Avoid Overheating - Turn Off A/C Next 14 Miles

[Larry Scholnick]

I can't imagine how to continue turning off the A/C for the full 14 miles, unless I turn it on so
that I can turn it off again.

I don't think that's quite what they mean. I think they really mean:
Turn Off Air Conditioning Now
and ...
Keep Air Conditioning Off Next 14 Miles.

And how are vehicles that are not equipped with air conditioning supposed to comply with the sign?

Interestingly, my old Honda Accord was less likely to overheat with the A/C on than with it off;
with A/C off, the cooling fan was only powered on when the thermostat 'decided' it was necessary;
with the A/C off, the cooling fan was 'locked on', so the car was less likely to overheat!


I have a similar problem complying with signs that order me to:

Turn On Headlights Next 10 Miles

I find it's easier to assume that they really mean:
Drive With Headlights On Next 10 Miles

By the way, for cars that have DRL (Daytime Running Light) systems that illuminate the headlights
with limited power, do they have to drive with full-power headlights (like they should at night), or
are the DRLs sufficient?

[william lynch]

Post by Larry Scholnick
I can't imagine how to continue turning off the A/C for the full 14 miles, unless I turn it on so
that I can turn it off again.
Turn Off Air Conditioning Now
and ...
Keep Air Conditioning Off Next 14 Miles.
And how are vehicles that are not equipped with air conditioning supposed to comply with the sign?
Interestingly, my old Honda Accord was less likely to overheat with the A/C on than with it off;
with A/C off, the cooling fan was only powered on when the thermostat 'decided' it was necessary;
with the A/C off, the cooling fan was 'locked on', so the car was less likely to overheat!
Turn On Headlights Next 10 Miles
Drive With Headlights On Next 10 Miles
By the way, for cars that have DRL (Daytime Running Light) systems that illuminate the headlights
with limited power, do they have to drive with full-power headlights (like they should at night), or
are the DRLs sufficient?

As far as Caltrans and CHP are concerned, the DRLs are sufficient.

[Dick Boyd]

Post by william lynch

Post by Larry Scholnick
I can't imagine how to continue turning off the A/C for the full 14 miles, unless I turn it on so
that I can turn it off again.
Turn Off Air Conditioning Now
and ...
Keep Air Conditioning Off Next 14 Miles.
And how are vehicles that are not equipped with air conditioning supposed to comply with the sign?
Interestingly, my old Honda Accord was less likely to overheat with the A/C on than with it off;
with A/C off, the cooling fan was only powered on when the thermostat 'decided' it was necessary;
with the A/C off, the cooling fan was 'locked on', so the car was less likely to overheat!
Turn On Headlights Next 10 Miles
Drive With Headlights On Next 10 Miles
By the way, for cars that have DRL (Daytime Running Light) systems that illuminate the headlights
with limited power, do they have to drive with full-power headlights (like they should at night), or
are the DRLs sufficient?

As far as Caltrans and CHP are concerned, the DRLs are sufficient.

DRLs sufficient on roads marked for headlights? What about the
following car. No tail lights to clue in the following driver? These
roads are sometimes marked for headlights due to fog hazard. Sometimes
for passing hazard. Some type of visibilty issue in any case.

[william lynch]

Post by Dick Boyd

Post by william lynch

Post by Larry Scholnick
I can't imagine how to continue turning off the A/C for the full 14 miles, unless I turn it on so
that I can turn it off again.
Turn Off Air Conditioning Now
and ...
Keep Air Conditioning Off Next 14 Miles.
And how are vehicles that are not equipped with air conditioning supposed to comply with the sign?
Interestingly, my old Honda Accord was less likely to overheat with the A/C on than with it off;
with A/C off, the cooling fan was only powered on when the thermostat 'decided' it was necessary;
with the A/C off, the cooling fan was 'locked on', so the car was less likely to overheat!
Turn On Headlights Next 10 Miles
Drive With Headlights On Next 10 Miles
By the way, for cars that have DRL (Daytime Running Light) systems that illuminate the headlights
with limited power, do they have to drive with full-power headlights (like they should at night), or
are the DRLs sufficient?

As far as Caltrans and CHP are concerned, the DRLs are sufficient.

DRLs sufficient on roads marked for headlights? What about the
following car. No tail lights to clue in the following driver? These
roads are sometimes marked for headlights due to fog hazard. Sometimes
for passing hazard. Some type of visibilty issue in any case.

I meant during clear daylight hours, which is how I read the
previous messages.

