Cars in Winter

Started by variegata
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variegata

variegata

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Maybe you guys from places that actually have winter can help me. 🙂 I'll be going to Wisconsin the fall for school, where it gets cold in winter and snows, unlike California. I'll have my car with me out there (since that's how I'm getting out there in the first place), though I won't be driving it too much since I'll be using the buses to get to school. So, winter driving is probably a lesser problem for me, but the car will have to be parked somewhere during the winter. I'm wondering how necessary covered or indoor parking is during the winter. In case it's relevant, I drive a little bitty Civic hybrid.

Anyone with experience living in Siberia want to tell me about cars and snow?
 
My itty bitty Accord has never seen the inside of a garage. And I live in New Hampshire.


1) Invest in a good, solid snow shovel, and DONT keep the shovel in the car. Keep it in a closet, etc. You need to be able to get to it.

2) Metal ice scraper for the windshield.

3) Plastic ice scraper for around the doors.

4) Use a car cover. For even easier snow removal, put a tarp over the car cover, and make sure you anchor it down well (bungie cord or something). When theres heavy snow, you just have to pull the tarp off to a side. Much easier!

5) Snow pusher...it's like a handle with a big foam "paddle" on one end for pushing the snow off the roof of the car. Not really a necessity, but I love it 🙂

Watch out for laws about how much snow you can have on the top of your car while driving. I know around here, you cant have more than 2inches on the top of your car, since its a hazard to people behind you.

Honestly, the best $100 investment I ever made was a remote starter for my car. It didn't void my warranty if thats what you are worried about. I can start the car from inside the house, let it warm up, let some of the ice start to melt for easy removal.

In the cold, cold weather, I would try to start the car at least every couple days. Also, when the weather gets really cold (single digits and below) invest in some gas line antifreeze. You just put it in with the gas when you fill up, keeps all that from freezing. I also dont let my tank get below 1/2 in the winter.

And your windshield wiper fluid is great for getting little bits of ice left on the windshield.
 
I live in Jersey, so not sure how much I can help you out with frequent blizzards, but snow is definitely doable!

What I usually do is this:
When I first wake up, I run out and turn my car on to let it warm up and I clean off the windshields. Then I go back inside and get ready for whatever. By the time I come back out, the car's usually warmed up and any remaining snow or ice has melted!

Of course, a garage or other indoor parking is nice (no extra effort!), but it's definitely doable if you only have access to outdoor parking. Maybe someone who lives in a slightly snowier state can give you some input also!
 
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lol, I was going to ask the same question! Anyone ever listen to "car talk" on npr? I was thinking of asking those guys too 🙂
 
When you get there, you probably want to get the oil changed- they use 0 or 5W30 in colder areas, mostly. You want to make sure you have the snow-clearing stuff before you need it, so when you get there try hunting down an ice scraper or two. I like the ones with the foam handle and a brush on one side. Plastic becomes really brittle at cold temps, and it gets cold in wisconsin.

Get an idea of lowest temps from current students or the weather service. My friend's car didn't want to start below -20*F, and the break and transmission fluids start to thicken up around -5 or-10*F, making it tough sometimes to stop, start, and shift. If places you're looking at have electric plugs in parking lots, you'll probably want to look into getting at least a battery warmer, if not a whole block heater for your car. Don't freak out if it's super cold, though, and your car won't start, if you don't have heaters in it, just wait until the sun's been on the hood for a couple hours, and the temps creep up over -10, then try again.

After the first big snow, get a local, or someone who's been around snow and can drive on it, to go with you out to some relatively deserted area, and get them to teach you how to drive smoothly and safely on the ice. there's information on it on teh intarwebz, but it's easier when someone's there to show you first how it *should* feel, and when you can feel the way the car reacts for yourself. You might not plan on driving on snow now, but there will come a day when you *must haz* ice cream or chips, or note cards at 3am, and the only way to get them is to drive on ice. Better to know in advance, yes?

Hope this doesn't freak you out- it's really not that bad, once you get used to it.

