Last night we left the engine running all night and the outside temperature has plummeted down to -40 oC this is the coldest i have ever experienced in my life, Sweden was minus 28 but this really goes through you we are only 500 miles away from the most northernly point in America which is above latitude 70 and can go down to minus 70oC.
When we came to leave this morning at 3.00 am i noticed no heat in the car but the engine was running, ice had formed in the radiator cap and the car had lost coolant too, i guessed that since i had had the coolant changed yesterday that it had been air locked so Chris and i drove into Fairbanks and topped up the coolant level also o the drive the brake fluid light had come on too so i was worried that that had moisture in the system and had frozen, but it turned out to be a low level in the reservoir.
We then made our way out towards the Elliot highway and onto the dalton Highway after about three hill climbs it was evident that something was wrong with the cooling system and i could smell coolant in the car also the condensation had frozen to the inside of the car windscreen solidly and the heater lost its heat, i pulled up and got Chris to get the antifreeze bottle and we lifted the bonnet to see steam rising above the bonnet then falling back down like snow, very strange to see, i was worried that the car would overheat and if we filled the radiator with water after we had used all the antifreeze then it would freeze in the radiator when the thermostat closes, if we had no engine then we have no heat for us and this would be very dangerous.
We made a decision to turn back and used about 2 and a half gallons of water to get back to a garage about two hours drive back to Fairbanks. In Fairbanks we had new hose clips fitted and new coolant again, the garage Goldpanner and the Owner Vern would not let me pay again. We are now sat in the backpackers hostel having a cup of tea and sending this blog.
I will check the vehicle again in the morning and maybe we will be ok for another attempt at the James dalton Highway.
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-40... you poor buggers...
ReplyDeletemost people wouldn't make a driving trip in that cold unless they had no other choice...
good luck! hoping you don't have any mishaps in that sort of cold. Tim, it'd kill you pretty damn quick. Be careful!
What an exciting adventure!!! You definitely did the right thing turning back and getting things all fixed up.
ReplyDeleteWhile you're there, make sure you have loads of warm clothes, blankets, etc in case things cool down again for you. I'm worried that the coats won't be warm enough. Are you going the next leg in one trip? Is there another stopping point?
Before you leave, make sure you call ahead to somewhere so someone knows to expect you sometime... that way if you have car trouble someone knows to go looking... wish you had a satellite phone!
When we lived on the prairies, we got that kind of cold weather every winter. Keep yourself warm and well watered.
Looking forward to your next blog.
Love - Motherhen Willing
Tim good luck on your adventure up the Dalton Hwy to Prudhoe Bay. We had a great time the other day and you meet people from almost every small village on the way up. People are open and interesting characters in Fairbanks AK, which for some reason you fit right in. Hope you have a good time in Wiseman with the trapper and watch out for the antlers. The steam arising from your vehicle turning into ice fog is a unique cool physical phenomenon http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diamond_dust. Please send me your e-mail address when you can to fsldh1@uaf.edu. Stay in trouble.
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Lesa Hollen
Alaskan White Dragon
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