortunately, some of these are lessons learned from experience.
