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Frozen gas lines: Not just an urban myth

We’ve all heard the lecture so many times we tune it out:

“Keep your gas tank more than half full in the winter to keep the line from freezing.”

It turns out Dad is right. Gas lines really do freeze.

Since it doesn’t happen very often, I thought I’d share what happened and how we fixed it.

--11 p.m. Saturday, 12 below zero—The Pontiac Sunfire had been parked on Jenifer Street on Madison’s east side for a little less than 24 hours with less than a quarter tank of gas. The engine would turn over slowly, but it wouldn’t fire.

--12:15 a.m.—We added a yellow bottle of Heet.

--8:30 a.m. Sunday, zero degrees—I wake up before anyone else, sneak downstairs and try the car. Still turns over slowly but doesn’t fire. I go back inside and Google “frozen gas lines.”

--10:30 a.m.—My friend Ray, owner of the car, tries the ignition with the same results. Following one of the suggestions I found online, he bounces up and down on the back bumper to mix up the Heet and break up the ice.

--11:30 a.m.—We have a round table at the breakfast bar with our hosts. Emphasis on the bar. Suggestions include piping hot exhaust under the frozen car or wiring a charcoal grill starter to the oil pan.

--12 p.m., six degrees—We don’t have a garage or even a carport to warm up the car. So we stick a hair drier in the engine aimed at what we think are the fuel injectors and put a space heater under the car. We wrap the hood in Afghans and drape them like a dust ruffle to block the breeze.

--1:30 p.m.—The car turns over and runs for a couple seconds at a time. We walk to the gas station and get five gallons of “dry” gas. We also get $20 worth of organic delights from the Willy Street Co-op deli. Life is pretty good, all of a sudden.

--2:30—The car fires up and stays running.

Later I talked to my brother, Rob, about it. He said the blow drier and heater, while funny, actually did nothing to melt the ice. They did warm up the oil, which made it easier for the engine to turn over, he said.

The key was drawing Heet and dry fuel through the line.

People are loath to grind the starter on a cold, dry car, but that’s what you need to do, he said. Even if you just turn the key to “accessories,” the fuel pump engages and moves the Heet through the line.

And my dad said to use gas with ethanol, which will do the same thing as Heet.

I say, if you’re going to get stuck in the cold for two days with car trouble, make sure your travel partner has an excellent sense of humor.

And go fill your tank.

Now.