Winterizing Your Vehicles

What do you all do to get your vehicles ready for the winter. No So Cal folk need reply;) - I know, you just lube the convertible hinges....

Mainly what I was wondering is how often you flush the cooling system and put in fresh antifreeze.

BTW, winters are pretty mild here, 20 F is about as low as it will go.

TIA
 
I do my annual oil filter change. Lube the door hinges. Replace the wire holding up the muffler. Clean under the kid's seat. Restock the case of oil in the trunk. And lovingly plead for just one more year.

'97 Grand Am 2 door 4cyl 5 speed - 162K and still on its original clutch. Dang it. I had to say that didn't I? I keep threatening my car with its worthlessness as a trade-in and it keeps running for me.

Matt
 
plugs, points-n- condenser look at the cap, scrape the crud off the terminals and figure it`s good for another year, open radiator.....yup green.....change oil, degunk zerks-n-add grease.....off-n-runnin`...tod
 
Pickup truck, I just take it to the local quick oil change and get the fluids checked/oil changed.
1969 Chevelle SS, check fluids myself, park it in the garage, put a few sheets of bounce fabric softener in (to deter mice) put the car cover on and wait for April.
 
What do you all do to get your vehicles ready for the winter. No So Cal folk need reply;) - I know, you just lube the convertible hinges....
Dang it Jesse, you took the wind right out of my sails with your second sentence. :( I was already coming up with all sorts of smart-aleck answers. :p

Back when I was living in your part of the country, I didn't do anything out of the ordinary when winter came. I kept things changed and lubed on schedule, but no special steps. I was just as likely to flush the cooling system in the summer as I was the winter. It all depended on how many little balls were still floating in the hydrometer.
 
Mainly just check antifreeze and fluid levels.

Crown Vic gets the hot rod wheels and tires pulled for the winter, polished up and put away. Install the grandma-grandpa wheels, tires.
 
I change the oil to Mobil 1 synthetic 5W-30. My Ranger turns over a lot easier with it, because it sits outside. Other than that nothing. It's 195k on it never had a problem. And yep still has the original clutch too.;)
 
Oh ya. About forgot.
I make sure that the old oak camper top is nailed down to the pickup bed real good, and the woodstove pipe is securely tied down with used bailing wire.:eek: :rolleyes: :D
 
1972 TR6 - park it in the garage and kiss it goodnight.

2000 Camry - off with the road tires, on with the Blizzaks. Change the oil before it's too freaking cold to crawl under and do it in the winter. Check the WW fluid, and any others. Put on the winter wiper blades. Man it snows up here, and gets plenty chilly. [Had our first snow last night.]

2004 4Runner - all of the above, except now that they put the idiot sensors in each wheel, it is no longer reasonable to have an extra set of snows on cheap rims. The sensors cost $175 each! Enforced gov't safety at work.

I run 5W-30 all year long in all but the TR6. That gets 20W-50, and doesn't get started much in the winter.
 
1972 TR6 - park it in the garage and kiss it goodnight.

Ken, what color...........? :D

BEST Car Triumph EVER made !! :D

We call Toyota, they come by and pick up the van, and bring it back the next day.

I change the wheels, as we have a winter and summer set for each van.

When I lived in Canada, I would rehook-up my block heater cord, and tie it so I can easily plug the truck in, and I changed the oil to a 5w-20, and change the mix of the anti-freeze, different ratio of water to fluid for winter and for summers (dunno if that is a moot point now...?). I'd top up the battery (again, a moot point?) clean the connections on the battery, and grease the tops of the terminals, I'd check the ground strap to the chassi, because if this is in bad shape, you battery, which is used a LOT more in the winter, won't get charged as well. What else....?

I'd change the fuel filter, as they sometimes trap water, and if this freezes.... :eek:

I'd put a container of that gas line anti freeze stuff, that gets rid of any water in your gas tank and lines (Rid-Ice?) I'd also make sure the radiator is clean, as I did a lot of dirt and or backroads riding, and if the rad was dirty, it does not work right.

If I'd not changed the thermostat in a while, I'd pull it and make sure it worked (boil that sucker!). I'd check to make sure the metal shroud that went from the exhaust manifold to the carb area was in place and working correctly. I once had an old Datsun that the pipe thing to the carb was a tinfoil paper thing, and some rats ate holes in it, so in the winter the truck ran poorly.

Yes, I ran older trucks, I liked them better :D

Cheers!
 
I just make sure the heated hand grips and thumb warmer are hooked up.

Per
 

Attachments

  • crop23.jpg
    crop23.jpg
    71.9 KB · Views: 7
Top