Oh, yeah- and try not to be the one driving, the first time you're in a moving car and it's snowing. It looks really cool, but if you focus on the snow instead of the road, you go flying off it...

-j.
 
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I live in Maine, and highly recommend one of those car battery booster packs. The cold often zaps the juice from the car battery, and it does from the booster, too, but together there's enough to start your car! Yeah it's like a self-contained battery pack, and a little heavy. Keep it charged, and you should get 5+ (at least that, I've never gone longer without recharging) boosts. Seriously, why call AAA or a friend when, in <30 seconds, you can be on your way.

Also, I frequently forget to turn my lights off....

As far as snow tires I've never had them-just make sure the treads on your all-purpose tires are good. Also, keep a gallon of all-weather windshield washer fluid handy.

Some people swear by dry gas to prevent condensation in the gas tank. Also bags of sand/cat litter for traction and weight stability. I solve both problems by keeping my gas tank as close to full as possible all the time during the winter.

And, back to the lights thing, I frequently lock myself out of my car as well. I recommend getting a few spare keys and keeping one in your purse/wallet, at home, and on the exterior of your car (gas cap/fender) (if you dare).

And it's not that good for your car to start cold and then drive off. So, do what others have said and start your car a few minutes before you leave, and drive slowly if you can until you're up to operating temperature.

But, really, it's not as bad as you think.
 
Once it's closer to winter I would also invest in a battery with the highest cold cranking amps (CCA) you can find--being able to clear the car off is useless if it won't start!
 
Ooh, yes, ^ that. Start the car when you pry the door open to get the ice scraper out. It usually takes at least a couple minutes, and you waste less gas than you would going back inside. Most newer cars don't need more than a minute or two of warming time, and I've never managed to de-snow and frost a car in less than 3.

Oh, and I know it says SC, but I lived in Wyoming for most of 6 years. the only month I haven't seen it snow there was august- it hailed instead.
 
Winters aren't so bad here in Wisconsin, you will get used to it. I've lived here all my life and unfortunately never had a garage. Definitely buy a good ice scraper, that is important the kind with a scraper on one side and a brush on the other side. I'm short so I also have a broom to reach across the entire top of my car. It's true you need to make sure your battery is a good one because cold weather has a tendency to kill batteries. You won't need snowtires here, either the roads will be plowed, or it's such a bad storm that school will be canceled and most things shut down eliminating the need to drive until the roads are better. There is also something called Heet which you can put in your gas tank to keep the gas and gas lines from freezing. And when it gets really cold make sure to start your car every day. If you plan on going somewhere I like to start my car at least 10 minutes before leaving, that way the car will be nice and warm, and I have less scraping to do on the windshield and windows. One winter I drove around with a bag of cat litter in my trunk, for traction, in case I got stuck in the snow but it ended up ripping open and my trunk literally looked like a litter box ready to go.

Don't worry too much about it, there are plenty of us native Wisconsinites to help you with any questions or problems when the time comes.
 
cuitlamiztli said:
Once it's closer to winter I would also invest in a battery with the highest cold cranking amps (CCA) you can find--being able to clear the car off is useless if it won't start!
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Super important.

Also remember in serious cold weather 0F and colder, start your car every day. You can't leave it over the weekend and expect it to start, it wont. In super cold temps, ie -30F and colder your really need to start it every 8-10hrs especially if the car and battery are older.

Also make sure the car has time to warm up before you drive. Most cold weather stalling occurs because people try to turn the car on and just drive in super cold weather. Its a great idea to start the car in the morning and go have breakfast/pack your lunch. Then when you come out the car will be warm(er), the engine will be ready to drive and the snow/ice should be on its way to melted.

Take the time to defrost/deice/desnow your windshield. A 4" clear square may seem like a large enough space to see out of in your windshield, but really its not. I try to do this all the time and end up having to pull over and reclear the windshield or wait for the defroster to work.

