Winter tips

[Jeremy airjer W]

Well summer was a flop which puts us back into the time of year we in the northern states can’t live without. As much as we complain about the snow and cold, the truth is we wouldn’t have it any other way. What we can live without is the problems we have with our vehicles as the temps get colder. Here’s a quick checklist of things to go over before the big freeze hits us.

The simple things - A fresh pair of wiper blades to help battle against the snow, slush, and road spray will help keep visibility to a maximum. Window treatments like Rain-X can also help increase visibility. Keep an extra bottle of window wash at the ready. We all know how fast we can go through that stuff! Take a peak at the filters. A fresh air filter will help ease the pain of the decreased fuel economy we all get during the winter months. If your fuel filter is serviceable and like most people you have never serviced it It may not be a bad idea. Here's something you may not have thought about, replacing your cabin filter. A dirty cabin filter can reduce airflow through the vents and really nasty ones can add undesirable odors into the passenger compartment.

Battery – As batteries get older they start to loose there ability to provide that extra little bit of power that you might just need when the temps dip into the sub zeros. Load testing the battery to measure its output capacity will give you an idea of what your battery has left in it. Check the connections. Even mildly corroded connections will rob you of valuable cranking power!

Coolant - Extended life coolants found in most late model vehicles last much longer than the conventional “green stuff” we all know. The extended life coolants can still become dirty and oxidized for a lack of a better word. Dirty coolant is inefficient coolant and can ultimately lead to plugged heater cores, radiators, and accelerated corrosion of engine parts. Coolant protection can be measured easy enough with a simple bulb tester. All coolants should have a protection level of near -35 degrees Fahrenheit. If you have the “green stuff” and it’s been more than 3 years or 36k miles it may not be a bad idea to have the cooling system flushed. Most importantly if you have a small leak now it going to get worse as the weather gets colder and nobody like fixing there car in the driveway with temps below freezing waist deep in snow!

Ignition systems - The colder the weather, the harder for the ignition system to keep up. Worn out plugs can cause the engine to flood leaving the vehicle disabled. You may be surprised to find out that your vehicle may not have some super duper fancy iridium plugs that have a high mileage service life. If you have standard plugs and its been more than 40k,50k,60k miles you might be due. Getting them changed before there is a problem means money saved in the long run.

Tires - How much tread is left on your tires? In places where snow flies you need traction. You may have gotten away with worn out tires during the summer but as soon as the roads become snow covered you're going nowhere! If your tires are in good shape it’s important to keep an eye on tire pressure as the temperatures start to drop. You can expect on average for your tire pressure to drop 1psi for every ten degrees the temperature drops. My rule of thumb is I check them every time the temp drops 30 degrees. Not only will your tires benefit from proper inflation but so will your wallet. It’s another one of those simple things we can do to ease fuel consumption.

Paint - The exterior of the car also can get some pre winter help. A fresh coat of wax will help protect the paint from all the chemicals used in keeping the roads clear over the winter. As we all know making it look good is almost more important than having it running good!?!

Lighting - The winter months also brings less daylight. Pretty quick most of us will be driving to and from work in the dark for the most part. Taking a trip around the vehicle to check for burnt out bulbs takes no time at all. Your owner’s manual will have a list of bulbs and part numbers and sometimes some direction on how to replace them which can make it a little easier finding and installing the right bulb. Headlamps that are turning dull or hazy will especially be noticed as you spend more time driving in the dark. There are many DIY kits to choose from to turn those dull, yellow, hazy headlamp lenses to an almost like new crystal clear appearance. Increasing your visibility certainly can’t hurt!

Most Important - Take some time to look over your ice fishing gear! There’s nothing worse than finding out your heater doesn’t work, the poles are frozen on your portable, or your auger wont start. Blow the sawdust off your poles and respool if your line has a few years on it. Open up that ice tackle box and make sure nothing has rusted into a fine powder. Check all your batteries (flasher, camera, lights, etc). Make sure all of these are with you just incase you have a little situation where you end up going off the road in some bad weather and surprisingly end up on your favorite fishing hole!

Let’s have a fun, safe, and problem free winter!

[Scott K]

Well said AirJer!

[CJH]

Good tips, all the way around!!!

[harvey lee]

I tried the Rain X and that stuff does really help. I now put it on my wife's car also.

[jwhjr]

Battery - As batteries get older they start to loose there ability to provide that extra little bit of power that you might just need when the temps dip into the sub zeros. Load testing the battery to measure its output capacity will give you an idea of what your battery has left in it. Check the connections. Even mildly corroded connections will rob you of valuable cranking power!

I got a call from my wife yesterday when she was leaving work that her truck wouldn't stay running and the radio clock was reset when she started it. She got it running again and made it home. When I took a look at it, sure enough there was a little bit of corrosion on the positive cable. I cleaned it up and everything is good now. I would hate to have had to deal with this when it's -20

[Jeremy airjer W]

That's kinda funny!