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Winterizing?

I

iBrent

Veteran CEG'er
Joined
Oct 13, 2005
Messages
568
Location
Northborough, MA
Hey Everyone,

So I moved here last Spring and this will be my first New England winter. Is there anything I should do to my SVT so it survives the winter? I know my coolant is mostly 50/50 but when it was low I put about 2 qrts of water (back home in GA). Should I flush it and put something else in? A higher concentration of antifreeze?

I bought some de-icing windshield washing fluid, seems to work pretty well. I also got an ice scraper with a brush which came in handy last week when it snowed.

I should probably get winter tires as well.

Anything else I should do?

Thanks!
 
sounds like you've got yourself pretty well set...if you have any reservations about your coolant mix, then flush it out, it wont hurt anything and will give you some piece of mind

snow tires are a big bonus, i ran all seasons for 1 winter and they did okay, but a nice set of snow tires is leaps and bounds better (and i tried summer tires for 1 snow storm....bad bad idea:()
 
Shovel in the trunk. They sell auto-sized ones in KMart and such. Extremely helpful if a blizzard dumps 3 feet on the car while you're at work or school.
Maybe kitty litter or sand if you're so inclined, though I've never gotten stuck.

Not necessarily winter related, but I always keep my old wiper blades in the trunk as well just in case one gets destroyed while I'm on the road.

Two ice scrapers. One nice giant strong one with brush for getting stuff off the car, but equally important is a tiny one for the glovebox. It's mostly useful if you have ice buildup on the inside of the car, or if your big one breaks. And, if you have friends you can recruit them to help. :D

Blanket or quilt in the trunk, in case the car gets stuck and you have to camp out. (NEVER keep the car running if you get stuck, the exhaust gets blocked with snow!!) Spare gloves / hat / earmuffs don't hurt either.
 
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Be aware of the weather forecasts, so you don't get stuck in a snowstorm that you didn't expect.

If you know your car is going to be parked outside in a storm for a while, pull your wiper arms up so the wipers don't freeze to the windshield.
I usually have to do this when there's a storm while I'm at work.

Have you ever driven in snow before?
 
frenchblueC2 said:
Have you ever driven in snow before?
Click to expand...

I moved her last February and drove through Pennsylvania while they had some major storm. Most of the interstates were shut down so I had to take a huge (5 hour) detour through residential side streets and small towns. There was un-plowed snow there, but that was the first time. The guy in front of me seemed to be knowledgable so I just kept a good distance from him and did exactly what he did. It worked out.

Thanks for the ideas everyone.
 
You should be good on the coolent mixture. That is what I have always had in my other car and it is good to about -40F. Then again we do get colder than that and it starts to slush up a little bit. :help: Get a antifreeze tester to make sure you are around the right mixture.

Also keep hand warmer things in the car as well....the ones that you put inside your gloves. And a pair of boots. Never know when you have to walk.
 
elraido said:
Get a antifreeze tester to make sure you are around the right mixture.
Click to expand...

i hate to say it *cringe* but i have to agree.
you can pick up a decent tester at autozone for about $10 or less and then you will know for sure what your coolant is capable of.
 
A good set of all weather floor mats also. Not only will it protect the interior, but if you have to change a tire or something, good place to rest your knees to keeps your pants\legs from getting cold, wet and dirty.
 
dacker said:
A good set of all weather floor mats also. Not only will it protect the interior, but if you have to change a tire or something, good place to rest your knees to keeps your pants\legs from getting cold, wet and dirty.
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that is a good point, and one i over looked, i have a set of crappy walmart floormats that i use in the winter...rouars suggestion for a shove its a good call too
 
RespectTheContour said:
that is a good point, and one i over looked, i have a set of crappy walmart floormats that i use in the winter...rouars suggestion for a shove its a good call too
Click to expand...

Rouar made another good suggestion of kitty litter or sand, I always carried it in my 95 GL, but never had to use it, atleast not for my car. Of course anything you can put in the car to stay warm in case you get stuck is also highly advisable.

One more thing I would suggest also is to keep your headlights/tail lights cleaned off, not only will it improve your visibility, but it will also ensure other drivers can see you better.
 
I've got to get mine into the wash, hopefully this weekend. My T-Green is looking more white from salt etc after this week:nonono:
 
Random thought on a couple more items.

Jumper cables and flashlight with extra batteries (actually good to have all year round)
 
dacker said:
Jumper cables
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heh .. I was just going to mention this.
My neighbor knocked on my door early this morning asking if I could jump his car, sadly I don't have jumper cables. :blackeye: My own battery died during a cold sap last year too.
 
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All good points. I have a flashlight with many extra AA batteries :D. I also have a snow brush w/ ice scraper, two handheld ice scrapers, and one of those cheesy "Send Help" black and orange warning flag things, and some orange reflective triangles as to grab driver's attention at night. :shrug:

(My grandmother gave them to me when I first got my license and car. She was worried :rolleyes: :laugh: )
 
The only other things I can think of is a set of winter wiper blades, one of those little 12v ceramic heaters, and a candle w/ a metal can (it provides light, a remarkable amount of heat, and can melt snow for drinking water), waterproof matches or a lighter, and maybe one of those foil survival blankets.

My trunk is full of stuff in the winter... I carry a small snow shovel, a blanket, a sleeping bag, extra fluids, along with all the other crap in there.

Once winter comes around, I put in my car an ice scraper, a snow brush, the little ceramic heater, I replace my good floor mats with heavy rubber ones, change out to winter wiper blades, and put plastic covers over my headlights. I'd also put on a car bra if I had one.

You may also want to buy one of those portable jump starters. They're about $40 for a cheap one.
 
Matt R said:
I'd also put on a car bra if I had one.
Click to expand...

thats actually worse in the winter unless you plan to wash your car every few days. plus they don't fit as well because they shrink when they are cold.

And I still have mine that you said you wanted to buy before ...
 
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