We've gone back to pretty bloody cold. Today's high was 10°F (~-11°C). I awoke to the outside temperature being 0°F/-18°C. It's back to heavy sweaters and wearing thermal underthings. We've been like this pretty much all week and shall stay that way except for Saturday, then back to more of the Really Cold.
I drove the truck yesterday for an errand and had trouble starting it today. I was going to take the car today, but i found the lock frozen. I rarely lock my vehicles here, there just isn't much point, but on occasion one hears of people passing by and looking inside other people's cars to see if there's anything worth taking. One night a few weeks back, at my knitting group, i heard a car door slam, which seemed odd to me, and when i got in the truck to go home, i saw the centre console opened up wide. Nothing was missing, and the only things i had in the centre console were a couple CDs, a pen, and about 55¢. But that spooked me enough to lock my doors for a bit.
The only way i could get into my car today to see if it would start was to unlock the back hatch or the passenger door and crawl over to the driver's seat. The car is small, a first generation Honda Insight, and it's a manual transmission, so the gear shift makes for less space. I also have the seat pulled pretty far up because i'm short.
I finally got into the driver's seat and tried starting the car. Nope, a sad lurching sound. Too cold.
I didn't bother locking it. The driver's side lock will stay frozen for the next few days at least, and between having to climb over, know how to drive a standard, and then jump the car, to get it going at all seems like too much work for anyone to steal it.
Someone on facebook shared a story about two would-be car thieves who held up a pizza delivery guy and wanted to steal his car. Only they couldn't drive a manual transmission, so they took the money and ran. I'm viewing the frigid battery as simply another layer of my anti-theft protection.
We're supposed to get to a high of 30°F/-1°C on Saturday, and perhaps the car will start then.
that sucks the car not starting. I thought about going out today as the car hasn't moved since last Friday. It is flipping cold though.
ReplyDeleteDuring our last spell of Really Cold Weather, i found myself going out every day and starting up the car and truck just to let them run a few minutes if nothing else. Or, i'd take a 15-minute drive around, just to keep things moving. I went a few days without doing that, and the car wouldn't start. I didn't think to start the car yesterday, and paid for that today.
DeleteWe don't usually have it so cold here that you think about plugging in the cars, but it has made me think that i need to talk to my mechanic and see about getting more robust anti-freeze.
Hovering around the 3/4 C mark most mornings here, with around 10 C in the afternoons. We keep wondering when the COLD will arrive. I've been kidding myself that maybe 2014 will be kind, and we'll have no real winter; but I'm certain our time will come.
ReplyDeleteAt least it's cold here in winter. I'm hoping that spring will be really and truly spring or Mud Season, as it's known and that we don't have a snowy April.
DeleteA hair dryer on an extension cable will unfreeze your lock in no time but won't help a dead battery, I am afraid!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Tom. The battery's not dead, just too cold. If we get two days above freezing, the car should start right up.
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