Something else to think about, not related to the engine.

Most of my Benzes have had a flaw, a weakness, that will irritate you if not careful. The plastics they use , at least in the cars I have owned, don't like sub Zero. You can cut your interior, door panel, seat covers any vinyls, with something as simple as the metal clip on your seat belt.
Be careful letting that seatbelt just retract itself. And be careful with the vinyl parts when they are really cold.

The "bruises" will show up as cuts when the weather improves.

I don't know why this is. Just something I found out about the hard way. Something about what they are allowed to put in the plastic, when it is made in Europe, I guess.


roadster with a stick

 

speaking of deep freeze ... my car stated -13 today ... way cold.

 

Ice has the power to destroy every thing it is in, crack heads, blocks,hoses, radiators.

You need to be sure antifreeze mixture is up to snuff.

 

It was so hot out today - at lunch I saw a dog chasing a cat down the street - and they were both walking....and to think - were 2 degrees colder then normal.

Currently it's 71 out but it "feels like" 67

 

Mika, you'll be fine. As stated, a 50-50 mixture will keep you squared away. Start the car, waste some gas by letting in run 5 or 10 minutes or so & you'll be good to go.

I have actually popped the freeze plugs out of a Merc. Cyclone in my youth.
Some freakin' cold day in Milw., started it & took off right away. 5 minutes to the freeway. About 10 miles down the road when I notice the blower is pumping out only freezing cold air, the temp. gauge has pegged to the "H" & the car just stops.
Eventually, after being rescued by a kindly woman while I was walking to the nearest exit I had the Merc. towed to nearest Ford dealer. 24 hours later, after the plugs were re-installed, it was back on the road.

If you are overly concerned, stuff a piece of cardboard in front of the radiator. You needn't cover the whole thing, in fact, that could be bad, but you will get more heat out of the blower.

 

Good to hear... For best winter weather the manual recommends 68% ethylene-glycol anti-freeze with the rest distilled water. I assume the factory mixture is 50/50.

 

+20 This morning, nice 45 degree shift in a day

 

With anti-freeze in the radiator in the ratio recommended, the mixture will freeze to the consistency of a slushy until it freezes solid at a temp. far below what we will see. Just make sure the appropriate mixture is in the radiator. This coolant is not only anti-freeze it saves the components from corrosion as well.

 

Ha HA!! I know what you're talking about. Live in Chicago and boy did it get cold here. I was alil worried about that too, clutch was very spongey, all that nice stuff. Started up fine, let it warm up.

Bad thing is my car got broken into that night after I had come back home. For some reason, they thought if I left my mount for my GPS in the window, that must mean that I left the GPS there too, you know, since I took it off the mount. Luck for me, I have half a brain more than that and take it with me, since you know, I take it off the mount. Well they broke the driver side window aaaaaannnnd.... stole the freakin' mount. That's it. Yeeeeahhh.... I don't know either.

 

Wind chill does not affect inanimate objects, only people and beasts. I still feel sorry for my poor car when it sits out in a howling blizzard, even if it's above zero. Fortunately the Crossfires are sitting in an unheated storage garage, but it only gets to the single digits around here because balmy Lake Michigan keeps us warm(er). But on my drive home from a Grand Rapids Griffins hockey game Friday night my Audi read -3o. My son froze because I had the moonroof open so I could flick ashes of my cigar.

 

OLD School again. There are no freeze plugs except in commercial water cooled chiller A/C units.

What your are referring to is a CORE PLUG. THese plugs seal off the core after they shake out the sand that was part of the Cope and Drag that were put together to form the block casting. The hollow water and oil passages were sand forms that after casting are shaken to remove. The plugs may pop in icing conditions but the block can also lift and split as my old 406 ford did once, (thats enough).

Woody enjoy.