[Douglas Kerr]

Post by Larry Scholnick
I can't imagine how to continue turning off the A/C for the full 14 miles,
unless I turn it on so that I can turn it off again.
Turn Off Air Conditioning Now
and ...
Keep Air Conditioning Off Next 14 Miles.
And how are vehicles that are not equipped with air conditioning supposed
to comply with the sign?
Interestingly, my old Honda Accord was less likely to overheat with the
A/C on than with it off; with A/C off, the cooling fan was only powered on
when the thermostat 'decided' it was necessary; with the A/C off, the
cooling fan was 'locked on', so the car was less likely to overheat!

I've only seen that type of sign once, when driving to the top of Mt.
Equinox, near Manchester, Vermont.

Post by Larry Scholnick
Turn On Headlights Next 10 Miles
Drive With Headlights On Next 10 Miles

They mean to simplify it for the masses.

Post by Larry Scholnick
By the way, for cars that have DRL (Daytime Running Light) systems that
illuminate the headlights with limited power, do they have to drive with
full-power headlights (like they should at night), or are the DRLs
sufficient?

[Richard Kaszeta]

Post by Douglas Kerr

Post by Larry Scholnick
I can't imagine how to continue turning off the A/C for the full 14 miles,
unless I turn it on so that I can turn it off again.
Turn Off Air Conditioning Now
and ...
Keep Air Conditioning Off Next 14 Miles.

I've only seen that type of sign once, when driving to the top of Mt.
Equinox, near Manchester, Vermont.

The signs are pretty common on I-5 in California. Indeed, almost
every time I've driven that route in the summer, someone would think I
was driving too slowly and go blazing by at high speed with the
windows up, and I'd catch up to them a few miles later steamin' on the
side of the road.

[Marc Fannin]

Post by Richard Kaszeta

Post by Douglas Kerr
I've only seen that type of sign once, when driving to the top of Mt.
Equinox, near Manchester, Vermont.

The signs are pretty common on I-5 in California.

I'm assuming, then, that they're scattered throughout (Southern)
California, as the one I've seen was on I-10 EB in the Indio area
(obvious area with overheat potential).

________________________________________________________________________
Marc Fannin|***@kent.edu or @hotmail.com| http://www.roadfan.com/

[Michael Angelo Ravera]

Pretty common up here in Nothern California also. CASR-17 and CASR-152
have such signs over the various hills.

[p***@yahoo.com]

Post by Michael Angelo Ravera
Pretty common up here in Nothern California also. CASR-17 and CASR-152
have such signs over the various hills.

Interstate 8 coming out of the Imperial Valley.

Post by Michael Angelo Ravera
From below sea level to almost 5000 feet in 30 miles.

That is quite a change in elevation.

Nothing like that in the eastern US.

Take care,
Randy,
just above sea level in Fanwood, NJ

[Larry Harvilla]

Post by p***@yahoo.com

Post by Michael Angelo Ravera
Pretty common up here in Nothern California also. CASR-17 and CASR-152
have such signs over the various hills.

Interstate 8 coming out of the Imperial Valley.

Post by Michael Angelo Ravera
From below sea level to almost 5000 feet in 30 miles.

That is quite a change in elevation.
Nothing like that in the eastern US.

I can think of one that isn't as long or as high, but certainly comes
close for elevation change over distance, in the East: the 13-mile hill
(climbing westbound, descending eastbound) on I-68 in Maryland. The
summit of Big Savage Mountain at milepost 29 is at just under 2,900 ft.
IIRC, and downtown Cumberland (at milepost 42) is not all that
tremendously far above sea level (it is on the Potomac River, which
doesn't have any huge falls I'm aware of between there and its mouth).

[Scott M. Kozel]

Post by Larry Harvilla

Post by p***@yahoo.com
Interstate 8 coming out of the Imperial Valley.
From below sea level to almost 5000 feet in 30 miles.
That is quite a change in elevation.
Nothing like that in the eastern US.

I can think of one that isn't as long or as high, but certainly comes
close for elevation change over distance, in the East: the 13-mile hill
(climbing westbound, descending eastbound) on I-68 in Maryland. The
summit of Big Savage Mountain at milepost 29 is at just under 2,900 ft.
IIRC, and downtown Cumberland (at milepost 42) is not all that
tremendously far above sea level (it is on the Potomac River, which
doesn't have any huge falls I'm aware of between there and its mouth).

Cumberland, Maryland has an elevation of 688 feet. This link doesn't
specify the exact point, but it likely would be in the downtown.

http://www.maps-n-stats.com/us_md/us_md_cumberland_i.html

The upper Potomac River has many little falls and rapids where the
elevation changes. Great Falls of the Potomac are located about 8 miles
west of Washington, DC.

