Can you make a car work in Long Dark

[Michael1986]

This is not a gameplay more a secnario question if you were stuck on the Great Bear with pickup truck or a 4X4 at a Garage could you, with enough mechanical skill make your Car work nothing else about the car matters but can you make a functioning Car without electricity

Edited May 29, 2021 by Michael1986
Grammar mistake

[UpUpAway95]

Why would you even work to do it?  What few roads existed have collapsed due to the earthquakes and, although not well represented in the game, would be covered in heavy snow because they haven't been plowed since the aurora... making them even more impassable.   Even a 4 x 4 has nowhere to really go.

The smarter thing would be to strip cars for usable materials (which is what was introduced with Bleak Inlet and the fact that we can now hack the batteries apart to acquire lead, but still doesn't explain why we can't, for example, siphon the gas tanks for fuel or obtain significant amounts of scrap metal from them or even manufacture something as simple as a makeshift prybar... or make a low-durability makeshift knife or hatchet from some sharp piece of metal rather than having to go to a forge to do so.

The most sensible scenario is that when the earthquakes cut the island off from the mainland, supplies of gasoline stopped coming.  The gas stations and the cars all simply ran out of fuel.  There is nothing in the gas tanks or gas pumps left to siphon.  The residents may have even gone to using alcohol as fuel... hence we don't find alcohol on GB either.

Edited May 29, 2021 by UpUpAway95

[mfuegemann]

Maybe we could run some wolfs down...

[Lord of the Long Dark]

Can’t due to the electromagnetic phenomenon preventing all electrical.  The cars didn’t run out of fuel- they stopped running because of the inductive and Hall effect sensors  all being inoperative. 

Edited May 30, 2021 by Lord of the Long Dark

[SpanishMoss]

When the Aurora happened, all electronics got fried. This would include most of the important circuits that allow a car to function. It's unlikely you could repair the boards to a point where the car will function. The only reason the lights work is not because the battery has charge during the Aurora, the Aurora directly powers the lights. (I think)

[UpUpAway95]

4 hours ago, Lord of the Long Dark said:

Can’t due to the electromagnetic phenomenon preventing all electrical.  The cars didn’t run out of fuel- they stopped running because of the inductive and Hall effect sensors  all being inoperative. 

How was it then that the prison bus was taking Astrid anywhere AFTER the aurora event that brought Will's plane down?

[SpanishMoss]

35 minutes ago, UpUpAway95 said:

How was it then that the prison bus was taking Astrid anywhere AFTER the aurora event that brought Will's plane down?

Ep1 spoilers

I think the bus crashed during the first flare, and wasn't taking Astrid, just prisoners. When the first flare hit, the bus lost control and slammed into the wall, collapsing the tunnel. Astrid then managed (later on) to go through the partially  collapsed tunnel, writing "perseverance" on the way through, before the tunnel fully collapsed. (At least I think that's how the story goes)

 

[UpUpAway95]

On 5/30/2021 at 10:28 PM, SpanishMoss said:

Ep1 spoilers

  Hide contents

I think the bus crashed during the first flare, and wasn't taking Astrid, just prisoners. When the first flare hit, the bus lost control and slammed into the wall, collapsing the tunnel. Astrid then managed (later on) to go through the partially  collapsed tunnel, writing "perseverance" on the way through, before the tunnel fully collapsed. (At least I think that's how the story goes)

 

The tunnel is not partially collapsed... it's totally impassable and Will cannot enter the bus to get to the part where Astrid wrote the note.  Something is awry with the scenario you're suggesting.

Also, the earliest cars ran just fine without  batteries (I believe they didn't start putting them in the Model T or A Fords for several years of their production.  You had to crank them to start and they had no lights.)  So, in answering the OP's question, I think a person could convert an engine and get a car to move in TLD if they had the know-how... and the fuel to run it.  The bigger question is where would you go.  Better if you could find a snowmobile and revamp that to run.

