Why do cars break down in the cold?

[Crispin]

Might sound like a dumb question but on Saturday morning I was out at 8:00 and it was still -9. The number of cars stuck by the side of the road was amusing. Not old bangers either but a range of newish cars to old bangers to the obligatory Freelander and Disco on the back of a flatbed. Along the A1 were 3 within a mile and the RAC man making his way down the queue.

What confused me was was that they had broken down some way from home so it is not a battery issue. All I can think is that they did not have anti freeze in, started the car and made it to the main roads and then broke down due to overheating.

Other than a frozen rad, surely if a car makes it a mile in the cold then it's pretty much a normal journey and does not have a higher risk of breakdown down?

 

[Andrew Prince]

Lots of possibilities If the cars were diesels, the diesel could have waxed, especially cheap diesel or high veg oil content - that would be my guess given your description. Regular diesel waxes at -8 IIRC.

Wouldn't have thought new-ish cars would have crappy coolant in, so chances of rad freezing wouldn't be high - it would need to be a fair bit colder, although I guess it's possible Would a frozen rad cause a car just to stop after a mile? Not on its own - it would need to crack/damage the head or overheat the car. You would notice clouds of steam on such a cold day if that was the case.

 

[silvercruiser]

I would guess electrical, only because all my cordless tools have been useless first thig in the morning with low temp lights on the batterys. the cars need to go back to simplicity in my view.

Apart from my heated seats and electric aerial oh and mirrors and windows

Joe

 

[uHu]

Around here, you don't see broken down cars even in -25.
Guessing summer-diesel. Or, in odd cases, as you suggest, frozen coolant.

 

[Crushers]

lack of maintenance
idiot owners

pick one or both.

 

[Crispin]

Only steam I saw was the cold drivers standing beside the car so that pretty much rule that out.

Only one I am sure was not a diesel we'd an Audi TT.

Guess it could have been waxing and normal lack of maintenance ...

Still a bit odd.


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[Rob]

Frozen windscreen washer fluid? The amount at people at work that use water and complain about not being able to see due to "some sort of white stuff" is ridiculous... Clearly they should add that to the theory test too.

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[Gary Stockton]

Sad - and that's at a high-tech engineering company. No wonder the things stop working

 

[Rob]

Don't worry they are mainly designers that call themselves engineers also known as felt tip fairies... Never hear anything like that from the real engineers

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[Crispin]

Never hear anything like that from the real engineers

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So you've met them then?

 

[Graham]

Around here, you don't see broken down cars even in -25.
Guessing summer-diesel. Or, in odd cases, as you suggest, frozen coolant.

.
I agree.
Perhaps the Norwegian diesel is also slightly different formulated, to account the expected cold.
Driving from Oslo to Gardemoen, for early morning flight to Trondheim, I would see minus 22 on the outside temperature display.

Gra.

 

[Trevor]

According to the advert run on TV by the RAC today, their winter attended breakdowns were mainly batteries and frozen brakes.

 

[Crispin]

Frozen brakes? Just give it more wellie?

 

[Rob]

Once drove a Fiat Ducato with a frozen handbrake in the snow/ice in Poland. Seeing as it was front wheel drive it made for an interesting drive Before I get told off I only drove it a few miles down a deserted unpaved road...

 

[Rob]

Never hear anything like that from the real engineers

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So you've met them then?

Get on with the forum maintenance

 

[BobMurphy]

Only one I am sure was not a diesel we'd an Audi TT.

I have a neighbour with a diesel Audi TT

Poser !



Bob.

 

[uHu]

Frozen handbrake. Yes. I forgot that one. It's just an automatic feature of the human brain: Never use the handbrake in the winter. (Unless you have to)