It would seem that an all electric car would solve several of your problems, but Consumer Reports says the Nissan Leaf, for example, would probably not do well in the winter where you live: ............................ "Consumer Reports tested a Leaf loaner under cold-weather driven as a daily commuter. The average range obtained was 105 kilometres (65 mi) per charge with temperatures varying from 20 to 30 °F (-7 to -1 °C).
The magazine also reported one trip under a temperature of 10 °F (?12 °C) that began with the range panel indicator showing 32 kilometres (20 mi) remaining. After 13 kilometres (8 mi) the Leaf drastically lost power and dropped its speed and continued to run slower until the last stretch was completed almost at walking speed. Consumer Reports concluded that the Leaf works as designed under cold temperatures but a more accurate range indicator is desirable.[61] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nissan_Leaf Gerry From: "Randy Bennell" <rbenn...@bennell.ca> > Well, Hendrik is in Oz where it does not get so cold as here. > In the dead of winter, I am essentially unable or unwilling to do much > for myself. We sometimes get 2 or 3 weeks where the temperature does not > get about minus 30C. That puts stress on a vehicle and is a common time > to have issues. > I used to suck it up and carry on with smaller jobs but I am getting old > and less inclined to do it. I remember replacing a thermostat in my > wife's 86 Taurus when it was minus 30 something C. I had a lamp over my > hands to keep them from freezing. The bolts were small and corroded but > I managed to get them out without breaking them with a propane torch and > some penetrating oil. > I know I should finish insulating my garage and that would permit me to > do some things if I had to. Unfortunately, I am on a small city lot and > my garage is really too small for major things anyway. The cars fit but > my truck is almost too tall. If I had to jack it up much, I would run > out of room quickly. I would also have to move my 300D out into the cold > and it would need to be pushed around as I would not likely get it going > unless I heated the garage with it in there and then opened the big door > to get it out. Pushing it around when there is snow on the lane would > not be easy either. Maybe even not doable. My wife would also have to > park on the street for the duration of the repair. I have too much stuff > in the garage now and there would hardly be room to move around the > vehicle in any event. I need a bigger garage but do not have land space > for it. I have been in this house for 30 years and have no plans to move > so I am stuck in that regard. I do hope to clear enough space in my > basement to move a metal lathe and a mill into the house in due course. > I did insulate most of the garage walls a couple of years ago and > installed a new insulated overhead door, but I still need to do the > ceiling which is the bigger job and the more important one in cold > weather. If I put my construction heater on, I just melt the snow off of > the roof. The garage is 22X24 and has a steep pitched roof which permits > some storage above the cars. > > My practice for many years was to have 2 drivable vehicles for my wife > and I, and an old pickup truck that served as a backup. One of the > vehicles was usually reasonably new and the other, older. For close to > 10 years, about 1991 to 2001, I drove an 86 Suburban - 2WD. My wife had > the 86 Taurus, and then a 97 Sable during that time. If one of them > suffered a problem, one of us, usually me, drove the old truck until I > got the daily vehicle repaired. > In more recent years, (about the last 10) I have driven a 95 4Runner, > and then a 98 F150, and then my current 02 F150 in winter (and most of > the rest of the time too). For about the past 5 years or so, I have also > had the 300D available to me in the warmer months - roughly April > through October. > > Yesterday, late afternoon, I left the office about 4:30 and drove around > on a dirt road close by in 4WD to warm the oil in the front diff and > then went home and changed it. It needed it - quite dirty looking. I > know I have not done it since I got the truck and feel bad about that. I > had a bit of a struggle to do it. The plugs were reluctant to come out > and I did not have a whole lot of room to lever them. If it was on a > hoist, it likely would be easy but laying on the ground under the truck > made it a bit difficult. I could have put an impact on the drain as it > was accessible but the fill plug was not and I did not want to drain > until I was sure I could re-fill. The thing is also aluminum and I > wondered it it was a bad idea to use the impact. In any event I did get > them out and refilled the diff. I feel good about that. I also did the > transfer case on the weekend. It too was a little bit difficult due to > close quarters. Partly my own fault as I did not jack the truck up. > There was enough room to slide under without jacking. It needed it too. > I still need to do the transmission but may send it to work with my > mechanic son and have him do it at their shop. I bought the filter and > the oil in the fall but did not get it done before the weather turrned > colder here. Might warm enough to do it outside yet but was minus 5 C > this morning and is supposed to be more like minus 10 to 15C by Thursday. > I did change the tranny fluid and filter about 3 years ago but that > would be 35K miles back so it should have been done this past summer. > > Randy in Winnipeg where it is cold and who needs to get back to work > > > On 15/11/2011 8:00 AM, andrew strasfogel wrote: >> Wow that was harsh! >> Or funny, if you had provided a wink emoticon >> On Tue, Nov 15, 2011 at 3:16 PM, Hendrik& Fay<heni...@ozemail.com.au>wrote: >> >>> Have you tried walking or public transit? >>> A vehicle is a luxury for the better off, it's got wheels, it's gonna cost >>> you money, stop whining. >>> >>> Hendrik >>> who is always paying to keep machines working >>> >>>>> >>>>> I understand that part. However, I need at least one of them to be >>>> reliable through the winter as well and I really dislike paying for repairs >>>> in a shop. >>>> I'm frugal! (when it comes to labour at any rate) >>>> >>>> >>>> Randy >>>> >>>> > > > _______________________________________ > http://www.okiebenz.com > For new and used parts go to www.okiebenz.com > To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ > > To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com > > > ----- > No virus found in this message. > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com > Version: 10.0.1411 / Virus Database: 2092/4017 - Release Date: 11/14/11 > _______________________________________ http://www.okiebenz.com For new and used parts go to www.okiebenz.com To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com