ETA:  I looked up the Model T... production began in 1908, but batteries didn't go in until 1919.  They introduced a magneto in 1915.

Edited June 1, 2021 by UpUpAway95

[SpanishMoss]

I don't know much about cars so I wouldn't know, but in regards to your response to how the tunnel collapsed, you misunderstood what I was describing. Initially, the tunnel was partially collapsed, open enough for Astrid to squeeze through. Later on before Will got there, the tunnel fully collapsed, rendering it impassible.

[Lord of the Long Dark]

There is NO WAY you are modifying any car with even just a TBI to operate without electrical. Absolutely impossible. 
   If they have a model T hanging around the game - well that would be its own inexplicability.  But to modify a car form the last 80 years to run without the ability to do induction or Hall effect is only hysterically evident of not knowing about cars 

Edited June 1, 2021 by Lord of the Long Dark

[UpUpAway95]

7 hours ago, Lord of the Long Dark said:

There is NO WAY you are modifying any car with even just a TBI to operate without electrical. Absolutely impossible. 
   If they have a model T hanging around the game - well that would be its own inexplicability.  But to modify a car form the last 80 years to run without the ability to do induction or Hall effect is only hysterically evident of not knowing about cars 

They have tractors in the game, which aren't that complicated... and you have a full repair shop at the cannery that operates during an aurora.  I believe it can be done and you'd be surprised what can be made to run when the chips are down; but you probably didn't grow up on a farm.  It wouldn't run like it came off the showroom floor and in the end it might not look much like the original car, but that wasn't the question, was it?

The other thing I would question is just how badly are the electrical components fried by the event... The game has several electrical devices that run during the aurora... including computers with their data even retained and readable.

Edited June 2, 2021 by UpUpAway95

[UpUpAway95]

10 hours ago, SpanishMoss said:

I don't know much about cars so I wouldn't know, but in regards to your response to how the tunnel collapsed, you misunderstood what I was describing. Initially, the tunnel was partially collapsed, open enough for Astrid to squeeze through. Later on before Will got there, the tunnel fully collapsed, rendering it impassible.

What caused the tunnel to fully collapse then... there are no "aftershocks" occurring after the crash of Will's plane.

[Lord of the Long Dark]

59 minutes ago, UpUpAway95 said:

They have tractors in the game, which aren't that complicated... and you have a full repair shop at the cannery that operates during an aurora.  I believe it can be done and you'd be surprised what can be made to run when the chips are down; but you probably didn't grow up on a farm.  It wouldn't run like it came off the showroom floor and in the end it might not look much like the original car, but that wasn't the question, was it?

The other thing I would question is just how badly are the electrical components fried by the event... The game has several electrical devices that run during the aurora... including computers with their data even retained and readable.

The electrical isn’t fried. We know this because of the auroras causing operation of electrical. It’s that The magnetic juxtaposition has changed so electrical theory is affected- other than auroras and even then intermittently.  
  Tractors still require CMP and CKPS inductive and Hall effect  signaling- not possible given the theoretical environment the game presents. 
  I think you don’t understand what the impact is of the proposed mechanism with the electromagnetic disturbance presented as the concept for the game. 

Edited June 2, 2021 by Lord of the Long Dark

[ajb1978]

The flare that brought Will's plane down is the same flare that caused the prison bus to crash. The crash caused the tunnel to collapse, mostly crushing the bus. Astrid was small enough to fit through the crushed part and escape the prisoners, but the prisoners (and Will, with his ginormous backpack full of junk) can't squeeze through.

