If DB doesn't want to let you season deprived folks in on all the fun stuff, I guess I'll have to …………… but only if you promise not to be jealous of the fun things we get to do and the more fun when we don't do them.

It is just an issue of moisture condensing in air with extreme temperature drops. When the volume of fuel in a tank is low it allows for a larger volume of air containing water vapor. With an extreme drop of temperature this vapor can condense back into liquid water, which has a higher density than the gasoline and of course goes to the bottom of the tank where the fuel line is connected. Water going into our internal combustion engines, particularly through the older carburetor systems, doesn't work. Even worse is when that water wasn't moving and allowed to freeze into a solid in the fuel line between the tank and the fuel pump that use to pull it to the engine. "Fuel line freeze up" meant a tow and after being inside, it was costly to flush out all the now again liquid water. A common practice is/was to use a combustible additive, "dry gas" (carbon tetrachloride with a trade name), with each fill-up that would absorb the water and pass through the engine. Of course keeping the tank full of petro and allowing minimum air with water vapor into the tank reduces the problem when cold temps are expected.



Next time we'll tell you how to install tire chains (which any good Canadian girl can do) or when to plug your car into the electric heater so the oil doesn't get so think it won't turn over.

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