 Starting In Cold Weather: Does Wind Chill Have An Affect
Posted by carsandtrucks on Tuesday, March 18 @ 13:26:30 PDT
It is another cold day in the northeast corner. The weather channel reports the ambient temperature in my area to be 12 above zero, with a wind chill of minus 15. Believe me when I tell you there is nothing pleasant about being outside. This led to a discussion at the dealership where I work as to whether the wind chill had any effect on the cars and trucks that sit out in this climate. The answer is yes and no. If you took a car or truck radiator, filled it with antifreeze and set it outside in a howling north wind the wind chill would not
change the temperature of the radiator one bit. The radiator temperature would not drop below ambient temperature. On the other hand, take the same radiator, install it in a vehicle allow it to warm up and the wind chill will drop the temperature of the radiator faster then if the wind was not blowing. The same principal applies to all the components on your car or truck that warm up internally. The scientific reason for this, as I understand it, is any object that internally generates heat will cool quicker in the wind assuming the temperature is colder then the object itself. Even though these internally warmed components will cool quicker they will not cool below the ambient temperature. Some automotive experts will tell you to park your vehicle so that engine is facing away from the wind to assure a quicker start on those cold windy days. The reality is once the engine in the car or truck cools to the ambient temperature the wind chill is not going to affect it. The bottom line is this, if you have a vehicle that normally starts and runs at 10 degrees with no wind it will start and run at 10 degrees with a 30 mph wind. The most effect wind chill will have is on you as you walk to your vehicle questioning why you live in this climate anyway.
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