ND Weather, how to keep car running

[ElkHunter]

That's a new one, a battery will freeze? I've only lived in cold country since 1953 and I have NEVER heard of a battery freezing up. But I guess anything can happen to some folks. Week battries don't cut it in cold country. Make sure you have a good battery and you need do nothing extra. That also means keeping your cable clamps clean and free of corrosion. Battery electrolitic material can get between the clamp and the post and you can't see it. So get a battery post cleaner (round wire brush) and take your clamps off and clean them and the post, every fall. Same with side mount battery cables. Take them off and clean them with a wire brush, every fall.

rear wheel drive, vrs, front wheel drive, vrs 4 wheel drive, vrs all wheel drive.

I prefer rear wheel drive, with added weight. A front wheel drive has, exactly that, the weight of the engine. But if you loose traction with a front wheel drive vehicle, while going up hill, or around a corner, remember this - you no longer have steering control.

4 wheel drive can be a false sense of security. A 4 wheel drive does not have 4 wheels pulling that vehicle down the road. It has one front wheen, and usually and opposing rear wheel, NOT all 4, unless you have possitrack front and back, and the only way to get that is special order it when ordering a vehicle new, or, install it yourself.

All wheel drive, does not mean all wheels pull you down the road. It means that any ONE of the wheels can pull you down the road, depending on what the computer is telling the vehicle as to which wheel will do the most good. The only ALL wheel vehicles made that really had all 4 pulling you down the road is the old (1970's jeeps).

Stopping. Right now, no matter what kind of car/pickup you own, all 4 wheels have brakes. So owning a front wheel drive over a rear wheel drive, or a 4 wheel drive over a 2 wheel drive, or even an ALL wheel drive, is going to stop exactly the same. All of them, also have 4 wheels that brake, just like your current car. Extra wheels pulling doesn't mean extra wheels stopping. So you can take off better, but you CAN NOT stop better.

Half your speed and double your distance, as a minimum when roads are iffy.

[DaninEGF]

Never an issue with battery freezing....I havent heard of that before. But I suppose anything possible....but would think it would only be an issue for a vehicle parked outside in extreme cold (below -20F) for many days without starting it. I havent had any big issues parking outside at night at my work on very cold nights....just plugged it in and yes of course make sure the battery is fairly new. I like to replace every 4 yrs or so and get a good quality one.

--Dan

[Tricia Pederson]

Elk Hunter and Dan,

I was starting to think someone sold me a battery maintainer just to make a buck.

I googled "can a discharged battery freeze" and sure enough:

If your battery is partially discharged, the electrolyte in a lead acid battery may freeze. A deeply discharged battery can freeze solid in sub zero weather.

Now I just have to remember to shut off my domelight. No kidding, I had a dead battery this morning. Dropped my phone, turned on the domelight to find it, found the phone, forgot to shut off the lights. duhhh!

[JanND]

See, you are already learning to be careful and prepared..That is probably the most important, be prepared. You'll get it!!