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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.
T's Advanced Synthetics
Greg and Marcy Thurman
Your Nationwide
AMSOIL
Authorized Independent
Dealer
Nationwide US Warehouses,
Canada and Palm Harbor, FL
727-798-8552
E-Mail:
greg@tsadvancedsynthetics.com
If you
experience problems or have questions or comments about
our website please email us at
greg@tsadvancedsynthetics.com
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