C4 Owners in COLD climates.
#1
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I'd like to hear your impressions about driving your c4's in the winter. Not the usual get good snow tires, etc... but rather what temps do you or don't you drive the car in, do you use oil pan heaters, battery blankets, is cold weather particularily bad on specific components? How is the 964 for warming up, defrosting, cabin comfort, etc? I live in Whitehorse, Yukon about 61 degrees North. Typical winter lasts from October to March, daytime temps average -20° C on occasion it's -40° usually 2 weeks in January. We don't get alot of snow but it stays. So any owners from Norway/Sweeden/Finland/Russia out there? That's what I'd say my winter climate is most like.
Thanks.
Thanks.
#3
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Originally Posted by tafkai
aircooled works in any weather !!!! ![Smilie](https://rennlist.com/forums/images/smilies/smile.gif)
aircooled rules in any weather !!!!![Smilie](https://rennlist.com/forums/images/smilies/smile.gif)
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aircooled rules in any weather !!!!
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I'm trying to gauge if the 964c4 can live in the sub-arctic as a 50 week/year DD.
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My winters don't normally get that cold, but last winter we had multiple weeks of single digit highs and sub zero lows and my c4 had no issues. Heater worked and car drove normal. The only issue I really had was my speedo would not work for the first 5 minutes of my drive in the mornings.
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Personal experience only down to -25C, with C2 (not a DD).
Your battery would be at particular risk, since it will never get warm in the unheated luggage compartment. So a battery heater / blanket and a battery maintainer would be a given (or take it inside with you).
12 litres of oil takes a long time to warm at -25, so I think short runs would be very hard on the engine. OTOH, the dry sump means less treacly oil in the crankcase to obstruct cold starts! I've never seen an oil tank warmer (where most of the oil resides at shut down) but it may exist, or maybe one could be made? If you could start it and drive it gently until warm, a reasonable distance, you'd probably be OK.
Obviously if the cold is really intense, dampers are stiff, tires are hard and not very grippy, tranny oil is thick so shifting is hard, yada yada, but that's all the same as any car.
I suspect it would be a great far North car, really. Keep the battery happy, appropriate weight lubricants with warmup. Otherwise, it's just a normal car, innit?
Your battery would be at particular risk, since it will never get warm in the unheated luggage compartment. So a battery heater / blanket and a battery maintainer would be a given (or take it inside with you).
12 litres of oil takes a long time to warm at -25, so I think short runs would be very hard on the engine. OTOH, the dry sump means less treacly oil in the crankcase to obstruct cold starts! I've never seen an oil tank warmer (where most of the oil resides at shut down) but it may exist, or maybe one could be made? If you could start it and drive it gently until warm, a reasonable distance, you'd probably be OK.
Obviously if the cold is really intense, dampers are stiff, tires are hard and not very grippy, tranny oil is thick so shifting is hard, yada yada, but that's all the same as any car.
I suspect it would be a great far North car, really. Keep the battery happy, appropriate weight lubricants with warmup. Otherwise, it's just a normal car, innit?
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Originally Posted by DarrylH
Personal experience only down to -25C, with C2 (not a DD).
Your battery would be at particular risk, since it will never get warm in the unheated luggage compartment. So a battery heater / blanket and a battery maintainer would be a given (or take it inside with you).
Your battery would be at particular risk, since it will never get warm in the unheated luggage compartment. So a battery heater / blanket and a battery maintainer would be a given (or take it inside with you).
Originally Posted by DarrylH
12 litres of oil takes a long time to warm at -25, so I think short runs would be very hard on the engine. OTOH, the dry sump means less treacly oil in the crankcase to obstruct cold starts! I've never seen an oil tank warmer (where most of the oil resides at shut down) but it may exist, or maybe one could be made? If you could start it and drive it gently until warm, a reasonable distance, you'd probably be OK.
Originally Posted by DarrylH
Obviously if the cold is really intense, dampers are stiff, tires are hard and not very grippy, tranny oil is thick so shifting is hard, yada yada, but that's all the same as any car.
Originally Posted by DarrylH
I suspect it would be a great far North car, really. Keep the battery happy, appropriate weight lubricants with warmup. Otherwise, it's just a normal car, innit? ![Wink](https://rennlist.com/forums/images/smilies/wink.gif)
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Originally Posted by tafkai
could you stick the heater on the oil tank in the rear wheels arch ?
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Originally Posted by 951North
I'm not too familiar with 964 physiology/anatomy, yet. You can place the heaters on any clean metallic surface.
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I'd say your winters are worse than ours. The last couple of years I've seen -23 at the worst (average at about -5 dec-mar) and we usually have snow from christmas until easter. Because of severe salting of the roads in winter time alot of Porsche owners dont use their cars during this season.
I've been using mine though with no problems. Actually the heating system is just perfect, hot air from the vents in no time ! The car is parked in it's own unheated garage and I don't use oil pan heaters or anything. I wouldnt recomend short trips when it drops below -20 though.
Just my two cents ..
I've been using mine though with no problems. Actually the heating system is just perfect, hot air from the vents in no time ! The car is parked in it's own unheated garage and I don't use oil pan heaters or anything. I wouldnt recomend short trips when it drops below -20 though.
Just my two cents ..
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apart from my "warm-up time" when i first start it , would one of these oil heaters have any advantage for my car , which spends most of the time in storage ?
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Originally Posted by Jan-Terje
I'd say your winters are worse than ours. The last couple of years I've seen -23 at the worst (average at about -5 dec-mar) and we usually have snow from christmas until easter. Because of severe salting of the roads in winter time alot of Porsche owners dont use their cars during this season.
I've been using mine though with no problems. Actually the heating system is just perfect, hot air from the vents in no time ! The car is parked in it's own unheated garage and I don't use oil pan heaters or anything. I wouldnt recomend short trips when it drops below -20 though.
Just my two cents ..
I've been using mine though with no problems. Actually the heating system is just perfect, hot air from the vents in no time ! The car is parked in it's own unheated garage and I don't use oil pan heaters or anything. I wouldnt recomend short trips when it drops below -20 though.
Just my two cents ..
Sounds like you are maritime/coastal. Yes salt would be killer (I used to live on the coast as well).
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Originally Posted by tafkai
apart from my "warm-up time" when i first start it , would one of these oil heaters have any advantage for my car , which spends most of the time in storage ?
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Winnipeg gets cold. I drove mine from Philly in December and never had a problem. Heat dial was set in the middle with fan on min. and lots of heat. Takes 10-15 minutes to warm up to operating temp and then the gauge peaks and dips as the thermostat opens and closes. Bottom line the car can be used, but I wouldn't. These cars are expensive and you are only going to cost yourself by driving in the extreme cold. Traction is good even with summer tires, but the ride is hard. The tires are cold and harder than usual and the roads heave in the winter.