Three
Critical Concerns for Confident Cold Weather Travel
All vehicles need attention from time
to time, but here in the wintertime your car needs extra
care. For confident winter starts, it is important to
keep a watch on three critical areas: the lubrication
system, the cooling system and the battery. Let's take
a quick look under the hood to see if you're ready for
the worst of Old Man Winter.
Check Your Motor Oil
It is important to check your motor oil levels on a regular
basis. Without lubrication, friction between moving parts
leads to engine wear.
But it is also important to think about
the type of motor oil you are using. For severe cold,
there is a significant performance difference between
synthetic and conventional motor oil.
Cold weather is tough on engines because
of the limitations of traditional lubricants. Motor oils
and greases become thicker, thus slowing starting rpm,
restricting oil flow to critical engine parts, increasing
wear on bearings and rings, decreasing engine life, and
increasing the burden on an already overtaxed starting
system.
For really cold weather, only synthetic
motor oils offer the kind of performance that allows cars
and trucks to start with ease. Many synthetic motor oils
still flow or pump at temperatures up to sixty and seventy
below zero. Synthetics have a broader service range than
traditional petroleum.
The admonition to check your motor oil
is intended as a reminder to not only watch fluid levels,
but to consider whether your motor oil is fulfilling its
lubricating function in severe weather. No sense in being
stranded on an isolated road because your engine couldn't
turn over.
Check Your Antifreeze
Most of us who have grown up in this hostile region are
aware that inadequate antifreeze in the engine's cooling
system can result in serious damage to your vehicle. When
water freezes it expands, putting high stress on the corridors
where it travels. A cracked engine block is not unlikely
in extreme cold. Water pump failure and blown hoses are
also common side effects from frozen cooling systems.
There are a number of relatively inexpensive
antifreeze testers available for measuring the effective
working temperature of your antifreeze. If you don't own
one of these gauges, be sure to have the radiator fluid
checked at your local service station to make sure it
is suitable for severe cold temperatures.
In recent years there has been a growing
awareness of the hazards associated with traditional Ethylene
Glycol antifreeze. EG-based antifreeze is not only considered
an environmental hazard and deadly for pets when spilled
on the ground, it is toxic for children. What is especially
bad is that Ethylene Glycol-based antifreeze has a sweet
taste that invites animals and children to ingest it.
An alternative to Ethylene Glycol antifreeze
is the new Propylene Glycol which is generally regarded
as safe even in the event of accidental ingestion. In
addition, it has an unpleasant taste, making it unlikely
that animals or children will drink any appreciable amount.
Propylene Glycol provides excellent protection against
freezing, boiling and corrosion. In addition, the new
AMSOIL Propylene Glycol Antifreeze is compatible with
all other antifreeze products and does not require a complete
system flush before usage.
Check Your Battery
The ideal operating temperature of your car battery is
80 degrees F. As temperatures drop, so does the efficiency
of the battery. In very cold weather, the battery's power
output can be diminished to as little as ten percent.
What's more, as batteries age their strength
is further reduced. When it is very cold and your older
battery has lost a measure of its cranking capacity, you
have a situation where it may not have the power to turn
over the engine.
Cold winter starts are harsh. If the motor
oil is not fluid, and the battery worn down, you may want
to have your cellular phone handy in case you need to
call for help.
Be Prepared
It never hurts to be prepared, as the Boy Scouts are fond
of saying. Even when you follow these routine maintenance
checks it is still wise to stock the usual survival supplies
as standard procedure for your vehicle - shovel, bag of
sand or grit, toolbox, jumper cables, fuel de-icer additive,
large flashlight and road flares. Extra blankets, clothes,
food, fluids and a first aid kit are a life insurance
policy that you hope you won't ever need, but sometimes
can't afford to be without.
Good snow tires, and a few seasons of
experience driving on slippery roads also helps...and
knowing when not to attempt driving at all.