As for electrical, complex electronics are mostly fried, but simpler analog stuff does still work. While it's rather silly that battery powered flashlights only work during an aurora, we do see that party line phones are still usable during the day. Thus it would stand to reason that a simple diesel truck from the mid 1900's that has no complex electronics could still run just fine, provided you were able to pre-heat the fuel. Diesel engines don't rely on spark plugs, they rely on the sheer force of compression in the cylinders to ignite the fuel. So hypothetically you could roll start it too although you'd probably need to find a truck that's parked at the top of a big hill first. And even then you'd only get one shot at it. In normal use you start the engine first, then put it in gear to provide power to the wheels. Roll-starting turns that on its head--the wheels are already in motion, and you put it in gear to transfer energy from the wheels to the engine in an effort to start combustion. But depending on how fast the truck is moving or what gear you have it in, it's possible that the engine won't start, and will instead bring the vehicle to a halt. (This is known as engine braking--where you put the vehicle into high gear and let the engine absorb the energy to slow you down, vs. normal braking which puts pressure on the wheels to stop.)

[odizzido]

On 5/30/2021 at 5:25 PM, Lord of the Long Dark said:

Can’t due to the electromagnetic phenomenon preventing all electrical.  The cars didn’t run out of fuel- they stopped running because of the inductive and Hall effect sensors  all being inoperative. 

That used to be true, but now that computers and mill machinery work it's not anymore.

[Lord of the Long Dark]

6 hours ago, odizzido said:

That used to be true, but now that computers and mill machinery work it's not anymore.

 

6 hours ago, odizzido said:

That used to be true, but now that computers and mill machinery work it's not anymore.

Unmmm please explain how that would no longer be true. 
  Are you suggesting cars do not use Hall effect or induction sensors?  surely you are not suggesting that. Because you would be horrifically, embarrassingly and woefully incorrect. 
  so, how was my statement not true given that obviously you are not denying that ignition timing is Hall effect or induction based. I don’t follow. What your point is sorry.  

Edited June 3, 2021 by Lord of the Long Dark

[odizzido]

2 hours ago, Lord of the Long Dark said:

 

Unmmm please explain how that would no longer be true. 
  Are you suggesting cars do not use Hall effect or induction sensors?  surely you are not suggesting that. Because you would be horrifically, embarrassingly and woefully incorrect. 
  so, how was my statement not true given that obviously you are not denying that ignition timing is Hall effect or induction based. I don’t follow. What your point is sorry.  

From what I understand the hall effect is required for mill machinery and computers to function. Since both of those do, cars should too. But I am not an electrical engineer or anything so I could easily be wrong.

[Admin]

Several posts removed.

Please treat other forum members with respect even when disagreeing with them.
 

Thank you. 

[Glflegolas]

@ajb1978FYI, here's a video by Diesel Creek where he fixes the fuel system of his tractor. I don't think the tractors in TLD are too different.

As far as I can tell, this tractor has virtually no electronics. The lift pump and the injector pump are both mechanical. So, in theory, there's no reason why you couldn't get a tractor to run on Great Bear. Heck, given that it's a diesel, it'd probably even run on lamp fuel or fish oil, so fuel would not be a issue. In order to start an engine like that with no starter, you'd first want to warm it up a bit (put glowing coals under it maybe?), then make absolutely sure that there's fuel at the injectors. Then, you would flip the compression off and hand-crank until it's spinning fairly fast, at which point you turn compression on again. With some luck, one cylinder would start firing, which would give the engine enough power to get the other cylinders to fire. Of course, starting would be much easier during the aurora, if it had sufficient power to charge the tractor's battery...

[ajb1978]

5 hours ago, Glflegolas said:

Heck, given that it's a diesel, it'd probably even run on lamp fuel or fish oil, so fuel would not be a issue.

Actually I have seen diesel mods for commuter cars colloquially known as "grease cars". You need to be very careful about filtering the oil of course because any impurities can seriously gum up the engine. But you can run cars on things like recycled fryer grease from a restaurant. The only caveat is the oil needs to be preheated to reduce the viscosity, but it burns comparably to diesel.

And I'm not sure if this is a boon or a bogey but any time one of these cars passes by, it smells like a Chinese restaurant.

