For those of us in the northern hemisphere it's that time of year.

Unless you live somewhere that the climate is moderate such as Florida, the Mediterranean coast, Hawaii, Fiji etc, you need to think about taking steps to keep you vehicle(s) "healthy" for the winter.

First and foremost, check your anti-freeze level!
The easiest and best way is to use a simple floating ball anti-freeze gauge.
They are available (and cheap) at most auto parts stores. Sometimes you even get one for free with the purchase of a gallon of anti-freeze. They generally cost between $1 and $3.

If you need to add to your cooling system there's a thing or two you need to know.

Be sure to get the correct anti-freeze. Most newer vehicles use the new formulation of anti-freeze which is dyed red. Older vehicles use the green stuff. Don't get the wrong formulation because it will damage your system. (Eats the seals)

Older vehicles CAN tolerate the new formula but new vehicles just can't tolerate the old stuff.

Don't go for the "pre-mixed" anti-freeze. You are actually paying a premium price for water if you do! (Add up the price of 2 gallons of pre-mix as opposed to 1 gallon of full strength) To mix it yourself simply get an empty gallon jug and pour half the full strength anti-freeze in. Fill with water and you have the 50/50 mix. Add water to the remaining anti-freeze in the gallon you just bought and now you have pre-mix that you can keep in the trunk/hatch (or wherever you usually store such stuff) for use when you need it. (Unless of course your system needs more than one gallon of 50/50 mix.

DO REMEMBER to drain an appropriate amount of coolant mixture out before adding the desired amount of 50/50 mix. Be sure to drain it into a sealable container and dispose of it properly. (The auto parts store likely can help you with proper disposal)



Next: How's your tires?

If you live in the snow belt you'll need good tires to get by. Check your tread depth with a gauge (again...really cheap...$3 to $5 at the parts store). With tread depth, the more the better but minimums can be no less than 3/32" = 2mm (in most localities this is the legal safe minimum). If you have "all season" tires and don't get a lot of snow you're probably good to go.

For those who tend to get more snow you might want to go with a more aggressive tread pattern or outright snow tires.


Battery:

Cold weather reduces the starting capacity of batteries. Have your battery checked. Make sure the check includes a load test and not just a voltage check. Again, your friendly neighborhood auto parts store is usually your best place to have this done. Most will now install new batteries for free (if you need one) and dispose of the old one properly for you.


Windshield wipers:

Ever been driving in a winter snow melting situation and find that your wiper blades are crap? It's better to check and replace them BEFORE that happens. ( Safer too!)

If you're unsure, go ahead and replace them. They aren't very expensive and it's better to be safe than sorry. Generally if they have been on the vehicle longer than 2 years they DAMN SURE need to be replaced.

Along with the wipers, be sure that your washer is working and that you have anti-freeze type fluid for your reservoir.



Emergency supplies:

It's a good idea to have some emergency items onboard.

Here's a check list:
Jumper cables
50/50 anti-freeze mix
A quart or 2 of motor oil
A gallon of windshield wash fluid
Some canned or packaged food that can be eaten cold
Blanket(s)
Extra pairs of gloves
A small spade or folding shovel
Ice melt/salt/salt-kitty litter mixture
Tow strap or chain
Flash light (hand torch for our British friends)......the ones that are out now that don't require batteries are great for this purpose!


Yeah I know the thought of "that white stuff" and temperatures that make you shiver aren't very high on your list but. Now is the time to get your vehicle ready so that you don't wind up in a bad position once winter weather hits.

Please do one for Diesel if you know how!!!

Matt needs to read this whole thread too - now the problem, getting Mr. Lazy to log in and read!

(10-12-2009, 01:50 PM)Twitchin Kitten Wrote: Please do one for Diesel if you know how!!!

Matt needs to read this whole thread too - now the problem, getting Mr. Lazy to log in and read!

Diesel vehicles:

In addition to all of the above for gasoline engines, you will need to drain the water separator (if so equipped), change the fuel filter(s), add some injector cleaner to the fuel and run it through (do this BEFORE it gets cold) and stock up on a decent fuel additive which will help prevent cold weather gelling.

Gelling occurs in cold temperatures because diesel fuel contains a small amount of paraffin wax and this will semi-solidify causein the fuel to look like a bowl of stirred Jello!

