I would like to hear some methods of winterizing vehicles including rust prevention, preventive maintenance and other little know secrets to prepare for the wicked Great Lakes winters.

 

One suggestion...
MOVE

Us southerners don't have a clue and really can't imagine (nor want to imagine)
what it must be like to be in 20 or 30 below with wind at 40 mph AND snowing/sleeting -----

BBBBBBBBBBBBRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR --- I gotta go crank up the heater just thinking about that

 

January 4th, about 1998, wind chill minus 50, seasonal snow fall that year was 244 inches, that's over 20 feet. Metals and liquids do funny things at 50 below.

As for moving, I will as soon as I get the roots pulled from the ground around me.

 

I have visited the UP of Michigan before. I was amazed at the newer cars with huge rust holes around the fenders, etc. If I had a car I wanted to last, I would park it for the winter.

 

My solution is to head down to Southwest Virginia, and leave the winter to my kids in NY.

 

Here in Texas bout the only winter prep we need is to change the air in our tires from Summer air to Winter air. Did that last night

 

Tires has been the only concern when i winterize my vehicles. As for rust prevention...build a garage and don't drive the vehicle until after the first few rains next spring!!!
Scott

 

What I normally do, is of course change the tires(usually I put a good set of snow's on my truck) and do normal maitenance while its still warm enough to climb under the truck outside ie. change oil, tranny fluid and filter, air filter, check everything over, brake work(while tires are getting switched). Also it wouldnt hurt to oil spray the underside, doors, wheel wells etc. of your rig. Hope this helps a bit.

 

I'm originally from Minnesota- Not as much snow as Utah but bitter cold.
Here in Utah I am located directly beneath a mountain that averages 69 inches of preciptitation annually, mostly in the form of snow...hundreds of inches- The wettest place in Utah according to the National Weather Service.

For starters, studded snow tires on our 03 F250 6.0 PSD with at least 300 lbs of weight in the bed. I put blizzack winter tires on my wife's suv. Fresh wiper blades are a must and full strength washer fluid. Note: Many of the "quick lube" shops use dilluted in the summer that will freeze solid as a rock in your washer fluid reservoir in the winter. Fuel additive always in the diesel and up to date maintenance.

I also assemble a winter kit in each vehicle: Jumper cables, battery powered air pump & jumper pack (why use the cables), blankets, tow strap, orange traffic cones & energy bars. Never leave home without a cell phone- Who does?

 

Lubing the weatherstrips with silicone spray helps keep them from freezing the doors shut. WD40 in the locks helps keep them from freezing. Make sure your battery terminals are clean.
And 2 more words.....remote starter

 

That reminds me i spent 2 weeks in the Army in Alaska with 50 below weather living in a tent. (Heated somewhat) We had Army truck tires crack, rubber hoses from our fuel cans break when we moved them and if you turned off your truck it would never start again! Out of 50 Army trucks I think we had 5 that we were able to drive back to base. Weapons work real well at 50 below to!

 

Add a engine heater, but some trucks start without them. Replace battery to the most cracking amps you can fit in your truck. Walmart batterys work great. But again its depends on your truck. Change oil to 5w30. Get winter wipers. Sleeping bag with some food, half bottles of water. Matches to set your truck on fire if you run off the road and are stuck there for days. Bag of dirt if its a 2 wheel drive and a shovel.

 

88 degrees here today.
What is winter prep for? Maybe I could encase my truck in foam to get ready for the onslaught of HORRIBLE yankee drivers who will be on their way to Florida any day now!

 

You should see us yankees throw our vehicles sideways for 150 feet on a snow covered road, throw it into a donut and turn the corner on a dime without changing our pulse as we laugh at the car in the snowbank with Fla. plates. ...all the body shops love rookie snow drivers up here on the first real freeze, and plowing and towing becomes big money.

 

yup, us yanks are exceptional drivers (most anyway) in the cold and slick. Here in Idaho it's like the people have never seen snow when its the first dusting of the year, complete idiots. I love to see southern people when they're used to 80 degrees up here when its the low 40s we're wearin t-shirts and jeans and they're ready for an arctic excursion. But what I've done is make sure the coolant is propper and that the oil is changed for the colder conditions, along with a good set of rubber all around.