Winter Driving Tips
- Make sure your thermostat is working properly. If it doesn't, you'll get poor heat, the motor will run crummy and get poor mileage and the oil will gum out.
- Check to see that your air filter is good and the hot air intake duct is functional. The hot air intake duct lets the engine draw warm air in when it's cold
- Many town and county roads will be almost totally ice now. So assume there's ice under you. Usually they put just enough salt and sand on hills and curves to keep you on the road. Check braking traction on straight aways before bends or hills.
- Let the car engine get totally warmed on the first start of the day. Block off part of the radiator with a piece of cardboard, this will help keep the motor warm during heavy heater use.
- Wait a few minutes after a cold start before driving and run the heat on low till your motor gets all warmed up.
- Good mud & snow tires are mandatory! Save the all-season radials for the summer.
- Most villages and cities ban all-night street parking during the winter. Don't park in snowplow turn-arounds.
- Use light weight oil like 10W-30, or 5W-30.
- Check coolant. Make sure it's around a 60/40 mix and the coolant is still clear green.
- Engine block heaters are a great idea, except that you need 120VAC access.
- Carry a full size spare, make sure that's inflated too, along with the other four tires. Carry warm clothes, blankets, shovel, sand, salt. Carry cardboard or planks for traction. Get a good jack! If stuck, jack up the drive wheels and put the cardboard or planks under the wheels. Chains are great idea too.
- Keep the speed up in snow, otherwise you'll plow snow and bog out, especially going uphill or through drifts.
- With rear wheel drive cars, put some heavy weight in the rear. With front wheel drive cars, put some heavy weight in the front, like under the seats. All wheel drive cars are best, but a little weight wil help too.
- When parking in snow: Back up and go forward a few times to dig a track and keep the car pointed downhill towards where you want to go when you leave.
- Rock the car, if stuck. That means going foward and reverse till the drive wheels catch. But apply the brake between forward and reverse or you'll drop your driveshaft in the snow.
- If the drive wheels start slipping when under load, let off the gas, then feather it carefully till they catch again.
- Pump brakes and shift into neutral for stops.
- Always steer in the direction of the skid. Practice this important manuever in a snowy parking lot, it may save your life.
- Use higher than normal gears for a given speed with a manual transmission on ice or snow so there is less chance you'll spin the drive wheels when under load.
- Motorist, watch for snowmobiles at marked crossings or look for snow tracks across roadway. Snowmobiles must stop and yield to traffic when crossing roads, but be careful anyways. Often the trails run alongside the road, especially on NY 30.
