COLD HUMMER

[timgco]

There's nothing worse than a cold HUMMER.

I'm in WI this week and do not have access to a garage. It was -15 @ 7am today. Yep, minus 15! INSANE! I haven't been around this type of cold in quite some time, and when last I was, I had a heated garage to park in.

I went to start up the truck this AM to "warm" it up. I had turned everything off in the truck the evening before, full tank of gas.

I couldn't believe the noises the truck made after starting up. It sounded along the lines of stepping on a cat. The truck tuned over with a light hesitation and than seem to run OK.

After 15 minutes of running the heat on high, having the heated seats on high, I ventured back out to the truck. I put the truck into drive and two things happened. One I had no power steering at first. I had to really turn hard. It was comparable to being aired down and turning your wheel up against a large boulder. AFfter a minutes or so of working the wheel back and forth, it was back to normal. Than I stepped on gas to go and the truck "chugged." It was comparable to an old car running on 1/2 of the cylinders it should be. After the initial shifting up to about 40mph, that went awa as well. The truck also feels like it has no shocks.

So, at some point I hope my boys drop back down from the size of skittles back to their normal kiwi size, I need to figure out a way to get this truck warmed up.

Can Rancho shock freeze up?
Do you think my PS Pump was froze? or steering lube on something froze?


What do people do with their trucks/ cars when they live in this type of weather on a normal basis every year?

[BlueHUMMERH2]

I've spent quite a bit of time in sub-zero temperatures. Same experiences basically. Belts whine (horribly), power steering is null at first, acceleration is slow, engine is noisy, etc.

I've always had to keep the car outside, so I would go out, hop in, and go. Not much else I could do. It would usually warm up about half way to work, and then I'd have to suffer the same fate at the end of the day.

So I'd say this is normal behavior. Actually, the BMW's I used to run in the cold put up much more of a fuss. Except for the damn battery, the H2 usually doesn't have a problem starting in the cold.


PS I'm sitting here in about 10F and I just ALMOST had the battery not turn over the engine (AGAIN!). I didn't have my jumper pack either! UGH! I need a new battery.

[hummer74]

i used to live in chicago and had alot of the same problems. -15 degree temps will do that to any vehicle. you're lucky it even started. my old car in chicago wouldn't even start when it was below 0ish.

[ssgharkness020147]

Where about in Wi are you Tim? I'm out in Oconomowoc, if you want to get a beer hit me up.

[timgco]

Originally Posted by ssgharkness020147

Where about in Wi are you Tim? I'm out in Oconomowoc, if you want to get a beer hit me up.

Lake Geneva.

I have meetings all week or I would swing up there.

I like Oconomowoc...esp. in the Summer.

[KenP]

That's cold. I don't like that.

U =

[dеiтайожни]

Originally Posted by timgco

What do people do with their trucks/ cars when they live in this type of weather on a normal basis every year?

They install remote starters so they don't freeze their balls off. And I don't know... never had those problems with vehicles that were in that type of weather on a normal basis.

[MarineHawk]

8 degrees this morning here. Started up just fine. Warmed up for about 3 minutes and drove normally. I don't know how it would do in minus 15.

[Humdingah]

Did an oil change here in Denver last week and it was a similar circumstance...it had been hovering around 0-degrees the night before and after letting the truck idle for about 5 minutes I yanked the drain plug and the 5W-30 was about the consistency of maple syrup. Only drained about 1/4 quart that way and plugged it back up before letting it idle for another 20 minutes to warm everything up.

It's no wonder that -15 would cause things to be a little 'slow.'

[CO Hummer]

Haha Tim. Did you know it was 50 degree here at 8am?

When it gets really cold here - I have similar things happen to my Burb which I leave outside. I wouldn't sweat it - it all goes back to normal with a little warm up.

Hope your little fruits are ok.

[ZigsRig]

Originally Posted by CO Hummer

Hope your little fruits are ok.

CO,

I dont want to have to think about tim's "little fruits" this early in the afternoon... actually, i dont want to think about them EVER

[CO Hummer]

Originally Posted by ZigsRig

CO,

I dont want to have to think about tim's "little fruits" this early in the afternoon... actually, i dont want to think about them EVER

Let's not joke about him in the public forum, man. Leave his li'l blueberries out of it.

