Frozen gas lines?! What is there to do?

[dudealex1]

Current temp in ND: -8... worse blizzard in a decade today but I made it out, drove for awhile, and realized my whole engine bay was filled with snow. After chipping what I could loose, I headed home for the night, and went out to start my car every hour or so as the temp is working its way (down) to the "high" of -17 for tomorrow.

Problem: I got out just now at 2:45am to let the engine run for a bit. I cranked the engine and it fired up to the normal 1300rpm and immediately died. Again and again, with gas it would jump to 1600rpm, and without, maybe 700rpm.

Okay, I just went back out to check for fuel pressure, and with the push of the valve's button... Nothing. A little aroma of gasoline, but otherwise no liquid. I'm assuming frozen gas lines sooo is there anything I can do to fix this soon? The temp won't be above 0 until Thursday, and I have to pick up a friend from the airport in Minneapolis Wednesday. Any creative ideas are welcome and appreciated. Let me know... Thanks!

[maxwedge]

Assuming frozen, maybe, maybe not. If it is frozen only getting it indoors will help, or several bottles of Iso gas line anti freeze, or your fuel pump failed. If water and it is the fuel line Iso will not get there till it starts.

[j cAT]

when spring weather arrives this will repair itself...

when it gets very below zero cold,you must keep the fuel tank above the 1/2 tank level and 2 bottles of dry gas.....

since its frozen get a blanket and cover the engine bay. place a drop light under the blanket with 60w lamp....block radiator with plastic sheet or scrap card board...after a few hours remove the blanket drop light and give it a go...

usually vehicle owners where you live have the 110volt hook up to keep battery warm/charged and the heater in the coolant hose...instant start instant heat...battery will last much longer and starter motor as well..

we got our problems here ice in the trees caused massive power outages, 4 days no power...but its 60deg f today...

[Hapynzap]

I feel your pain. I am 250 miles east of you and it is -20*F outside as I type.

I might have to start putting some HEET in my tank too as a hedge.
The darn ethanol E-10 gas they make us burn seems to like water IMO.

[HotZ28]

Darn cold here today too, we have 65.5 deg in Atlanta as I type. Forecast for tomorrow 67 deg & Thursday 72 deg.

[BNaylor]

Originally Posted by HotZ28

Darn cold here today too, we have 65.5 deg in Atlanta as I type. Forecast for tomorrow 67 deg & Thursday 72 deg.

Same here Bo in El Paso. 65 deg. However, last week we had lows of 20 which is unusual here even though it didn't last. Not being properly prepared for extreme winter weather is a bummer. It dawned on me that I still had summer windshield washer fluid since it froze on me. Upgraded to the winter 0 deg stuff. Just as anecdotal info we had some members living in Montana and the Dakotas report -30 to -40 deg lows including engines overheating due to the coolant being frozen or not circulating. Ouch!

Just as a reminder to all 50/50 mix ethylene glycol based coolant to include Dex-cool is only good for around -37 deg.

[Rasp]

Hey you guys got nothing. We have -45 c with windchill. You don't walk were I'm from in the winter, you RUN.

[j cAT]

where I live it can go to well below zero some years ..so I always run with 66% DEXCOOL...after many years never any problems...

some owners with leaks top off with pure antifreeze, if too much is added ,,, this will turn to slush at 20 below zero F...pure antifreeze is not good...,

[Smith1000]

It was 62 degrees here (Kansas) Sunday morning. I was painting trim on the house. The clouds moved around and it dropped to 30 degrees in 30 minutes and then to 26. By morning it was 4 degrees. Had some snow today and it is a balmy 18 degrees with no wind.

[Hapynzap]

It warmed up here to 5*f and let me tell you 25* makes a big difference.

Sad to report my window washer reservoir cracked on the 2002. Must not have been the strongest stuff in there.

[Smith1000]

Too bad about the reservoir. I have 2 '97 Lesabres and last year (may have been the year before), both winshields cracked within 4 or 5 days of eachother. They were both just sitting in the driveway at the time and both had ice build-up. The cracks are remarkably similar, along the bottom quarter of the windshields. Seems like one can just sit around here and wait for stuff to break.

[Blue Bowtie]

-42ºF mornings at out cottage in northern Wisconsin is a big reason I use Mobil 1 (10W30, of course). I've been caught in that more than once, and always started. Fortunately, it only gets to about -20ºF here "down south." After almost 50 years of that, you learn to prepare or pay the price.

[polarzak]

Originally Posted by Blue Bowtie

-42ºF mornings at out cottage in northern Wisconsin is a big reason I use Mobil 1 (10W30, of course). I've been caught in that more than once, and always started. Fortunately, it only gets to about -20ºF here "down south." After almost 50 years of that, you learn to prepare or pay the price.

Have seen similar temps over the years. Darn cold!! If you vehicle can use it, 5W30 might be easier on your starter/engine. That is what I use, and like yourself, my cars always start.

[Hapynzap]

Originally Posted by Blue Bowtie

-42ºF mornings at out cottage in northern Wisconsin is a big reason I use Mobil 1 (10W30, of course). I've been caught in that more than once, and always started. Fortunately, it only gets to about -20ºF here "down south." After almost 50 years of that, you learn to prepare or pay the price.

I'm in No. Wis too.
We have an outdoor wood boiler and I burn my used motor oil to help get the fire going at times. Even 5-30W oil pours like molasses when it is -20*F outside. that is a real eye opener for me knowing how hard that is on my engines. Good thing the daily driver gets to come inside every night to 50-60*F temps.

[88redbuicklesabre]

Did not take long to get off the subject did it. My 88 with all my starter and battery problem the past few weeks was running in mid teens temperature when it apparently died for no reason as well. I was warming it up when it happened so was in the house and have no clue if it straved it self for fuel or a sensor crankshaft or camshaft went out and it just died. No codes in the computer and it cranks over just fine (better with a new starter and battery) but just does not fire. I too was thinking fuel line frozen even though it did warm up to 41 last weekend but the two days of that temp before the bottom fell out again may not have been enough to thaw it out. Yesterday I bought a tester for fuel but have to chip the 1/4 of ice off we got this morning to get the hood open (Ice sure weighs a lot). Any thoughts from the experts would be appreciated.