What do I need to know about prepping my vehicles for winter?

Author Topic: What do I need to know about prepping my vehicles for winter?  (Read 1573 times)

Offline lemming303

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1241
  • San Antonio, TX
What do I need to know about prepping my vehicles for winter?
« on: October 08, 2010 - 06:33:43 PM »
I am moving from Texas to Pennsylvania next week. I have never lived in a cold winter climate as an adult, and I don't know what needs to be done to prep my cars. I would assume I need to make sure my coolant is good, and also probably make sure the undercoat is solid so that it doesn't try to rust from the salt. What else do I need to think about? My challenger is going to stay in the garage, so I'm not worried about snow sitting on it or anything. Thanks for the help yall!

Oh, what about lawnmowers/weedeaters?
Kevin

73 Challenger Rallye - first project




Offline 72cudamaan

  • Resident
  • *****
  • Posts: 3248
Re: What do I need to know about prepping my vehicles for winter?
« Reply #1 on: October 08, 2010 - 10:46:23 PM »
Good idea to remove the battery to a non freezing enviroment. Small engine eqp. needs no special diet for winter. You may want to use Sta-bil in the gas for long term storage though.
If I cant fix it, it's broke
 
Andy  (phukker whither)

Offline HemiOrange70

  • Resident
  • *****
  • Posts: 2062
Re: What do I need to know about prepping my vehicles for winter?
« Reply #2 on: October 08, 2010 - 11:17:26 PM »
I live in a very cold climate and just stored my cr last week.

Park the car on polyetthelene plastic as mice won't walk on plasti and place a couple of bounce dryer sheets under the car. Disconnect the battery ( my buddy works  for a battery place and they say to charge the battery before storage and keep it in a cold place-hot is bad) and addgas stabilizer to the tank. Good idea to have clean oil as well.

Alaskan_TA

  • Guest
Re: What do I need to know about prepping my vehicles for winter?
« Reply #3 on: October 09, 2010 - 12:14:03 AM »
I am moving to Pennsylvania next week.


I'm jealous, just sayin'.

Best of luck with the move.  :cheers:

Offline djwhog

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 232
Re: What do I need to know about prepping my vehicles for winter?
« Reply #4 on: October 09, 2010 - 01:00:44 AM »
Keep 3/4 tank or so of fuel, more fuel = less water moisture, add fuel stabilizer to the gas too.

Keep it inside, if it has to stay out and is very cold sub zero a lot like i nWY, jack it up and lift the tores off the ground too, and get the car some sort of protection from hard wind, dirt, snow etc.

Try to keep em inside and start the baby up at least ever 2 months.

Will make you feel better and helps dry up condensation in the engine etc and keeps the water pump etc lubed better.  :2thumbs:


Offline 1970 RT Challenger 1970

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 774
Re: What do I need to know about prepping my vehicles for winter?
« Reply #5 on: October 09, 2010 - 01:28:54 AM »
If you've never driven on ice or snow (a Gong Show!), get some snow tires. I prefer studded tires over ice radials as they just dig in and it's like summer driving in the worst conditions. Drive slower and gently brake sooner as it can be a skating rink out there.

Offline hooD

  • detroit iron
  • Resident
  • *****
  • Posts: 2820
  • Motor City Made Muscle
Re: What do I need to know about prepping my vehicles for winter?
« Reply #6 on: October 09, 2010 - 03:11:00 AM »
The guys covered the car storage thing really good, so I'll add my 2¢ in for the mower and weed eater. 

Run the fuel mixture out of the weed eater completely, leave the tank empty, as the oil and gas mixture does stay fresh very long.  Store it in a dry place like a shed or garage.

As for the mower, I always top off the tank and add some stabil to the gas.  I usually do this during the week of thanksgiving because by then the growing season is over.  By the way I am near Detroit, so we get the same type of weather.  The mower fires up in the spring on the 2nd pull and that's when I change the oil and re-sharpen the blade.

