Questions tagged [winter]

Questions and discussions about preparing a vehicle for winter, either stored or in use. Appropriate tags should be used with this according to the part being discussed (e.g. tyres)

Winter is the season that directly follows autumn and directly precedes spring. It is the coldest season of the year; in the Northern Hemisphere, it usually peaks around January or February, a month or two after the winter solstice; in the Souther Hemisphere, it usually peaks around July or August, a month or two after their winter solstice.

Questions tagged winter have to do with vehicle maintenance that is particular to winter. They usually have something to do with issues caused by snow or ice build-ups or a difference in automobile performance caused by the cold temperatures that are associated with winter, particularly in Northern areas.

124 questions
30
votes
4 answers

Why use snow tires on all 4 wheels on 2-wheel-drive cars?

In a car without four-wheel drive—if the car provides drive power on only two wheels—why put snow tires on all four wheels when the freeze sets in? Would it not be sufficient to change just the drive wheels? Is it just a question of use of the…
Calaf
  • 1,565
  • 7
  • 21
  • 32
25
votes
14 answers

How long should I let my car warm up in the winter?

I have been reading mixed reviews about how long to let your car warm up before driving in the winter months. Most of the articles say that the best way to warm it up is to let it idle for 1-2 minutes, then drive gently until it reaches its optimal…
Frantumn
  • 353
  • 1
  • 3
  • 8
22
votes
9 answers

What is the best way to prevent my doors from freezing shut in the winter?

What is the best way to treat door seals to prevent the doors from freezing in winter? I noticed that the doors on both of my vehicles are a bit "sticky" this time of year, where the temperature is above freezing during the day, but drops below…
chris
  • 2,618
  • 4
  • 23
  • 18
21
votes
13 answers

My car has moisture on the inside of the glass but other cars do not

During winter here in Canada, my 2011 Cruze seems like it has humidity on the inside of the windshields. When I take a look at other cars besides mine, there is moisture on the exterior, not interior. Could I have a sealing problem on some joints on…
CREM
  • 359
  • 2
  • 4
  • 11
18
votes
7 answers

How to find a part lost in the snow

How can one go about finding a very small part lost in the snow? — while working on my motorbike, one of the battery leads fell out and I can't find it. Buying a metal detector for the sake of finding a piece of metal less wide than my pinky finger…
errantlinguist
  • 575
  • 1
  • 5
  • 16
15
votes
5 answers

Differences and Recommendation between Steel and Alloy Wheels for Winter?

There are many discussions regarding steel vs. alloy wheels in Winter on multiple forums. It would be good if someone could lay out full facts and help scale these differences (questions below). For Steel wheels: Less expensive Uniform and made…
Daemon
  • 367
  • 1
  • 4
  • 10
15
votes
9 answers

Leaving car in Lubbock, Texas for 1 month

I am leaving my car (2016 Toyota Rav 4 XLE) to go on vacation. This will be during the winter so December to January. It will be under covered parking, but I am worried about what the cold will do to it if it isn’t going to be driven for 1 month.…
Abbey Greene
  • 151
  • 1
  • 3
14
votes
4 answers

Winter tires and summer tires

I bought a new car back in June this year and the car comes with summer performance tires. I live in Minnesota and now it's December, so I really want to get snow tires installed instead of driving in summer tires (since I've read that this may…
user6332430
  • 251
  • 1
  • 8
13
votes
4 answers

The purpose of covering the grill during cold weather

In some countries it is quite popular to cover up the front grill in winter (especially on diesel engined cars). As I understand the intention is to inhibit airflow to the radiator, but why would you do that if coolant flow to the radiator is…
13
votes
3 answers

How does ambient temperature affect engine efficiency and fuel consumption?

I remember from my physics class that the ideal-gas Carnot engine is more efficient if the temperature difference between the heat source and the thermostat ("heat recipient") is larger…
ponadto
  • 615
  • 3
  • 9
  • 16
12
votes
1 answer

Do I need any special maintenance plan for a car only driven a every couple of weeks?

I work from home, so I seldom need to use my car. It's kind of nice that it can stay cleaner in winter, too. I could probably get away with almost never driving it winter, but I haven't prepped it and don't really have a good storage option for…
autobottodoggo
  • 673
  • 2
  • 11
  • 19
11
votes
9 answers

Are bad winter tires still better than summer tires in winter?

We bought a car recently which has very bad winter tires on. We didn’t realise how bad they are until it snowed last week. They lost all grip, the car barely stopped while braking or even go in the wrong direction while steering. So, they’re really…
Kinaeh
  • 561
  • 3
  • 7
  • 12
11
votes
2 answers

What are the pros and cons of having "summer wheels" and "winter wheels"?

I bought a lightly used VW GTI last year, and it has alloy rims I have been in SoCal, so the weather is pretty fine, but we're moving to the midwest :(. Should I plan on buying steel crappy-ugly-only-for-winter wheels and tires? I know many people…
nexus_2006
  • 272
  • 1
  • 2
  • 9
10
votes
3 answers

How to prevent body damage and rust from salted roadways?

I bought a used 2001 Toyota Camry this past summer. Overall it's in great shape, and I presently see no rust. Living in Wisconsin, we use salt pretty liberally to deal with snowy and icy roadways. My last car, a '97 minivan used exclusively in…
Robbie
  • 567
  • 3
  • 7
  • 18
10
votes
5 answers

Max temperature for studless ice/snow tires on asphalt?

I realize this is probably a loaded question with no clear-cut "line in the sand" answer, but I'd still like to see what people say. I live 3 hours from Tahoe area, so in the winter it is nice to have true ice/snow tires for going to the ski…
The111
  • 429
  • 3
  • 5
  • 10
1
2 3
8 9