Topic: Feature: Tips on winterizing your vehicle

[Autos_Editor]

An investment of an hour or so can help avoid the cost and stress of a breakdown during harsh weather.

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[tpl]

Drivers in sub-zero driving temperatures should drop their oil weight from 10-W30 to 5-W30 as thickened oil can make it hard to start the car

Do any modern cars ( that one might attempt to drive in winter) use oil apart from 5w-something at any time of year?

Coolant should be flushed and refilled at least every two years in most vehicles.

I agree with that but I don't think many manufacturers do and I am not sure that many coolant manufacturers do either.  Now a flush and refill as some specified mileage is a different matter.

[overtakeyouintheleftlane]

"consider special tires if snow and ice are a problem in your area" - You should be using 4 winter tires when the temperature constantly stays below 7 degrees regardless if there is snow or not. The temperature is enough of a reason to switch to winter tires. The "all-season" or summer tire cannot match a winter tire's grip at those temperatures. 

[northsparrow]

Change your battery every 3 years, seriously?

As for oil, just use synthetic as it does not congeal in cold weather.

How could any article giving advice about  winter driving fail to mention how useless All Season tires are
in the typical Canadian winter? Unless you live in southern BC winter tires are essential.

All in all this is possibly the most vapid  'article' ever posted on this site.

[rovermark]

Change your battery every 3 years, seriously?

As for oil, just use synthetic as it does not congeal in cold weather.

How could any article giving advice about  winter driving fail to mention how useless All Season tires are
in the typical Canadian winter? Unless you live in southern BC winter tires are essential.

All in all this is possibly the most vapid  'article' ever posted on this site.

Agree with other posters here. It sounds like the advice given here is either very outdated or just plain wrong. "Change batteries every three years?" Expensive and unnecessary. Batteries outlast three years easily.  Run your engine to heat it? Most manufacturers do not recommend that as it may cause friction and it pollutes the environment.  Change your oil to 5W... is there another kind? Flush your coolant annually? Seems like a waste of money and polluting to the environment if the coolant is still intact. "Consider" using windshield fluid with antifreeze? is there another kind in winter, and where in Canada does the temperature not reach 0 occasionally to say the least? Never mind the tire suggestion that has been dealt with aptly.

These tips are valid if you are driving a car in Florida in the 1950s. Seems like an article that is a cut-and-paste job from another website, and is also not authored. Why should anyone believe the "advice" given here?

[safristi]

   he forgot to mention antifreeze for the turn signals and charging up the seat warmers and glue sand paper to the tires..........

[tpl]

You don't put antifreeze in the turn signals Saf... winter bulbs are what you need.

[safristi]

..My eyes are dim i cannot see........................Michelin Xi Xi bulbs are best.....        

[Threader]

Don't forget to spray on cloth some silicone spray then wipe down all the car door rubber gaskets. Great for keeping your doors from absorbing moisture and freezing shut. The older the car the more the need.

[stodge]

Don't forget to close the doors when you drive - it keeps the cold out!