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DIY: Winterizing Your Car
05/21/12
Every year I look out of my window and see the snow piled up on the lawn. I
see the icicles hanging down from the eaves and the wind blowing. I look at
the thermometer hanging out there and it says it's 18° below zero. As I
sit and look at this winter wonderland I can't help but think.... should I check
my car for winter today. Then I say to myself, "Nah, it's too cold out."
This year it's going to be different. It's 65° out, the sun is shining
and I'm going to winterize my car today. I know a lot of you live in climates
where winter is not much different from summer. To you winterizing is not all
that important. But here in Minnesota where the temperature can go down to 40°,
50° or even 60° below zero, winterizing a car is an important consideration.
Okay, where do we start? The first thing to check is the anti-freeze.
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Most anti-freezes are an ethylene glycol based fluid that has a low freezing
point when mixed with water and a high boiling point. For this reason it makes
an excellent coolant for our vehicles. Most times it is a nice bright green
color, but it can be either black or red. The red should not be confused with
Dex-Cool anti-freeze used in General Motor's products. Dex-Cool is a special
anti-freeze that GM uses and is rated to last 10 years or 100,000 miles before
requiring a change. It is NOT compatible with other anti-freezes and should
never be mixed with them.
Does it need to be changed? Well, if you didn't change it last winter, you
need to change it this winter. Anti-freeze should be changed every two years
or 30,000 miles whichever comes first. In addition to ethylene glycol, anti-freeze
has other chemicals that lubricate the water pump and inhibits corrosion in
the engine. These chemicals wear out and need to be replaced.
Next is the motor oil. Most manufacturers have a summer and winter grade oil
recommendations. Check your vehicle owners' manual for the recommended winter
grade oil and change the oil to that grade. Winter grade oil is a lighter weight
to help make cold weather starts easier. Naturally, you need to change the oil
filter as well.
Now we need to look at the wipers and washers. If you have ever driven on
a highway that has had a lot of salt and sand dumped on it you will know that
a good set of wiper blades and a working windshield washer is essential. It
takes about 10 seconds for the spray from the car in front of you to totally
cover your windshield. Make sure your washers are in good working order and
filled with washer solvent. Most washer solvents are good to about 10 below
zero. For most parts of the country this is good enough. For those of us who
live in the real cold, we need something that goes a little lower.
Have the battery and charging system tested. A weak battery or alternator
may get you by in the summer, but they will not handle cold weather when you
need extra amps to start a cold engine. Clean the top of the battery with a
solution of baking soda and water. Dirt and "blue snow" will slowly
drain the battery and the colder it gets, the faster it will drain. When it
is nice and clean, spray a nice coat of terminal protector or put a layer of
white lithium grease on the terminals to keep them clean and air away from them.
Chances are you haven't changed your wiper blades in a while. I have two sets
of blades, one for summer and one for winter. The winter blades are covered
with a rubber boot to keep ice, snow and water from freezing on the pivot points.
This insures that the blade can flex and make good contact with the windshield
to keep it clean. You can replace the rubber inserts in either set, so use the
winter blades and put in a fresh set of refills for the winter.
Now for the engine itself. The lower the temperature, the harder it is for
the fuel to ignite when starting. If you haven't had a tune-up in a while, now
is the time to get one. With a fresh set of spark plugs and new distributor
cap, rotor and ignition wires as needed, your chances of your car starting without
flooding greatly improve. Look at the belts and hoses as well. Winter driving
puts an extra-added strain on the engine. It's one thing to be stuck with a
broken belt when it's sunny and 80 degrees out, but a different thing all together
when it's -10 degrees and snowing.
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