no subject, I'll think I'll call it winter driving

[duandcc_forums at cox.net]

> From: George Selby <gselby4x4 at earthlink.net>
> Date: 2003/02/11 Tue AM 02:53:25 EST
> To: quattro at audifans.com
> Subject: Re: no subject, I'll think I'll call it winter driving
>
> At 05:11 PM 2/10/03, you wrote:
> >1=2E Engine turned over slowly after sitting in 8-12*F air for 48 hours (en=
> >gine has 20W50 in it). Seems normal considering the oil must have been the =
> >consistancy of mudd when I started it.
> >
> >2=2E My oil temp seems to fluctuate quite a bit. Around town it usually sta=
> >ys right at 90*C, but slowly heats up during sustained hightway runs. 65-70=
> >MPH =3D 120-125*C, 70-75MPH =3D 125-130*C, and 75-80MPH =3D 130-135*F all a=
> >ccording to the digi gauge. I have no idea how accurate this gauge is. This=
> >  was all with ambient temps in the 30s. Water temp was rock solid @ 1 tick =
> >below 1/2 on the digi gauge. Is this normal?
> >
> >3=2E My FWD CGT did better on the wisty and snow covered mountian roads tha=
> >n my friends ford Explorer 4WD. How cool is that? Imagine if I had quattro.=
> >.=2E
>
> Here's my commentary on yours:
>
> 1. I usually change weights summer/winter in my cars, and I only live in
> eastern NC not known for severely cold winters, although it dropped to the
> low teen for several days here, quite rare.)  I wouldn't think of using
> 20W50 in 10 degree weather.  The oil filter could explode, or part of the
> oil pump drive could have let go.  Specs call for 20W50 over 14 degrees,
> 15W40 for 5 to 86 degrees, and 10W30 for -4 to 50 degrees.  You can get
> 15W40 by mixing 10W30 and 20W50 of the same brand/type in equal amounts, I
> think that's what I would have done.
>
> 2.  That oil gauge just showed you that you really do need to drive you car
> at highway speeds for several miles (15-30) in order to really warm up your
> oil.  Everyone who told you that around town driving was the worst for your
> car was correct.  My gauge's temp would indicate a temp drop by the time
> you made it off the off-ramp, and would never warm up fully when driving
> around town.  So basically the gauge is very accurate, and you should pay
> attention to it (like not flooring it when it indicates low oil
> temp.)   The thermostat holds the engine's water temp steady (especially in
> colder weather.)
>
> 3.  I was thinking my same thought myself when I was driving my former 86
> CGT Comm Ed. in the snow.  Thoughts like "German Snow Machine" and "Quattro
> would make this thing unstoppable in the winter" came to my mind, about 25
> seconds later I was spinning around, then travelling at about 50 mph
> backwards and went entirely through the roadside ditch and stopped mere
> inches from a major telephone junctions box (big $$$ to fix, and for loss
> of service to the telephone co. had I struck it)   A sheriff who stopped to
> assist me caused a major pileup by reversing his car just past a hill on a
> snow covered road where I screwed up (the cars came over the hill, saw the
> reversing sheriff in their lane of travel, and general chaos ensued.  Only
> damage to my car was a broken panhard rod in the back, and it took me a
> couple of days to notice it (the back end just felt "loose".)  I later
> discovered that I actually didn't prefer the Quattro's, the added weight
> ruins the handling of the car.  I have had a CGT, a 4kcs, and a 4kcsq, and
> probably liked them in that order.  (the 5cyl power with the 2wd chassis
> combines the best of both worlds IMHO.)  Notice I'm back to a CGT.
>
>
> George Selby
> 83 Audi Coupe GT
> gselby4x4 at earthlink.net
>
>

Let me just say that I had NO idea it was going to be that cold in the mountains. This was my first ever ski trip. I live in far SE Virginia where it hardly ever snows. Even my local Audi dealer uses 20W40 all year in this area (yes, when I have a $19.95 oil change coupon, I still let the dealer do it for me...for $19.95 it's just not worth the effort to DIY). Frankly I hadn't even thought about chaning the oil to something thinner before going on the trip.

Dave
1987 CGT Special Build
SE Virginia