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From: Al Falfa on 18 Jan 2010 19:38 "David T. Johnson" <djohnson(a)isomedia.com> wrote in message news:L6CdnUXG9pycZ87WnZ2dnUVZ_vmdnZ2d(a)posted.isomediainc... > Al Falfa wrote: >> I started it again this morning, for the first time since the episode >> below. It was -5F. This time I think it fired on 3 cylinders. Shook the >> whole car for about 45 seconds before smoothing out. I once broke a >> valve in a VW. The valve head took out a piston and connecting rod. If >> you've experienced a massive cylinder failure you know what my Prius >> sounds like during this period. Again, no alarms whatever. Dealer says >> bring it in and he'll look at it. I think he'll need to leave it >> overnight in sub-zero temps to experience this. >> >> Any ideas out there? >> > > Water/ice in the fuel. > > You should get an engine block heater if you're going to operate in that > temperature range. > And I would have plugged that in where?
From: Al Falfa on 18 Jan 2010 19:53
"Al Falfa" <crop(a)eastforty.fld> wrote in message news:4b54ff0d$1(a)newsgate.x-privat.org... > > > "David T. Johnson" <djohnson(a)isomedia.com> wrote in message > news:L6CdnUXG9pycZ87WnZ2dnUVZ_vmdnZ2d(a)posted.isomediainc... >> Al Falfa wrote: >>> I started it again this morning, for the first time since the episode >>> below. It was -5F. This time I think it fired on 3 cylinders. Shook >>> the whole car for about 45 seconds before smoothing out. I once broke a >>> valve in a VW. The valve head took out a piston and connecting rod. If >>> you've experienced a massive cylinder failure you know what my Prius >>> sounds like during this period. Again, no alarms whatever. Dealer says >>> bring it in and he'll look at it. I think he'll need to leave it >>> overnight in sub-zero temps to experience this. >>> >>> Any ideas out there? >>> >> >> Water/ice in the fuel. >> >> You should get an engine block heater if you're going to operate in that >> temperature range. >> > And I would have plugged that in where? > That was a bit terse. David, I think water/ice in the fuel may have caused this. Normally I run e10 (Minnesota) but the problem started after filling the tank in ND, a state that doesn't require 10% ethanol in gasoline dispensed in the state. After that fill I drove about 100 miles and then parked in an auditorium parking lot. No place to plug in even if I had a block heater. About 5 hours later at -27F I started the car and first experienced the problem. Then I drove about 100 miles to my garage where the car sat for several days. If I had a block heater I could have plugged it in, but I don't so I didn't. My 2005 performed admirably at -35F with heavier oil and the second occurred at only -5F, a piece of cake for any well maintained car where I live. The dealership and I are waiting for the temps to drop below zero again. This problem hasn't occurred in the present +20 - +30 range. |