Hard To Start Your Car in the Winter?
Friction and viscosity. Two words that Old Man Winter delivers to you every year. Cold temperatures turn your standard motor oil into the thick substance that resembles honey. Ever try to put a spoon in a jar of honey and stir it around? Now, put that honey in the freezer and take it out and stir it. I think you get my point! Well, that is exactly what your starter is doing in the winter to turn your engine over. When the oil is cold, it has a higher viscosity or thickness. This thickness translates into more friction when you try to start your engine. Standard motor oils have paraffin, waxes and sludge in them. These all contribute to the gelling that happen when they freeze.
What do bush pilots do with their oil when they have to overnight somewhere when it is going to be cold? They drain out the oil into a metal can and keep it over the fire all night. Now, I know you don't want to drain your oil out and put it over a fire. There is a better way to prevent freeze up. Synthetic motor oil is the answer. Synthetic motor oil does not contain contaminants that cause friction and viscosity problems. So, you are thinking; is that all they do is keep my engine from freezing up? Synthetic oils also offer a much better quality that I really like. I own a 1999 Ford Ranger that just went over the 177,000 mile mark. I began using Amsoil motor oil in it and have had the same oil in it for over 12,000 miles and do not plan to change it until I get to 25,000 miles. Yes, you read that right, 25,000 miles!
Since the Amsoil was doing such a good job in the engine and giving me a small mileage gain, I decided to put it in the transmission, transfer case and the rear end. For a few years I had been experiencing a problem with the lowest gear in the 4WD system. When I would shift to that gear and go down a hill, it would run away like it was in neutral! Now, I live in West Virginia and the only thing at the bottom of the hill is a tree or pile of rocks and that was pretty nerve wrecking to say the least.
The shop called and said my truck was ready. I live a short distance away and walked up to get it. I paid them and got in and drove back to the house. As I was at the top of the hill I live on, I thought I just might check the low gear and see if it was the same. I shifted it into low and eased off the brake fully expecting that the truck would run away from me. To my amazement, the truck gently rolled down the hill under control with the transmission and transfer case operating flawlessly! Now, I don't know which unit was having the problem since I had the fluid changed in both units at the same time, but I was very happy to see it repair itself. I was not going to fix it as I was sure it would have been an expensive internal repair. I was just glad to have it working as it should and I can use that gear once again.
My wife even let me put Amsoil in her engine and transmission of her van. She was a bit skeptical, but she is a believer now! Now I am angling to put it in her sports car. She is pretty particular about that car and won't let me near it with anything that resembles a wrench. She will give in eventually!
Mark E. Dotson is a T-1 Certified Dealer of the Amsoil product family. He is a former Air Force aircraft mechanic and knows full well the value of synthetic lubricants. You can find the best synthetic oils, filters, greases and many other fluid products at http://www.Lubeguy.com
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