[UpUpAway95]

21 hours ago, ajb1978 said:

Actually I have seen diesel mods for commuter cars colloquially known as "grease cars". You need to be very careful about filtering the oil of course because any impurities can seriously gum up the engine. But you can run cars on things like recycled fryer grease from a restaurant. The only caveat is the oil needs to be preheated to reduce the viscosity, but it burns comparably to diesel.

And I'm not sure if this is a boon or a bogey but any time one of these cars passes by, it smells like a Chinese restaurant.

Driving one in TLD would probably attract every bear and wolf on the map - lol.

[UpUpAway95]

On 6/2/2021 at 6:39 AM, ajb1978 said:

The flare that brought Will's plane down is the same flare that caused the prison bus to crash. The crash caused the tunnel to collapse, mostly crushing the bus. Astrid was small enough to fit through the crushed part and escape the prisoners, but the prisoners (and Will, with his ginormous backpack full of junk) can't squeeze through.

As for electrical, complex electronics are mostly fried, but simpler analog stuff does still work. While it's rather silly that battery powered flashlights only work during an aurora, we do see that party line phones are still usable during the day. Thus it would stand to reason that a simple diesel truck from the mid 1900's that has no complex electronics could still run just fine, provided you were able to pre-heat the fuel. Diesel engines don't rely on spark plugs, they rely on the sheer force of compression in the cylinders to ignite the fuel. So hypothetically you could roll start it too although you'd probably need to find a truck that's parked at the top of a big hill first. And even then you'd only get one shot at it. In normal use you start the engine first, then put it in gear to provide power to the wheels. Roll-starting turns that on its head--the wheels are already in motion, and you put it in gear to transfer energy from the wheels to the engine in an effort to start combustion. But depending on how fast the truck is moving or what gear you have it in, it's possible that the engine won't start, and will instead bring the vehicle to a halt. (This is known as engine braking--where you put the vehicle into high gear and let the engine absorb the energy to slow you down, vs. normal braking which puts pressure on the wheels to stop.)

But why was she at the bus and why write her message there in the bus.  She could not have been in the bus before it crashed.  If she was treating a prisoner in the bus, where is he if she was the only one small enough to get into the crushed bus.  The whole story just doesn't fit right together... yet (meaning perhaps it will be something cleared up in a later episode).

[ajb1978]

1 hour ago, UpUpAway95 said:

But why was she at the bus and why write her message there in the bus.  She could not have been in the bus before it crashed.  If she was treating a prisoner in the bus, where is he if she was the only one small enough to get into the crushed bus.  The whole story just doesn't fit right together... yet (meaning perhaps it will be something cleared up in a later episode).

One of the convicts cut her, as evidenced by Hobbs telling Will that she wasn't bleeding too bad ("Aw we barely clipped her wings"), and by the bandages Astrid is seen wearing at the start of episode 3. She was running from the convicts, but evidently had enough time to write the word "Perseverence" in the bus using her own blood as ink, prior to crawling through the collapsed portion of the bus and escaping to Pleasant Valley.

[Glflegolas]

6 hours ago, UpUpAway95 said:

Driving one in TLD would probably attract every bear and wolf on the map - lol.

But that's not a problem, you could simply run them over. Even if not, wolves are simply too small to do much to a tractor. A bear maybe could theoretically tip it over, but it wouldn't be easy to do. The bears in TLD aren't good at dragging stuff though -- they won't even drag a fallen tree out of the way if you're hiding under it.

[UpUpAway95]

19 hours ago, Glflegolas said:

But that's not a problem, you could simply run them over. Even if not, wolves are simply too small to do much to a tractor. A bear maybe could theoretically tip it over, but it wouldn't be easy to do. The bears in TLD aren't good at dragging stuff though -- they won't even drag a fallen tree out of the way if you're hiding under it.

A bear would make quite a speed bump - lol.