How do you prepare your car for winter?

"AM3R" (AM3R) 11/02/2014 at 20:03 • Filed to: None

1

41

Cold weather is starting to hit my area, and it looks like it's here to stay. What do you guys do to prepare your car for winter?

I spend a day washing and claying it. I've really gotta start waxing it.

Tip: heated seats are worth it. I love them, I feel like my seat is on fire when I use them on full blast, and I don't even drive a ferrari!

signintoburnerlol > AM3R 11/02/2014 at 20:06

2

I do a winter wax/detail. Make sure all the rubber seals are lubed on the doors, trunk and hood. Buy dedicated wheels/winter tires. Double check fluid.

Time to enjoy the hooligan season.

ly2v8-Brian > AM3R 11/02/2014 at 20:07

2

throw some sand bags in the bed. Call it good.

whoarder is tellurium > AM3R 11/02/2014 at 20:08

0

Wash, polish, wax. Change oil. Check fluids. Check air pressures. Make sure the scraper is in the car. Finish all major maintenance/repairs that cant wait through winter - because its not any fun trying to do such tasks in the cold unless you're crazy like me.

Then, I think about how nice it would be to have a dedicated set of winter tires/wheels.

Also: I make sure to keep a bottle of quick detailer in the house so it doesnt freeze in the garage.

desertdog5051 > AM3R 11/02/2014 at 20:10

1

That is why I moved to the Southwest. :)

Arben72 > AM3R 11/02/2014 at 20:13

1

Here's another. A couple of layers of a good paint sealent and swap to my winter tires.

AM3R > desertdog5051 11/02/2014 at 20:13

0

Hey everyone needs a little bit of snow!!

TheD0k_2many toys 2little time > AM3R 11/02/2014 at 20:15

0

Wash, wax, oil change, put old wheels and tires on, park in barn, unhook battery, put cover on, and finally throw rat poison under car

CPT Speedbump > AM3R 11/02/2014 at 20:16

0

This year, I'm just buying a 3rd car for winter. If that doesn't work out, I'll take the Beetle to my local VW garage, have them find it's issues and tune it, pay them to fix the big issues, etc. Also going to pay a friend to fully detail the Z before I garage it for the winter.

Manuél Ferrari > AM3R 11/02/2014 at 20:16

2

Drive it to So Cal

Stay there and never move back

E92M3 > AM3R 11/02/2014 at 20:21

0

Wash, clay, finishing polish, followed by synthetic wax (lasts longer than carnuba).

My E92 seat warmers are awesome! They work so much faster than any other car I've owned.

JayZAyEighty thinks C4+3=C7 > AM3R 11/02/2014 at 20:22

0

Park it in the garage :/

But I'm undecided. I've recently washed and waxed it and changed the oil. It's not going anywhere on the summer tires, the heater is questionable, and the road treatment in this area is ridiculous, so I'll probably be staying out the winter and making my car less crappy hah

If your BMW's CPO, a dealer will do an undercarriage wash for free after winter by the way!

Viggen > AM3R 11/02/2014 at 20:24

0

Viggen's Checklist:

Step 1: Is car present [Yes] [Where the fuck is it?!]

Step 2: Does car have tires? [Yes] [No] [Need more tread]

Step 3: Fluids? [Yes] [Low] [It's peeing!]

Step 4: Scraper? [Yes] [Ima be late for work!]

Step-Why the fuck am I doing this? The car's fine, quit being a pussy and go hoon into a snowbank.

Chris Clarke > AM3R 11/02/2014 at 20:25

0

I put on my summer tires cause I'm ready to hoon.

JayZAyEighty thinks C4+3=C7 > Manuél Ferrari 11/02/2014 at 20:25

1

Then move to Hawaii, become P.I. with a glorious stache and very short shorts. And a 308, of course. Otherwise you could just be a Honolulu UPS driver.

Manuél Ferrari > JayZAyEighty thinks C4+3=C7 11/02/2014 at 20:27

1

oMG you put a new wrinkle on the idea - maybe USP or FedEx can create a super quick delivery service in Hawaii. Courier around envelopes and small packages in dat 308!

AM3R > JayZAyEighty thinks C4+3=C7 11/02/2014 at 20:28

0

Haha locking it up and working on it is a good plan for the winter.

I'm not CPO, I actually bought it from a Mercedes Benz dealer, who offered me free washes for life. I'll have to see if that includes undercarriage washes, thanks for the tip!

gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee > AM3R 11/02/2014 at 20:33

0

Reinstall the block heater cord; check the coolant to make sure it'll stay liquid above -50°C; and add another old blanket and some old but still very warm outerwear to the recovery/survival gear I keep all the time. Fall oil changes see me going to a lighter cold rating, so 5w40 instead of 10 or 15w40 in the crankcase, etc.