As far as storage, your car does not need to be stored in a garage but if it isn't you will need to be more proactive about starting it in super cold weather to make sure it will work for you when you need it. When it is stored in a garage the battery stays warmer and it may not be as essential to go out and start it as often.

Also throw a sleeping bag, blankets, warm boots and extra warm clothes in your trunk if you are going to be traveling outside the city. Madison is not in the boonies by any means but I think just 3 or 4 winters ago the state patrol closed some freeways outside of Madison with lots of people still on them. It took many, many hours for the roads to clear and people were stuck in their cars on the freeways for more then 4 hours.

Cold weather is doable but it is nothing to mess around with it. Boyscouts know best, Be Prepared.
 
cowgirla said:
My itty bitty Accord has never seen the inside of a garage. And I live in New Hampshire.


1) Invest in a good, solid snow shovel, and DONT keep the shovel in the car. Keep it in a closet, etc. You need to be able to get to it.


5) Snow pusher...it's like a handle with a big foam "paddle" on one end for pushing the snow off the roof of the car. Not really a necessity, but I love it 🙂

Watch out for laws about how much snow you can have on the top of your car while driving. I know around here, you cant have more than 2inches on the top of your car, since its a hazard to people behind you.
Click to expand...

When I first had my car up here in Flagstaff I definitely fell into the trap of oops I left the shovel INSIDE the car along with the ice scraper. Walking through 3 feet of snowing and having to remove a couple of feet of snow off the trunk of my car with my hands was not fun. So definitely keep the shovel/ice scraper in a closet.

I wish I could find a snow pusher that would sure be faster than shoveling all of the snow off of my car, but I have never seen those around here.

Also with snow left on your car. Any snow that stays on the hood tends to get blown back up into the windshield so try to remove as much snow as you can from the hood of your car to prevent getting blinded by the snow (learned this the hard way as well).

I have also found it harder to remove snow from around my car if I wait a few days after a big snow storm. It seems that everyone likes to pile up all of the snow behind and around your car when they unbury theirs. 😡 This snow then melts and freezes as ice. And it is not easy to dig out ice. I usually try to get my car unburied the day after a big snow storm to prevent this from happening.

I have a tiny Hyndai Accent, so it is quite fun digging the little car out. If you can get someone that is willing to teach you how to drive on snow/ice I would highly recommend it. I had to do the learn as you go method and it was not very fun (everyone I knew was from Phoenix, so they did not have any snow driving tips).
 
Thanks everyone for your input! I'm a little less worried now. And I totally love the tarp idea. That's kind of genius.
 
i moved to colorado in july....and i'm from southern california (AND I MISS IT A LOT) and after seeing the winters here (which will be like nothing compared to wisconsin) i'm really happy we were able to have a garage. there are apartments around here that have 1 car garages...i would seriously consider it. my friend has to spend 15 min to get her car warmed up and take the snow off. and when you get snow in her car...it turns to ice....it never melts.

anyway, sorry i dont have any good advice. i'm just grateful we have the garage and i want everyone else to experience that too.
 
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On a side note, I think its funny when people from down south (or some other warmer climate) come here and freak out when it snows, haha. Apparently Mississippi State will cancel classes with just a rumor that someone MIGHT have seen even a snowflake! Haha, oh well, I guess if that happens to me down there I know it will be a good time to hit Walmart since everyone in town will probably be staying home!
 
Plus one for the block heater. Also, make sure the mix in your radiator is 50/50 anti-freeze/coolant and water. That will kill your car faster than anything else. If you're going to carry sand, put it into one of those nylon woven bag things - I think they are called sand tubes. Personally, I used sandbags, as in the kind you build fortifications from, but then there are a lot of those available where I work. Best advice from above - talk to the locals. They will be your best source of information.
 
