I'm new to the cold! What's with these new noises I hear???

[swooopeno]

So... Just moved to chicago from arizona. I can now verify that the temperature display does indeed display negative temps! Anyway... when it is roughly below plus 5 degrees, I get a couple of wierd things happening, and I'd like to know if it's just me. When I kick the heat/compressor on, I get a strange UFO type noise... kinda whiny and variable pitch. The faster the air blows, the louder the noise. It seems to go away after 10 minutes or so (when the engine temp reaches closer to normal). I also get NO FM signals. The first day it happened, I figured the radio stations didn't transmit when it was -10. I have sirius via fm transmitter, and I can't pick that radio station up either. I have verified that I slowly get reception back as the runner warms up. Takes 10-20 minutes. I have the solara nav in there.... (CD's play fine).

does anyone else have this issue? And on a side note, how often do I need to rinse this dreaded salt off my normally good looking black beauty???

 

[racedirt1]

Sounds about right, I have the same thing. Are in the city or the burbs?

 

[swooopeno]

Wilmette right now.. moving sometime soon... maybe oak park.

 

[Kmvreter]

Blower noises sound right. Mine have always varied with the temp.
As for your FM, you have a problem. I've never had a cold tuner issue. Could it be your antenna connection behind the head unit?

 

[swooopeno]

I guess it could be a connection, but the connection would have to vary with temperature. If it is above 10 degrees, I have no problem. And as it warms up the signal gets better and better until it is normal. I just figured it had something to do with the nav getting cold and needing to warm up??

 

[TheBlueWave]

I don't have a nav or satellite radio, but I can comment on the salt. Wash it off at least once per week, but pay special attention to the undercarriage. The paint is warrantied from rust and corrosion for five years, but the undercarriage is not and has little paint or coating to protect it. Here in Iowa no salt is used, but in St. Paul it is everywhere. Under those conditions I wash off the body and undercarriage often more than once per week depending on how bad it is. I plan on doing some rust protection before next winter. 3M makes a product that can be found in car care stores and sections that comes in a can like spraypaint. It is a tar-like material that coats and protects metal. You have to sand and smooth the rust off before applying and it must dry for at least an hour so it takes awhile. I recommend doing that or going to Ziebart if you plan on spending lots of winters in the "salt belt".
Hope that helps.

 

[swooopeno]

How does one go about washing the undercarriage? I've typically left that up to the car wash....as they have an 'undercarriage' option. Do you just grab the hose and spray it all around???

 

[Uneek]

How does one go about washing the undercarriage? I've typically left that up to the car wash....as they have an 'undercarriage' option. Do you just grab the hose and spray it all around???

I use the underbody/gutter spray wand with my powerwasher. It seems to work really well the last time I looked under the truck, pretty clean but I probably still missed some spots.

 

[TheBlueWave]

How does one go about washing the undercarriage? I've typically left that up to the car wash....as they have an 'undercarriage' option. Do you just grab the hose and spray it all around???

Yeah, thats pretty much the deal. I squat down and reach the hose under to get an angle to spray under the vehicle, sometimes down on one knee (with the carharts on). I'm willing to get dirty to protect my baby! I never use the automatic car washes, but maybe I should start.

 

[swooopeno]

ya... i'm super paranoid about the carwashes... i'll only use the touchless washes they have at some gas stations. Worst case... they take off some wax... but when it's 0 degrees out... it's tough to do a whole lot on your own.

 

[TheBlueWave]

but when it's 0 degrees out... it's tough to do a whole lot on your own.

It is? Jeez I must be crazy. I stand in those garages with the sprayers in sub zero temps sometimes. I must be from MN. I need some of this :beer:

 

[KimoSan]

Cold radio

I don't have the nav unit but I did have a problem with my stock radio. If it got too cold the display qould go out first and then it wouldn't even turn on. I ended up taking it in and the dealer replaced the unit. No problems since.