[Scourge]

So that time is approaching quickly. What do you guys do to get your cars ready for winter duty?

My routine includes the usual wiper check, washer fuild changeover, underbody oil spray, and snow tire installation.

This year I've got some glossy paint to worry about too, I've been used to my old flat black in previous years. So I've decided on my products that will hopefully last most of the winter for me. I'll do my usual wash and clay to prep for waxing but this time around I'm going to give it the old one two combo with Megs. Deep crystal pre-wax cleaner and then follow it up with their polish. I was going to try out the liquid zymol I've got here rather then buying yet another wax but I've now noticed it's a "cleaner wax". Anybody know if it will defeat the purpose of using the other two? Any suggestions for a long lasting synthetic wax?

Do you guys have any winter prep routines for your paint?

-George

[mo_focus]

i'm going to install the winter tires and drive.

I've change the wipers recently, tire pressure is good, washer fluid is for winter.
I still have to check the heated seat(does't work) and if its busted then i have to replace it.
Also looking into installing a engine block heater. Apperantly diesels take a long time to warm up and idling doesnt heat up the car.

[Scourge]

mo_focus,Oct 22 2008, 07:36 AM Wrote:i'm going to install the winter tires and drive.

I've change the wipers recently, tire pressure is good, washer fluid is for winter.
I still have to check the heated seat(does't work) and if its busted then i have to replace it.
Also looking into installing a engine block heater. Apperantly diesels take a long time to warm up and idling doesnt heat up the car.
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Oh yeah, you've got the VW now. It's not so much the time to heat up as the increased effort for cold starting. The high compression and beefy starter pull a lot of juice from the battery and if the engine is uber cold you'll have to crank it a bit to get it going. I have friends with TDI's that have had good luck with the aftermarket magnetic heaters you stick on the oilpan.

-George

[ZX3_2NV]

Winter prep for me is easy fill up the tank and park in it the garage.

But for all year round drivers Make sure that you Rad fluid is full and doesn't have any mixture of water same goes for Windshield washer fluid. People often forget about this I know one year I used water for the rad since it was better for racing. I totally forgot to drain it before negative temperatures so one day I had to put a heater in the garage drained the water before it did any damage.

[NefCanuck]

Couple of other little things you should do (more as preventative maintenance than anything)

check and lube all latches (doors, hood, trunk)

check operation of all windows, if any of them act differently than the others (slow or chattering) get them checked

if your battery is more than a few years old, get it tested.

NefCanuck

[Canadian ST]

I always carry an extra jug of washer fluid, nothing worse then running out on the highway.

One of those mini snow shovels and a blanket if you drriving out of town.
Ice scraper to.

[Scourge]

Canadian ST,Oct 22 2008, 11:17 AM Wrote:I always carry an extra jug of washer fluid, nothing worse then running out on the highway.

One of those mini snow shovels and a blanket if you drriving out of town.
Ice scraper to.
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I didn't think to mention that stuff. I keep a blanket in the car year round (I have a neice that needs a child seat and I have leather :S). I keep my favorite snow brush/ice scaper and a tow rope in the trunk for the winter. When the forcast calls for heavy snow I also have a mini shovel I take with me. It's pretty sweet, it's collapsable, has an ice breaker on it, and you can pull the handle off and it's one of those grooved traction plates you can wedge under the tire.

-George

[Focus man. Focus.]

My routine,

1) Jack up car.
2) Remove summer tires.
3) Install snow tires.
4) Drive.....

I am thinking that I am going to have to get one of those shovels this winter. Now that my Focus is lowered I think I may plow the snow a bit on the bad days. Not really looking forward to that but what can you do. Thats the price you have to pay for looks and performance.

Now the question is when do you install the snows? I was thinking of waiting a few more weeks. Middle of November sometime. When do you guys do it? Last winter I was out in a snow storm installing mine and I don't plan on doing that this year.

[ANTHONYD]

Clean and brush battery terminals.
Fluids and wipers.
Swap the mats over to the big-ass S.U.V. mats I run in the winter.

[Drivesthebeast]

Already switched over to a proper truck/suv A/T tire setup, will be doing the next synthetic oilchange the end of this month, going to Rain-X the hell out of the front and rear glass, maybe fully wax the truck by hand again on a relatively mild day, get the vehicle sprayed at Krown, and switch the wiper blades (has Ford Motorcraft version of reflex wipers, and I HATE reflex wipers in general) to proper metal winter blades and washer fluid. Going to keep the Antifreeze that's in it until 80K, and utilize the block heater for the time being.

[cornflakes]

wow the guys down south must be laughin their asses off seeing how much work we have to do plus spend $$$$ to prepare for winters.

[Scourge]

cornflakes,Oct 22 2008, 11:15 PM Wrote:wow the guys down south must be laughin their asses off seeing how much work we have to do plus spend $$$$ to prepare for winters.
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Yeah, but we get all the fun in the snow :)

[malim]

FUN on the HILLS. Ohh by the way... anybody skis or snowboards in the winter ???

We can pull something off maybe...