PrimalMU said:
On a side note, I think its funny when people from down south (or some other warmer climate) come here and freak out when it snows, haha. Apparently Mississippi State will cancel classes with just a rumor that someone MIGHT have seen even a snowflake! Haha, oh well, I guess if that happens to me down there I know it will be a good time to hit Walmart since everyone in town will probably be staying home!
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This is true, people do freak out. Last semester my school closed for a day because there was snow in the forecast. It did snow, for about 10 minutes...and nothing stuck. It was pretty amusing. BUT, it didn't slow down traffic on the roads because everyone was out of work and the weather wasn't bad. So, don't bank on being able to make it to Walmart on "snow days" in the South.
 
Bearby said:
This is true, people do freak out. Last semester my school closed for a day because there was snow in the forecast. It did snow, for about 10 minutes...and nothing stuck. It was pretty amusing. BUT, it didn't slow down traffic on the roads because everyone was out of work and the weather wasn't bad. So, don't bank on being able to make it to Walmart on "snow days" in the South.
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I wish my school would cancel classes that easily. Instead, all of the elementary/high schools around here have school cancelled when there is barely a few inches of snow. It takes a few feet of snow before the college will cancel classes. This year though has been the best. We have had around 7 snow days. But, you were not going to be going anywhere on those days almost all of the roads were closed and the entire town was basically shut down. It was kind of weird.
 
Couple things to add, some might have been mentioned before.

Put a blanket somewhere in your car. Hopefully youll never get stranded and need it, but if you ever happen too you will be happy to have it. If you drive a truck, it is nice to get some extra weight in if for traction, but make sure whatever you use wont slide around too much. I have heard of people getting in wrecks in the winter that had large steel weights in their vehicles that really caused some damage when they started flying around.

Also, washing your vehicle isnt a lot of fun in the winter, but I try to every once in a while. The salt on the streets really eats away at the steel so it is nice to get it all cleaned off sometimes. Focus on the wheel wells and bottom half of the vehicle as much as you can.
 
As someone from Wisconsin...

I disagree with not having a shovel in the car! I get stuck somewhere (or find another stuck person) at least once a year. Now, I probably shouldn't be driving to the barn in blizzards, but these things happen. 🙂 Having the safety net of knowing you can dig yourself out of most situations without having to wait for a good Samaritan is nice.

My car lived outside for most of its life and did pretty well. Start it everyday, etc etc. Now it gets the luxury of a garage, which is certainly nice when it comes to snow removal/starting, but it's not necessary. It's not that old, though.

Madison has some pretty crappy snow removal sometimes... so you end up driving on half-icey half-snowy streets that were once two lanes and now are like one... But you'll get the hang of it. 🙂
 
The Pullman area got over 7 feet of snow last winter. This winter we barely got any.

All the advice here is good stuff!

I'd just add that if you're not going to be driving your car very often I've been told it's a good thing to start it and let it run for a few minutes every once in a while.

Also, remote starter = I'm jealous. I want one for next winter. Though we didn't get a crap ton of snow this year, it did hover at 0 degrees for several days at a time. My breakfast froze to the roof of my car while I was trying to get in. It was awesome. Not.
 
lailanni said:
Also, remote starter = I'm jealous. I want one for next winter. Though we didn't get a crap ton of snow this year, it did hover at 0 degrees for several days at a time. My breakfast froze to the roof of my car while I was trying to get in. It was awesome. Not.
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I'm telling you, it's totally worth the investment!
We had one really bad ice storm last year, and nobody could open their car doors at all. They were sitting there chiseling away, trying to get to a door handle and around the outline of the door, etc.

I just started mine, let it run for a few minutes, and opened the doors without a struggle 🙂
 
I'd like to point out that learning to drive in the snow is just as important as taking care of the car. Ideally, get someone who is used to it to talk you through it. Basically:

-Do everything slower. Accelerate slowly, brake slowly, turn slowly.
-Try not to come to a complete stop, especially on hills. Rolling very slowly through a stop sign is going to work better than stopping and trying to get started.
-If you get stuck, DO NOT just keep giving it more gas. You'll wear down your tires and make an annoying noise and not go anywhere. Try to go forward or backward slowly.
-If your back end starts sliding, turn the front so it is aligned with the back. So if the car is sliding left, turn the wheel left. That will straighten you out.
-And for goodness sake use your lights in the snow!
 