"The Great Falls are actually a series of cascades and rapids on a
two-thirds of a mile stretch of the Potomac. The river drops about 76
feet over this distance. None of the individual falls exceeds a 20 foot
drop".

http://www.mgs.md.gov/esic/features/great.html

[Larry Harvilla]

Post by Scott M. Kozel

Post by Larry Harvilla

Post by p***@yahoo.com
Interstate 8 coming out of the Imperial Valley.
From below sea level to almost 5000 feet in 30 miles.
That is quite a change in elevation.
Nothing like that in the eastern US.

I can think of one that isn't as long or as high, but certainly comes
close for elevation change over distance, in the East: the 13-mile hill
(climbing westbound, descending eastbound) on I-68 in Maryland. The
summit of Big Savage Mountain at milepost 29 is at just under 2,900 ft.
IIRC, and downtown Cumberland (at milepost 42) is not all that
tremendously far above sea level (it is on the Potomac River, which
doesn't have any huge falls I'm aware of between there and its mouth).

Cumberland, Maryland has an elevation of 688 feet. This link doesn't
specify the exact point, but it likely would be in the downtown.
http://www.maps-n-stats.com/us_md/us_md_cumberland_i.html
The upper Potomac River has many little falls and rapids where the
elevation changes. Great Falls of the Potomac are located about 8 miles
west of Washington, DC.
"The Great Falls are actually a series of cascades and rapids on a
two-thirds of a mile stretch of the Potomac. The river drops about 76
feet over this distance. None of the individual falls exceeds a 20 foot
drop".
http://www.mgs.md.gov/esic/features/great.html

Still, that's a fairly impressive drop on eastbound I-68 -- about 2,200
feet in 13 miles. Lots of fun in a tractor-trailer heading downhill in a
February snowstorm. ;-)

[Steve]

Post by Larry Harvilla

Post by Scott M. Kozel

Post by Larry Harvilla

Post by p***@yahoo.com
Interstate 8 coming out of the Imperial Valley.
From below sea level to almost 5000 feet in 30 miles.
That is quite a change in elevation.
Nothing like that in the eastern US.

I can think of one that isn't as long or as high, but certainly comes
close for elevation change over distance, in the East: the 13-mile hill
(climbing westbound, descending eastbound) on I-68 in Maryland. The
summit of Big Savage Mountain at milepost 29 is at just under 2,900 ft.
IIRC, and downtown Cumberland (at milepost 42) is not all that
tremendously far above sea level (it is on the Potomac River, which
doesn't have any huge falls I'm aware of between there and its mouth).

Cumberland, Maryland has an elevation of 688 feet. This link doesn't
specify the exact point, but it likely would be in the downtown.
http://www.maps-n-stats.com/us_md/us_md_cumberland_i.html
The upper Potomac River has many little falls and rapids where the
elevation changes. Great Falls of the Potomac are located about 8 miles
west of Washington, DC.
"The Great Falls are actually a series of cascades and rapids on a
two-thirds of a mile stretch of the Potomac. The river drops about 76
feet over this distance. None of the individual falls exceeds a 20 foot
drop".
http://www.mgs.md.gov/esic/features/great.html

Still, that's a fairly impressive drop on eastbound I-68 -- about 2,200
feet in 13 miles. Lots of fun in a tractor-trailer heading downhill in a
February snowstorm. ;-)

I-68: 3.2% grade for 13 miles (average)
I-8: 3.3% grade for 30 miles (average)

Obviously, it's how prolonged these grades are that's the issue, as 3%
ain't so bad.

[Rick Powell]

I am sesing the need for a "Focus Group" to tell us what the sign
should read.

RP

[Raptor]

Post by Rick Powell
I am sesing the need for a "Focus Group" to tell us what the sign
should read.
RP

Very simple.

"Air conditioning off and heater on next 14 miles"

It would solve some of our overheating problems on the Pass.

[Rick Powell]

I am sensing the need for a "Focus Group" to tell us what the sign
should read.

RP

[Dick Boyd]

Post by Rick Powell
I am sensing the need for a "Focus Group" to tell us what the sign
should read.
RP

Focus Group for what the sign should read? Or if there is that much
traffic, a review of grade requirements. How much fuel would be saved
if the grade were less? Should the state make the investment to lessen
the grade?

Should auto makers beef up the cooling system design? Should auto
buyers in the area choose their vehicle on cooling ability?
Transmission cooler? Extra fan? Special notices on tripticks or route
planners?