Where oh where do I winterize my vehicle on the drive up from Oregon? (Anchorage: to rent, hotel)

[atticadayz]

I'm making plans to drive up to Fairbanks from Oregon and because of timing, I'm going to be driving in the dead of winter, November or December. I'm thinking the earlier in the road trip the better to stop at a mechanic to get my truck decked out.

Where or what town would be a good place to get that done?

[akck]

I'd just check around to see if any local shops can do the work. I had a truck in northeast Oregon that had a block heater installed on it there. It can get cold east of the Cascades too.

[YellowstoneDate]

Fairbanks, Alaska good mechanic for Winter use is the Walmart Store. They repair and fix autos under two hour periods. I was a customer in year 2009. You can telephone them in advance to see if they do the job for cold weather fix for autos.

[WyoNewk]

If you live in Oregon, get it done there before you leave.

[atticadayz]

Originally Posted by WyoNewk

If you live in Oregon, get it done there before you leave.

I was thinking that no mechanic would have the resources to do it here or wouldn't know what they're doing.

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by atticadayz

I was thinking that no mechanic would have the resources to do it here or wouldn't know what they're doing.

Is your vehicle still under warranty? If so, have one of the local dealers over there install an automobile manufacturer's block heater, an oil-pan pad, and a battery heater pad.

Since installing a block heater where one of the motor's freeze plugs must be removed the antifreeze must be drained, have the new antifreeze mixed as follows: Have the antifreeze checked so it is at least in a solution of 60% antifreeze, 40% distilled water. Make sure that they know what they are doing, because 60/40 is the safest solution. Antifreeze looses its antifreeze properties if mixed past 70% antifreeze/water ratio.

Buy a "Y" electrical cord rated for cold weather (usually blue color, but yellow will work until you get here). Also buy an Arctic-grade extension cord (around 25 feet long).

If the battery is two or more years old, have it replaced with a new one of the highest capacity possible for you car.

Look at the manual of your car and see what oil grade you should use for cold weather. For example, the normally aspirated motor of the 2009 Forester runs on 5W-30 oil year round. My wife's 6-cylinder 2010 Rav 4 runs on 5W-30 motor oil year round, but now that we have a Walmart and a gallon of Mobil 1 synthetic oil costs $25.00, I use this oil. But there is nothing wrong with conventional oil of the same grade. Anyway, replace the oil before you leave, and have a spare can of oil (or two) in the trunk.

Make sure that the battery and block heater cords have been routed properly, away from any engine's moving parts and exhaust, and tied with plastic wire ties to the right places around the motor.

a. The two components I mentioned above are plugged into the Y cord, and the male plug is passed out the engine bay through the front grill of the car.

b. If you have to spend the night at a hotel or motel in Canada and is very cold, make sure that they have provisions at the parking lot for plugging your car for the night. Just connect the female end of the arctic grade extension cord to the male end of the Y cord protruding from the front grill of your car, and plug the extension cord to the outlet ate the parking lot.
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If your car is not under warranty you can have a local mechanic shop install a block heater (usually sold at NAPA), a battery heater (a 25-Watt electric pad), an oil pan heater (75-Watt or so), and everything else I mentioned above. Or take it to one of the numerous shops in town. You will have to rent a car for a day while the work is being done. To winterize your car costs around $300.00 to $450.00, most of which is the cost of labor (dealers charge a little more than local mechanic shops).

If the work can't be done in the lower-48 and the car is under warranty schedule the work online with one of the local dealers to do the work upon your arrival. You may have to rent a vehicle for one day while the work is being done.

[AKStafford]

On a separate note, I'd recommend having a copy of The MILEPOST: Alaska Travel Guide and Trip Planner . In my opinion it's the best guide to the drive.

When I moved to Fairbanks in '93 I installed my own block heater in Oregon before I left. I didn't bother with a battery heater or oil pan heater. I was only there one winter before moving to the Kodiak area and then up to the Anchorage area, so I'm not sure how good my plan would've been for living in Fairbanks long term.

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by AKStafford

On a separate note, I'd recommend having a copy of The MILEPOST: Alaska Travel Guide and Trip Planner . In my opinion it's the best guide to the drive.

When I moved to Fairbanks in '93 I installed my own block heater in Oregon before I left. I didn't bother with a battery heater or oil pan heater. I was only there one winter before moving to the Kodiak area and then up to the Anchorage area, so I'm not sure how good my plan would've been for living in Fairbanks long term.

At least a block heater should be installed before living in the middle of the winter. But since a 25-Watt battery heater (electric pad) is so easy to install, I would install both a block heater and battery pad. The pad can be placed right underneath the battery (between the tray and the battery), making sure that the cord's end at the pad does not get pinched between the battery and tray, nor on any other metallic part around the tray. When very cold outside the battery loses a lot of its cranking power as it approaches the electrolyte freezing point (jelling, really), but the pad keeps the electrolyte far from turning thick.

[mreece]

Yeah... just about any shop can put heaters in. I'd make sure that you specify you want a freeze-plug heater. Many shops will take the easy way out and just put a lower radiator hose heater in, and those won't cut it here in fairbanks. You can easily install a battery blanket (in my opinion better than the pads) and can pick up a magnetic heater for the oil pan, which can save a little cash if you are strapped.

[warptman]

How to Drive to Alaska in the Winter - ExploreNorth