Gelled fuel takes quite a bit of heat to re-liquefy and usually ruins the fuel filter(s) necessitating them to be changed again before the engine will start.

With the advent of bio-diesel the problem becomes worse as this fuel blend gells more easily. The higher percentage of blend (5%-10%-15% etc) the more prone it will be to gelling.
*Thanks a lot to Willie Nelson and his tree hugging buddies*

There are several very good fuel additives on the market and they should be added in the appropriate concentration with EVERY fill-up during the cold months.

They are:
PM4000
Howe's Fuel Treatment
Lucas Diesel Fuel Treatment

There are some others which, even though fairly effective, are not nearly as good as the above three.

They are:
Siloo
FPPF
Hot Shot
Polar Power

I recommend the first three because in addition to the anti-gelling properties, they all help clean and lubricate the injectors and fuel pump.

They can be found at some auto parts stores and at almost any truckstop.

As well......consider fueling at a truckstop (if one is nearby) because most of them now feature fuel that is pre-treated with one of the three better additives. They will advertise this fact somewhere near the fuel pumps.

If you're not sure if there's a truckstop near you (Believe me, you could be close to one and not even know it if you don't routinely travel past it) please ask me in a PM. I have a guide that lists over 9,000 truckstops in the US and Canada.

Get busy! The frosty temps are just around the corner (damnit!).

I do add fuel injector cleaner to the gas tank on a regular basis. Learned that from day one because Fords have an in-tank injector that needs regular maintenance.

I live 1/2 mile from the Seaside bridge. There are NO truck stops by me.

Injector cleaner alone does not contain anit-gell agents.

I'll let you know tomorrow after I consult my handy dandy guide of where the nearest truckstop would be. (You may be surprised.)

I just got my bike serviced ready for the winter

Put the winter liners back in my motorcycle gear and had my helmet safety checked. Of course I'm going to boil over during the day because the weather is glorious at the moment, but chilly in the mornings.

The shop gave me a lockcoil which was a nice gesture. So far I've only once tried to ride off with the disc lock still on Now this will remind me to unlock when I jump on my bike. It glows in the dark too
Makes me wonder if Dave the mechanic tried to move my bike without unlocking it

Trudi, if you put your bike up for the winter and not ride it, a little trick I learned to keep the 'fins' on the engine from pitting is to spray them with WD40 before you put the bike away.

That's if you have fins on your engine block!

The stuff on the bottle says it's got anti gelling agents in it LK. Or maybe it just prevents that sticky goop from getting on the injectors and clogging it? I'm too lazy right now to go outside and look at the bottle.

(10-12-2009, 05:14 PM)Twitchin Kitten Wrote: The stuff on the bottle says it's got anti gelling agents in it LK. Or maybe it just prevents that sticky goop from getting on the injectors and clogging it? I'm too lazy right now to go outside and look at the bottle.

That would be it. It will keep the injectors from getting gel gunk but it won't act as a fuel treatment.

Now it's not like you need to use treatment unless you get sustained temps below 30 F but, it really doesn't hurt. It may seem an extra added expense but the benefits far outweigh the cost. (Especially if you divide the cost of treating each gallon against just one gelling event or the expense of shortened injector pump life).

Let me do a bit of research into the nearest place you could buy a case of one of the big three. A case should last you the entire winter and maybe then some!


*edit*

I found a site listing NJ truckstops.

http://www.trucker.com/TruckStopDetail.aspx?State=New%20Jersey&StateID=NJ

I'll stop riding in January possibly, when it is usually wet and cold. We get little snow and ice here then if at all, we had quite a lot last winter, so my bike was then stored in a wooden shed.

All being well by March it will be good enough to get back on the road.

I serviced it for winter riding, but I'll take on board what you have said because there are 3 more bikes here and they will not get used while Phil' is out of action and Mark has too far to travel to work to risk getting caught in a change in the weather. It happened to him on Sunday, wonderful sunny warm morning, by 4pm it was miserable and wet, we followed him down the dual carriage way into Bournemouth and he looked really cheerless! Serves him right for not having a full face helmet

Ha, ha LK - not a single truck stop within 30 miles of me! From the list it doesn't even look like there's one in the county.

I think the list is short.... there has to be more than that anyway.