CoAvZ71 said:
I have seen Chevy advertise that the Avalanche is designed so that the harmful carbon monoxide just flows OVER the bed and cab instead of into it. ?
My question is, what if the wind is fickle and it changes the direction of the carbon monoxide flow?
The owners manual has something to say on this subject.
Page 2-13, "Midgate":
It can be dangerous to drive with the cargo area covered and the tailgate and Midgate open because carbon monoxide (CO) gas can come into your vehicle. You can?t see or smell CO. It can cause unconsciousness and even death.
If you must drive with the cargo area covered and the tailgate and Midgate open or if electrical wiring or other cable connections must pass through the seal between the body and the Midgate:
- Make sure all other windows are shut.
- Turn the fan on your heating or cooling system to its highest speed with the setting on OUTSIDE AIR. That will force outside air into your vehicle. See ?Comfort Controls? in the Index.
- If you have air outlets on or under the instrument panel, open them all the way. See ?Engine Exhaust? in the Index.
Page 2-44, "Engine Exhaust":
Engine exhaust can kill. It contains the gas carbon monoxide (CO), which you can?t see or smell. It can cause unconsciousness and death.
You might have exhaust coming in if:
- Your exhaust system sounds strange or different.
- Your vehicle gets rusty underneath.
- Your vehicle was damaged in a collision.
- Your vehicle was damaged when driving over high points on the road or over road debris.
- Repairs weren?t done correctly.
- Your vehicle or exhaust system had been modified improperly.
If you ever suspect exhaust is coming into your vehicle:
- Drive it only with all the windows down to blow out any CO; and
- Have your vehicle fixed immediately.
Page 2-45 "Running Your Engine While You're Parked":
Idling the engine with the climate control system off could allow dangerous exhaust into your vehicle. See the earlier Caution under ?Engine Exhaust.?
Also, idling in a closed-in place can let deadly carbon monoxide (CO) into your vehicle even if the fan is at the highest setting. One place this can happen is a garage. Exhaust -- with CO -- can come in easily. NEVER park in a garage with the engine running.
Another closed-in place can be a blizzard. See ?Blizzard? in the Index.
Page 4-45, "If You?re Caught in a Blizzard":
Snow can trap exhaust gases under your vehicle. This can cause deadly CO (carbon monoxide) gas to get inside. CO could overcome you and kill you. You can?t see it or smell it, so you might not know it is in your vehicle. Clear away snow from around the base of your vehicle, especially any that is blocking your exhaust pipe. And check around again from time to time to be sure snow doesn?t collect there.
Open a window just a little on the side of the vehicle that?s away from the wind. This will help keep CO out.
So, there are some things that you clearly should not do: drive with covers on and both midgate and tailgate open, idle truck in garage (duh!) and be careful of idling in snow.
As long as you are driving, have the covers and back window installed, and either the tailgate or midgate closed, you should be safe. I know I wouldn't worry if I were in that situation. If you have both gates open, or the back window out, I
would worry, and keep other windows open some and the ventilation fan on full.
If you're leaving the engine running while parked and sleeping, then you have some more things to look out for, especially if the snow is flying and building up. Keeping the air moving by keeping the ventilation fan blowing and a down-wind window opened a bit will help greatly. Make sure the exhaust is not blocked, and better yet, park with the exhaust outlet down wind from the truck.
A battery powered CO detector may be a good idea. However, keep in mind that to prevent false alarms, they need to sense a dangerous CO concentration over time. In such a small area as a truck, by the time the alarm sounds, you may already be in serious trouble. Also, the sensitivity of the CO sensor may by affected by temperature, check to see if the sensor you may consider has any temperature restrictions.
Hope this gives some helpful information. Drive safely, and I'm looking forward to seeing you when you're in town.
-- SS