If your car is going to sit all winter, I would suggest that you rest your car on blocks or jack stands to keep the weight off the tires on the frozen cement.  I've been doing this for 38 years to my cuda.  I have jack stands up front.  For the rear I use cement blocks and a wedge of wood under my traction bars.

the rear tires are off the ground in this photo


all 4 tires are totally off the cement


call me crazy, but this works for me and my cuda for over 37 years

-Larry
member since AUG 2007
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvrWiLgDm7Y

southeastern michigan usa
             
 
            
1973 'CUDA 340
 
original owner
37,117 miles
  
:grinyes: *click my E-Body* :grinyes:

Offline BB73Challenger

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1797
  • 2 cars - twice the wrenching... yay?
Re: What do I need to know about prepping my vehicles for winter?
« Reply #7 on: October 09, 2010 - 06:33:25 AM »
I live in a very cold climate and just stored my cr last week.

Park the car on polyetthelene plastic as mice won't walk on plasti and place a couple of bounce dryer sheets under the car.

I do this as well too and also keeps a barrier on the concrete floor that won't trap moisture between bottom of car and porous floor.
I do a perimeter mouse prevention, I too start the car 1 to at least 2 months, and when the car gets warm and toasty varmints will want to hang out in a warm place.
Clean oil and fuel Stabil in a full tank.
There are also some previous posts with even more tips depending on short term or long term, I'm sure if you did a search you can see even more  :2thumbs:

Welcome to winter  :smilielol:
Jeff from Cleveland, Ohio

Offline lemming303

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1241
  • San Antonio, TX
Re: What do I need to know about prepping my vehicles for winter?
« Reply #8 on: October 09, 2010 - 07:18:38 PM »



Welcome to winter  :smilielol:

LOL I am NOT looking forward to the winter up here! I guess I will need to get used to it though. I think I might try to take up snowboarding.....

Thanks for the help yall. One question though, where do you get polyethelene plastic and why don't mice walk on it? It's crazy how they wouldn't do something like that. Animals can be funny though...
Kevin

73 Challenger Rallye - first project

Offline 72cudamaan

  • Resident
  • *****
  • Posts: 3248
Re: What do I need to know about prepping my vehicles for winter?
« Reply #9 on: October 10, 2010 - 12:22:18 AM »
Dont know why mice wont walk on it but you can get it at most any hardware store.
If I cant fix it, it's broke
 
Andy  (phukker whither)

Offline BB73Challenger

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1797
  • 2 cars - twice the wrenching... yay?
Re: What do I need to know about prepping my vehicles for winter?
« Reply #10 on: October 10, 2010 - 07:23:29 AM »
Yeah anything like a chain such as Home Depot or Lowes.... I'm sure there are some local hardware stores left too. I try to patronize a local Mom & Pop shop here. The may not have a million square feet of store to browse but they are very good.

Back to the mice walking on plastic, I too have not heard of this, but now I want to know more  :thumbsup:
Like I said I have always done a critter perimeter around my garage. Last winter I had my Challenger over at my Mom's for winter. My mom liked to feed the squirrels ( just a BIG mouse ) and so the one day I realized I had peanut shells in the trunk of the Challenger! I thought, what the... then I noticed a mouse sized hole in the trunk divider. Long story short I had the ENTIRE rear on the inside of my car pulled apart to rid myself of what luckily was just 1 mouse. I then one day had to get under the hood of my Mom's daily driver to mind the mice enjoyed the warmth of the motor near the battery. Lucky we had weeded them out before too long. Another trick we learned was that a conventional poison will kill a mice most likely where he is making home. If he is well established, it could be deep in your car! By placing out instant potatoe buds they will fill up on them. Then go in search of water ( hopefully away from you car ).
Then let's just say the buds expand and take care of the bugger.

As far as the winters, they are not that bad... I look at it as time to work on the car!  :2thumbs:
« Last Edit: October 10, 2010 - 07:25:01 AM by BB73Challenger »
Jeff from Cleveland, Ohio