[Adam in CO]

50 at home now. Lots of melting going on. Even got to drive the wee car today.

[MDimitri]

I live in Calgary where we have fluctuating temperatures in winter ranging from -40 to +18 celcius(Thanks greatly to the Chinook Winds). I always have my rig parked outside, my wife uses the garage and the rest of my stuff is on the other side of her car, hence no room for the H2! I looked into the Optima battery but found that it only provides you with a two year warranty and costs roughly $300.00+ and comes with a heavy duty 800 Cold Crank Amp kick over. Since this is the recommended standard for starting th H2 it is fine, but not for us up here...I obtained a Battery from a company up here with 1200 Cold Crank Amp kick over along with a 5year warranty for $98.00! It does not matter how cold it gets the truck starts every time. As for noises, the belt sometimes squeels a bit but thats about it!

WINTER ROCKS IN CANADA!!

[mikejr]

was -1 here in pittsburgh today. When i fired up the H2 it made a really odd squeal for about 2 seconds then ran normally. My wife heard it inside the house. I also noticed that the power steering was a tad on the non existent side at first. I let it warm out about 10 minutes before driving it. I noticed that it rode really rough in that cold of weather, i think the tires were just a tad hard due to the cold weather. Seems to be running quite well in the cold weather.

[tazhog54]

I use to live in Green Bay ,Wis. Born in Oshkosh Lived there till I was 28 and moved to California. DO NOT MISS THAT COLD !! Got married in Jan -24 degrees below zero and that was with no wind chill. They said it would be a cold day in hell when I got married Wait till the outside locks freeze and the truck running with the keys in it.The fun begins

[HUMMERcustoms.com/TAZ]

Many types of block heaters will help. There are oil pan heaters that help. Engine and tranny dipstick heaters would help.
A good cheap way to help is a blanket and a drop light to add heat under blanket just be careful of placement with shield of drop light towards blanket and use a small stick to make a tent like situation that will also help keep the drop light from coming in contact with blanket.

I do not need these things anymore but, when farming the block heater in place of a freeze plug worked really well as starting the diesel engines on the huge tractors.

TAZ

[Boar-Ral]

Originally Posted by timgco

What do people do with their trucks/ cars when they live in this type of weather on a normal basis every year?

My H2 sits outside all year, even when the weather drops below -40C. It has never refused to start, even when I've forgotten to plug in the block heater. My only complaint is that when it is below about -10C, when it starts, the engine makes a sound similar to a kazoo, for about five seconds. I tried stepping on the gas once to see if it would stop it, but it just made the sound REALLY loud. Other than that, no problems. Gear selection is easy and clean, steering might be marginally stiffer, but nothing I would consider difficult; could still be done with one hand, probably even a finger. I let mine warm up for about 30 seconds and if the windshield is not fogged, take off. The vehicle is built to adjust shift patterns when the engine is cold in order to warm it up faster. (Just information learned from the manual.) So if you can see out the windows, drive it.

[Boar-Ral]

Originally Posted by BlueHUMMERH2

PS I'm sitting here in about 10F and I just ALMOST had the battery not turn over the engine (AGAIN!). I didn't have my jumper pack either! UGH! I need a new battery.

My battery is working well, though I know it does not hold a full charge. I accidentally discharged it last year and I think that messed up one of the cells. I have an Optima Yellow Top that I pulled from my Avalanche before I sold it, and I am thinking of installing it in the H2. I think it is a little smaller than the factory one though, and I really need to go over the numbers first to make sure I am not putting in a lower-capacity battery.

[Boar-Ral]

Originally Posted by d?i???????

They install remote starters so they don't freeze their balls off. And I don't know... never had those problems with vehicles that were in that type of weather on a normal basis.

It does seem odd. My daily driver is an old 1996 Chevrolet Lumina sedan and even during a cold snap dipping to -35C around Christmas, it started easily and performed well, even though I forgot to plug in the block heater. Steering is a little stiff and putting the car in gear was like doing it in molasses, but it didn't complain. Fortunately, the Lumina has a remote starter. I have a two-way remote starter and alarm for the H2, but it is currently in a box on the shelf. I really need to get it installed.