Quote:
Originally Posted by FatNakedGuy
recently moved to UTaaaaaaaah from SoCal.
Any tips for maintaining our vehicles during the winter months? two cars and a motorcycle.
thanks!
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Welcome to Utah! I hope that you and your family will enjoy it here.
This list is just a basic list off the top of my head.
I feel that the most important thing is to first let your family or friends know where you are headed and what route you will be taking. If you ever get stuck you will hopefully not have to wait too long for help.
For the motorcycle, dump some fuel stabilizer into the tank, run the bike for about five minutes, then park it in the garage or covered with a good tarp.
The rest is for the cars.
Keep at least a 1/4 tank of fuel in your car. If you ever happen to get stuck, you can keep heat in the car until help arrives.
Speaking of keeping warm, it is a good idea to have a stash of non perishables in the car, plus some blankets, a tarp, some hand warmers, maybe some spare coats. You never know when you will need them.
Keep a small folding shovel and a bag or two of sand in the trunk. The sand aids in traction if you ever get stuck.
Make sure that your antifreeze/coolant is at the minimum 50/50 mix. This helps to not only prevent freeze ups, but it also helps to prevent overheating. Yes, cars can overheat in the winter.
You will need to keep adequate air pressure and tread on your tires. Too much tire pressure reduces traction, not enough pressure causes poor handling and sacrifices fuel mileage. All season tires work best for most of your commuting. Snow chains are a nice thing to have for those slippery icy rioads. But, if you plan on running on some snowy trails, then you may need a good set of mud/snow tires. Keep in mind, if you ever plan on driving our mountain passes, snow tires and chains will be required. Signs will be posted along the highways indicating this.
(This is what I do for my tire pressure. I run them at about 25-28 PSI when there is snow on the ground. This helps place more tread contact area to the ground to aid in traction).
Run the recommended weight motor oil for your vehicle. If your motor oil is too heavy in weight (like a 20/50), your car will be harder to crank over in the cold if not kept in a warm garage. Most cars run a 5W30 or 10W30. Check with your owners manual to see what your vehicle requires. Diesels run a heavier weight, but they typically have engine block heaters installed to help keep them warm when plugged in.
Use a below freezeing temperature grade washer fluid and keep it filled. You will encounter a lot of road spray and spalshes.
Keep a good snow brush/ ice scraper in the car.
Road flares or triangles for if you happen to be stranded alongside the Highway.
If you're handy, keep a small tool set in the car.
Like I said, this is just off the top of my head. I am sure that there will be others who will add their knowledge to this list.
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