bunnity said:
I'd like to point out that learning to drive in the snow is just as important as taking care of the car. Ideally, get someone who is used to it to talk you through it. Basically:

-Do everything slower. Accelerate slowly, brake slowly, turn slowly.
-Try not to come to a complete stop, especially on hills. Rolling very slowly through a stop sign is going to work better than stopping and trying to get started.
-If you get stuck, DO NOT just keep giving it more gas. You'll wear down your tires and make an annoying noise and not go anywhere. Try to go forward or backward slowly.
-If your back end starts sliding, turn the front so it is aligned with the back. So if the car is sliding left, turn the wheel left. That will straighten you out.
-And for goodness sake use your lights in the snow!
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Very very very good advice! Snow driving can be tricky, even for those who are experienced. I feel like knowing a few "rules" helps when you get in somewhat dicey situations and aren't exactly sure what to do. 🙂

Yeah... never give it gas when you're stuck. Not only do you not go anywhere, you melt the snow a bit, and it'll turn back into ice... and then you're stuck in an ice ditch instead of a snow ditch... not like I'd know or anything...
 
bunnity said:
I'd like to point out that learning to drive in the snow is just as important as taking care of the car. Ideally, get someone who is used to it to talk you through it. Basically:

-Do everything slower. Accelerate slowly, brake slowly, turn slowly.
-Try not to come to a complete stop, especially on hills. Rolling very slowly through a stop sign is going to work better than stopping and trying to get started.
-If you get stuck, DO NOT just keep giving it more gas. You'll wear down your tires and make an annoying noise and not go anywhere. Try to go forward or backward slowly.
-If your back end starts sliding, turn the front so it is aligned with the back. So if the car is sliding left, turn the wheel left. That will straighten you out.
-And for goodness sake use your lights in the snow!
Click to expand...

You can also drop the car down a gear, so the engine's not woring as hard. When its snowing or icy, my car is usually in a low gear.
 
cowgirla said:
You can also drop the car down a gear, so the engine's not woring as hard. When its snowing or icy, my car is usually in a low gear.
Click to expand...

Good point, and this is why I love having a stick. Being able to pick your gear, engine brake, and coast in neutral make it so much easier in the snow.
 
bunnity said:
Good point, and this is why I love having a stick. Being able to pick your gear, engine brake, and coast in neutral make it so much easier in the snow.
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I was gonna ask how driving a manual is in the snow.. Here in socal a stick is not recommended in "snow driving" (ie going to the mountains) ... and from personal experience I did NOT enjoy it...👎

but how is driving manual in the snow in the city? I have a dinky lil scion so i dont know how my car would do/survive in the snow... :laugh: Ive been eyeballin' Mn for vet school (if I could get off the damn waitlist) so I dont know how snow driving is there...

For those of you from Mn or know about Mn... do you rec bringing my car? The girl who gave me a tour told me that a car was a must..
 
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JKIM02,

If I were you, I would absolutely bring your car. I think it would be difficult to get around in the Twin Cities without it.

As for driving a manual in the snow, it's never been a problem for me, and I drive A LOT for work.

The weather isn't as bad as people make it out to be. It's cold, it's snowy, but the worst usually passes quickly.

Good luck with the waitlist!
 
JKIM02 said:
I was gonna ask how driving a manual is in the snow.. Here in socal a stick is not recommended in "snow driving" (ie going to the mountains) ... and from personal experience I did NOT enjoy it...👎

but how is driving manual in the snow in the city? I have a dinky lil scion so i dont know how my car would do/survive in the snow... :laugh: Ive been eyeballin' Mn for vet school (if I could get off the damn waitlist) so I dont know how snow driving is there...

For those of you from Mn or know about Mn... do you rec bringing my car? The girl who gave me a tour told me that a car was a must..
Click to expand...

