Cold weather car prep... (buy, stores, safer)

[AandD]

What all should I do to prep my car for the move to Mass? I know there is a different viscosity motor oil that needs to go in, but what about the transmission oil? What about the antifreeze/water ratios? Any thing else I need to think about?

[miu]

What kind of car is it? You definitely want to make sure your radiator has anti freeze in it. Are you driving to MA? Whenever you are due for your oil change, then switch to a heavier weight oil. The tranny fluid stays the same. Otherwise, just don't drive your car hard or in a sporty fashion until your car warms up.

[AandD]

It's a 2007 Jeep Compass. We have antifreeze in it, but I'm not sure about the wter to AF ratio, or if it matters. I will be moving up, so will have my car serviced right before I leave. My worst driving habit is that I jump in the car and go. I am not in the habit of sitting in my car for 5-10 minutes while it warms up. Also, or engine block blankets common up there?

Thanks!

[maggiekate]

best is bring it to the dealer if it is a newer car, if not, where do you have it serviced? they may be
able to help. For sure you do need the anti-freeze,depending on the age you may need a complete drain and refill-check the manual also! In mass I never had a blanket the car was outside. I was always
almost late for work daily, when real cold, I would go out and warm the car, for maybe 5 minutes.
why, so I did have some heat! Other days, I let the engine warm 60 seconds and off! The car was in great shape and had a good battery-also check that out! I would always get them from sears!

[VlyRoadKid]

Mostly good advice above. Even with a 2WD or rear-wheel drive car, you can make your winter driving much safer by: first and foremost: SLOWING DOWN (especially in snow and/or ice-a Mass. specialty!). If your vehicle is light, put some plain, 80 lb. bags of sand over the wheels. You can also use that as traction if you DO go off the road. DON"T rely on 4WD to help you when going downhill--it's only good on flat and uphill grades. Also, tires that grip ice are EXCELLENT, as it's not good to put studded snows on AWD or 4WD vehicles. As far as warming up the car, as someone said, do NOT let it sit and idle. Just start and drive more slowly until the oil gets circulating. DO keep a first-aid kit, cell-phone, spare tire, jumper cables (it's AMAZING how few people carry them!), road reflectors, blankets (I even keep a couple sleeping bags in the car) and a charged cell-phone. It's a REALLY good idea to join an auto club. They can even assist with things like dead batteries and lockouts. Have fun! Just take it slow and keep tellilng yourself: It will ALL be over in...5-6 months! :P

[mustmove]

Most likely your car is fine. You can buy an anti-freeze % tester at auto parts stores for a couple of bucks. A friendly garage will test it for free. Good tires are important, all season pluses in MA are sufficient. Studded snows are really nice when you need them. I have to disagree with the prior poster; myself and many of my friends run studded tires on AWD and 4WD cars without a problem. Some of the cars have stability control and all that fancy stuff -no problem.

[miu]

Originally Posted by AandD

It's a 2007 Jeep Compass. We have antifreeze in it, but I'm not sure about the wter to AF ratio, or if it matters. I will be moving up, so will have my car serviced right before I leave. My worst driving habit is that I jump in the car and go. I am not in the habit of sitting in my car for 5-10 minutes while it warms up. Also, or engine block blankets common up there?

Thanks!

Actually, your engine will warm up much faster while driving your car around, than just sitting in your driveway parked. So start up your car and go, but just don't accelerate aggressively right away. And the fluids in your transmission will be warmed by the radiant heat of your engine.

And make sure your tires are suitable for winter driving. Summer tires or worn all season tires on an AWD vehicle are still going to slip and slide in wintry road conditions. Every winter, I count on seeing several AWD cars and SUVs that have slid off the road, when I'm doing just fine grip-wise in my FWD car with good snow tires on.