Prepare your car right for winter driving; warmth, emergency supplies and fluids

By "Dr." Dan Nero

Well, winter is coming. We’ve all been here before — leaves changing, frost warnings, snow levels. It’s time for a general primer on cold weather care.

First point: The world doesn’t need people driving through the school zone at 9 a.m. peering through a little hole in their frosted windshield. Yes, we are a no-idle town but safety comes first. Start planning your day five minutes earlier.

Secondly. Warm up. A big topic with many points to cover besides the above.

Will it start? Is the battery finally giving up the ghost? Is it over five years old? If it is, it’s probably on borrowed time. Are the connections clean? Most good shops can test the batteries and perform proper maintenance on the charging and starting system for a reasonable fee. If you charging or boosting, connect the grounds on the alternator bracket last when hooking up and first when disconnecting. Batteries release hydrogen gas (which is highly explosive) when charging and you want the sparks of the hookup to be as far from the battery as possible. Red clamps are First and Last.

When it starts, how does it run? If it’s a diesel, are the glow plugs working right. If it’s older, is the choke set up right? If it’s newer vehicle, a problem with cold is a hint of bigger things. Most fuel injection systems compensate for temperature quite well.

Modern vehicles (we’ll say twenty years and newer) require specific lubricants. 10W30 from Wal Mart when your Jetta wants 5W20 synthetic doesn’t jive when it’s cold out. Oil gets thick when it’s cold out and takes a while to reach some places in engine, transmission and driveline. Be nice to it when it’s cold, most of the damage you will do to your vehicle occurs when it’s frozen.

How are your lights working? When you shovel off the snow do you clear them off too? If you’ve been driving for a while on a snow covered highway, stop and clear off the back lenses once and a while, it might keep you from being rear ended by someone who couldn’t see you stopping.

Spend a few minutes one Sunday putting a few things you might need in the winter into your vehicle. Warm blanket. Shovel. Couple bags of sand. Candles, food and water are a start.

Another point. Exhaust. Now’s not the time to ignore a leaky exhaust system. We all know better. ‘Nuff said.

Everyone should learn how to drive their vehicle. A front wheel drive vehicle will do things a rear wheel drive won’t. For good or for evil. Four wheel and all wheel drive vehicles aren’t tanks. Simple tips are available for free at the local ICBC for free in booklet form. Driving courses are available as well. Hydroplaning into oncoming traffic isn’t the best place to hone your skills.

Heat. Your number one priority before you drive off in the morning should be a clean windshield. Problems with that? Do you have a needle and leaf buildup in the fresh air intake? If it constantly steams up, you may have a leaking heater core spewing steam into the vents. Papers on the dash plugging hot air to packrat nests can cause flow problems. And the number one cause of poor cabin heat? Low coolant level.

There are a lot of drivibility concerns in the winter caused by water. Water in the fuel is a biggie. Gas line antifreeze is cheap and is miscible with water, allowing it to flow through the system and not plug up the filters. A small bottle every now and then can go a long ways. If you’ve got some water sloshing around on the bottom of the tank it’s going to give you grief in the winter.

One final note:

Speed. We see a few vehicles coming in on the hook with holes in the oil pan caused by rocks on the road. This is not a Highway Maintenance problem, they’re picking them up as fast as they can. It’s between You and Mother Nature. If you hit the rock and the rock didn’t hit you, you were going too fast for the conditions. She wins, period. Whether it be because you were in a hurry, the brakes weren’t up to snuff, your tires were worn, you couldn’t see or you weren’t alert. Any way you look at it you weren’t able to safely stop and negotiate the obstacle. This goes for deer, other vehicles, snowslides, slush patches, fallen trees, fog, black ice, snow removal equipment or kids on toboggans. Drive according to the conditions and you’ll probably arrive safe if maybe a little late. But then this is Nakusp. You can always joke; shake your head, mutter “traffic” and get a laugh or two.

+More Lifestyles Headlines
<Back to Mobile Edition