Svend > AM3R 11/02/2014 at 20:33

1

Check oil levels, get anti-freeze for the coolant, stronger mix of windscreen wash, check tyre tread and pressure, top up the sealant on all windows, put an in car dehumidifier on the dash board to reduce misting of the inside of the windscreen, retreat the seals around the doors so they don't freeze up, check windscreen and rear window wiper blades, a couple of blankets in the car along with some Mars bars and Kendal Mint Cake, instant heat coffee cups, disposable hand warmers as well as rechargeable hand warmers, check jump leads are not frayed or kinked, tow rope, extra torches and hazard warning beacons, check all bulbs are working and extra cloths and cleaning solutions to clean the lights, licence plate and glass should they get dirty whilst out.

I live in the city but it's best to be prepared should I go further afield and come across others that aren't as well prepared and need help.

AM3R > E92M3 11/02/2014 at 20:44

0

I'm gonna try to throw in a wax and polish this year. Any recommendations for a beginner?

And yeah, the seat warmers in my E90 are awesome. The heater takes forever to get warm, so that definitely makes it better.

AM3R > Svend 11/02/2014 at 20:49

1

very thorough! I'm gonna have to use some of those. How well does the dehumidifier work? I'm definitely gonna look into one.

unclevanos (Ovaltine Jenkins) > AM3R 11/02/2014 at 20:49

0

Just did the transmission filter/fluid change on the E38, waxed it a week ago, and fixed most of the car's leaks.

desertdog5051 > AM3R 11/02/2014 at 20:49

0

I lived in the snowbelt for 30 years+. Used to be a snowdriver extraordinaire. Don't miss it a bit. :) I will leave it to you Oppos that still love to drive in it, as I used to.

AM3R > unclevanos (Ovaltine Jenkins) 11/02/2014 at 20:51

0

And you aren't gonna post a picture??

unclevanos (Ovaltine Jenkins) > AM3R 11/02/2014 at 20:55

0

My phone is covered in anti sieze and I smell like transmission fluid. Sorry no pics. But here have a pic of a pro touring 2nd gen camaro I took a year ago.

AM3R > unclevanos (Ovaltine Jenkins) 11/02/2014 at 20:56

0

it's no E38.. But still awesome haha

Dingers Ghost, Champion Jockey > AM3R 11/02/2014 at 21:09

0

So far, I've taken my Cooper AT/3's off my new-this-year Cragars and put them back on the crappy stock alloys. Truck gets a regular wash, but needs cleaned really well and possibly waxed before snow. Also need to fluid film the undercarriage yet, and I'm going to check all the fluids. So really I haven't done anything yet.

vdub_nut: scooter snob > AM3R 11/02/2014 at 21:11

0

>Check tire tread (this shouldn't even really be necessary, it wears at a pretty predictable rate)

>Check air pressure in tires (you should be doing this every 2-4 weeks anyways)

>Check heater functionality (Broken, but in the FULL FUCKING BLAST position, summer was fun)

>Check Manhood (This is where Snowdrivium is stored)

E92M3 > AM3R 11/02/2014 at 21:30

0

I like Mezernas SF4500. Very fine abrasives, and gives the paint that wet look. Perfect for a beginner because it's almost impossible to remove too much clear coat. Because it's a finishing polish it will only remove light swirls though.

For a synthetic wax I like Mequiars Ultimate. Seems to stand up to waterless car washes heavy duty soaps longer (for those cold months where you can't hand wash and you have no choice). During the summer I prefer carnuba though for it's depth. Some people swear by layering carnuba and synthetic waxes, but honestly I' ve never had the time to try it.

Svend > AM3R 11/02/2014 at 21:37

0

The car will also go in for the winter health check at the dealership. I will get an e-mail from them to confirm a time slot and in the summer she'll get her summer health check. I simply go over it before it goes in and after so I know it's been done and that they have checked properly but they usually throw some stuff in to last the winter free of charge. The dehumidifier worked a treat last year. I bought one for mine and one for a colleague and sometimes you would get a degree of misting around the side of the glass on really cold nights but otherwise I was able to just get in the car and drive off. I've bought a new one for this year as I can't find the old one. It's a ThoMar and you simply sit it on the dash overnight and put it in the door bin when not being used. They are okay for three to four months in the car before you need take them out and sit them on the radiator or somewhere warm where they can dry out ready to go back into the car but I found it's best to bring them in once a week or fortnight as the longer they sit in the car absorbing moisture the longer they will take to dry out. If you're in an area prone to real cold I'd suggest lubricating the door handles and running a rubber feed like Einszett Gummi Pfledge Stift around the seals to restore the suppleness of the rubber as a frozen seals can put a lot of pressure on the door handles and frames if you have to force it open and clean off the wipers with 12.5% IsoPropyl Alcohol to thoroughly clean them.