Both my cars have been sticks, so I'm a little biased, but I like having the control. I guess if you were inexperienced and revved it up too much getting into gear it could make you slip, but I can't think of any other reason not to drive one in the snow.
 
bunnity said:
Both my cars have been sticks, so I'm a little biased, but I like having the control. I guess if you were inexperienced and revved it up too much getting into gear it could make you slip, but I can't think of any other reason not to drive one in the snow.
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I have enough trouble driving a stick on dry flat roads. I'm vehicle-challenged, apparently. I can stall ten times in a hundred feet without trying.
I'll stick with my automatic :laugh:
 
I haven't checked in Madison yet, but in Milwaukee there are strict winter parking regulations anytime it snows more than 4 inches. You may not be able to park on certain streets or they'll tow ya. So something to check out before you decide if you need off street parking.

Also, it's illegal to keep your car running if your not in it, which pretty much defeats the purpose of a remote start. They were really militant about here last winter, don't know about Madison.
 
WIDVM said:
I haven't checked in Madison yet, but in Milwaukee there are strict winter parking regulations anytime it snows more than 4 inches. You may not be able to park on certain streets or they'll tow ya. So something to check out before you decide if you need off street parking.

Also, it's illegal to keep your car running if your not in it, which pretty much defeats the purpose of a remote start. They were really militant about here last winter, don't know about Madison.
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I don't know what year it was from, but I read something in my internet travels about Madison having a side-parking thing during the winter. I think it was regardless of the snow situation, but it didn't sound like they'd bother towing you unless it was actually snowy. But no first-hand experience here, just internet hearsay. 🙂
 
JKIM02 said:
but how is driving manual in the snow in the city? I have a dinky lil scion so i dont know how my car would do/survive in the snow... :laugh: Ive been eyeballin' Mn for vet school (if I could get off the damn waitlist) so I dont know how snow driving is there...
Click to expand...

1. I know a few families in Maine with a Scion that drive it all winter.
2. I prefer my manual transmission in the winter because I don't need to touch my brakes to such to slow down in slippery weather (downshift to slow down because changing how fast or slow the wheels are turning on the road makes you loose grip). Though this applies more to country driving than city I suspect. But you'll be fine-I'm lucky if they plow the day of a snowstorm in my small town, and obviously it is kept up better in cities.

May or may not be a coincidence but I've totaled an automatic in slippery driving conditions and never came close in my stickshift even though I drive more now. But again I have more experience driving in snow now as well.
 
I love this thread!

I've been born and raised in New England! =] Crazy weather here. 🙂 Good advice from everyone.

And I love love love my snow pusher! Best invention ever.
 
i was looking at cars at the dealership and the guy told me that when driving a stick, to start in 2nd gear. i thought that was interesting. is it true?
 
ckgilabert said:
i was looking at cars at the dealership and the guy told me that when driving a stick, to start in 2nd gear. i thought that was interesting. is it true?
Click to expand...


You mean always start in second gear from standstill? I have always had a standard and from my understanding this is a no no. I have a volkswagen rabbit now ('07) and I was told by the dealer to always start in first gear from standstill, second is ok when you are like pausing as a light is turning or something. But, my dad also has a standard SUV and he NEVER uses first gear and has never had a problem so maybe its just a myth?
 
It can depend a little on the car - my old one was a bastard to start in first and was much more amenable to second, but it had the clutch replaced with one that didn't really fit so it was weird to drive. My new car much prefers first.

In general you should start in first gear though. You CAN start in second or even third but it's not great for the car. I use first if I'm at a standstill and second if I am rolling at all.
 
bunnity said:
It can depend a little on the car - my old one was a bastard to start in first and was much more amenable to second, but it had the clutch replaced with one that didn't really fit so it was weird to drive. My new car much prefers first.

In general you should start in first gear though. You CAN start in second or even third but it's not great for the car. I use first if I'm at a standstill and second if I am rolling at all.
Click to expand...

ok that makes sense. My car does NOT like to start in second gear unless I rev up the gas petal which causes everyone around me to turn and look stare wondering what the hell I'm doing to my poor car
 
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