I'll also be buying a grill winter cover if I need to (I always check the weather forecasts with Accu-weather on the mobile phone and the Meteorological Office on the laptop where I can look at the forecast and check it against the satellite imagery), which attaches with a couple of screws to reduce the air circulating which will aid warming the engine faster. I do tend to go over board, my friend thought I was crazy to get 'travel-johns' should her kids need them on the trip down country and a minor burns kit should they get more than a little sun burn on the beach, but hey better to be safe than sorry.

and one for the lower valence.

Kevin Rhodes > AM3R 11/02/2014 at 21:56

0

Depends on which car.

Spitfire gets its top put up, pulled to the very front of the garage, and covered.

Fiat Abarth gets the battery maintainer plugged in.

BMW gets the rubber mats put in and the snow tires put on.

The Range Rover just gets the snow tires put on, it wears rubber mats year round.

Kevin Rhodes > E92M3 11/02/2014 at 21:58

0

The heated steering wheel is the bomb though. I wish I had a heated shift knob to go with it, that thing is COLD when you take your hand off the toasty warm wheel to shift. E91, BTW.

GTRZILLAR32-Now saving for Godzilla and a condo > AM3R 11/02/2014 at 22:32

0

My car is getting some quick service stuff and washed/waxed/interior detail in the next couple weeks and then I'm putting it away. Then over the winter I'll be replacing some of the interior trim, new intake elbow, and early spring I'm going to buy a section 2 x-pipe and Scorza muffler.

Burrito de EJ25 > AM3R 11/02/2014 at 22:59

0

In Los Angeles when I want snow I just drive 30-40 minutes to the Mountains. Then I drive back to the beach and catch a bonfire.

theloudmouth > AM3R 11/03/2014 at 06:20

1

Does this count?

E92M3 > Kevin Rhodes 11/03/2014 at 06:59

0

What year is yours? Was that included in the cold weather package?

AM3R > theloudmouth 11/03/2014 at 10:06

0

Haha yes, is that an E92?

justAnother G6 > AM3R 11/03/2014 at 10:16

0

I just get in and drive. But then again I'm driving a G6 so there is that.

theloudmouth > AM3R 11/03/2014 at 21:55

1

How'd you guess? haha. You as well I take it? I didn't get the M3, but for the street she's still quite a lot of fun.

AM3R > theloudmouth 11/04/2014 at 14:50

1

the crease on the side and the shark fin on the roof gave it away, I spend too much time on E90post haha.

Gorgeous car, sometimes I wish I got an E92 instead of an E90. Nice wheels! 19's look perfect on E9x's.

theloudmouth > AM3R 11/05/2014 at 06:23

0

Haha, good eye and as do I.

Thanks, is the white E90 above yours? The E90 M3 really is a gorgeous car though, many would argue better than the E92. It's funny, I was never fully sold on the E92 M3 aesthetics and I can't quite tell you why but I think the Msport items plus the unique 335is elements truly made the E92 gorgeous. I always look back while walking away haha.

Ahh the wheels, yeah I love them (except when cleaning, they take as long as the rest of the car it feels like), but I can't wait to ditch my crappy RFTs and I hate Michigan roads, I just cracked a rim... Thank god I'm replacing them with PSS' in the spring, I'm shocked in the ride quality and impact force difference from RFTs to non-RFTs on that same thin sidewall. Are you running the same wheels over the winter?

AM3R > theloudmouth 11/05/2014 at 16:45

0

No, these are just some pictures I saw on M3post.

Getting rid of the runflats is honestly the best thing you could do. They suck, but I'll admit that they really built the E9x around runflats. The handling with Runflats is better, and with the non runflats the car is just a tiny bit softer. You can remedy that by adding a little more air into the tires.

I run a set of continental procontact DWS year round. One of the better performance all seasons, and they are really cheap too. Supposedly they handle snow great, but this will be my first winter with them. Traction is awesome in dry/wet conditions.

You should run some 219m's in the winter, or just throw some allseasons on them and use them year round. They look great on the E92 and allow for a nice amount of tire.