prep for winter

So this could be stupid question but i just want to be safe instead of sorry.

I live in southern california and so has my xj for its whole life. Therefore I obviously have no real idea of what winter is.(our version of freezing is 40s in the morning before the sun comes out and brings it back up to 70) I am planning a 3 week road/camping trip to and around washington over the winter school break. I was just wondering if there is anything i need to do to safely operate my car in the snow and freezing temps? I can drive in snow and ice and am fine camping and hiking in it but i just don't know anything about having a car in those temps and conditions for more than a few hours. Do i need different oil or antifreeze or whatever? Any advice from the northern people is appreciated. Thanks.

I am not the authority on the topic, but I can tell you that Kali does not have decent windshield wiper fluid on the market. If you want something that will not freeze up you need to either purchase it out of state or add alcohol to your existing wiper fluid.

I looked into this a few years ago when I did a winter trip. I could not find anything suitable for freezing temps while here in San Diego, but I figured I could find something on my way. I looked in Auburn and found that the stores stocked the same wiper fluid as in San Diego, but also stocked bottles of isopropyl alcohol right next to it.

Once I crossed into Nevada it was no problem to find wiper fluid for sub-freezing temps.

Just one more joy of living where they protect us from ourselves.

ljobbins said:

So this could be stupid question but i just want to be safe instead of sorry.

I live in southern california and so has my xj for its whole life. Therefore I obviously have no real idea of what winter is.(our version of freezing is 40s in the morning before the sun comes out and brings it back up to 70) I am planning a 3 week road/camping trip to and around washington over the winter school break. I was just wondering if there is anything i need to do to safely operate my car in the snow and freezing temps? I can drive in snow and ice and am fine camping and hiking in it but i just don't know anything about having a car in those temps and conditions for more than a few hours. Do i need different oil or antifreeze or whatever? Any advice from the northern people is appreciated. Thanks.

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Most of what you need to do is preventive maintenance:
Have your antifreeze checked for freeze protection.
Have your battery checked for reserve capacity.
Have your charging system checked for output.
If you are running a 10w-XX oil, you should be OK for cold starts.

Anak's tip on the washer fluid is a good one.

EDIT: When you get to you destination, buy gas that is formulated for that area and keep the tank full when you are there.

What oil are you using?

thanks for the replies. I'm currently using shell rotella t5 10w30. battery is pretty new but ill get it checked and replaced if necessary before i go. and window fluid is pretty minor so thats easy enough. thanks. any more advice, I'm all ears.

Dollar General had winter out of state washer fluid at last check.

Agree on washer fluid. Checking coolant and the battery are probably the biggest things to check. Cold temps are killer on a battery. Don't worry about oil type, you'll be fine. Make sure your heater works!

The part about keeping the tank full is to keep moisture out. The more air you have in the tank, the greater potential for moisture dropping out of suspension and collecting on the bottom of your tank when temperatures drop. That was a tough lesson when I finally learned it.

Where in Washington? Some places get freezing but others stay mild

If you are in below 32F weather definitely go with a 0 to -15 F washer fluid, I have not seen anything less in Alaska. 10wt-30 oil is good to go and I am currently running it until the really cold weather hits. Your antifreeze is the most important for engine protection and should be fresh and up to -35 F which is a 50/50 mix of Prestone or buy the premixed, $8.99-10.99 gallon @ Fred Meyer in Anchorage.

Biggest trouble I had in below freezing weather was the battery in the first winter. And of course the right wiper fluid.
I used to let the jeep warm up for awhile before heading out. The transmission oil was so thick it would feel interesting the first few miles. Of course that's the old 80s 5 speeds with that heavy weight Dino oil.


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thanks for the suggestions. Im not really familiar with washington at all other than it looks cool so I'm going to explore. Im visiting family in seattle for a few days then kinda driving east just shy of canada to the NE corner then down home. Thanks.

I have the 5 speed ba/10 that i am trying to swap for an ax15 whenever i can find one but if by the time of the trip i can't find one i will for sure swap fluids for the trans and tcase so i will be sure to pay closer attention to the temp ratings on the bottles.

ljobbins said:

thanks for the suggestions. Im not really familiar with washington at all other than it looks cool so I'm going to explore. Im visiting family in seattle for a few days then kinda driving east just shy of canada to the NE corner then down home. Thanks.

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Check out Leavenworth, great little place tucked up against the mountains. But up there is very very cold winters. Winds can bring the temp down to 0* so maybe try the 5w oil instead.

Also maybe post up in the northwest chapter.

trippled said:

Checking coolant and the battery are probably the biggest things to check. Cold temps are killer on a battery. Make sure your heater works!

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Cold weather and batteries don't get along well.
I carry a paperback size lithium jumper that easily starts our RV's V10 multiple times.
The desert is cold in the winter and we carry a duffle full of extra warm clothes plus a sleeping bag, in case we break down and can't get back to camp.
To make sure the coolant mix is good, all my vehicles are checked every six months with test strips.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000MIUJMO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Head to Pateros and then to Alta Lake State Park in the Methow Valley. You will not be disappointed. Gets really cool at night during this time of the year but not freezing temps. This is where I where I grew up and try the steelhead fishing in the Methow at Pateros. Good luck dude.

Thanks for the help and spot suggestions. From my calculations now I will have about 13 days to explore Oregon and Washington. Thats after already setting aside time/days for travel up and back.

Be sure to have good tire tread(s), and a spare.

For you, be prepared to purchase the following; Mittens, and gloves, warm head-gear, and foot-wear, and high energy bars in case you are in a bad situation. The previously mentioned idea of a sleeping bag is a life-saver. Consider having some sort of flashlight/head-lamp, i.e., LED, etc.

For your vehicle be prepared to purchase the following; Some sort of cheap tire chains, little shovel for snow, and a large bag of kitty litter for ice traction. Some high mountain road pass authorities will only allow travelers to continue on their journey with the mandated use of tire chains during stormy snowy conditions. A package of road-flares is a good idea. Small tool kit good too.

Additionally, a windshield ice-scrapper is very useful as "sleet" can sometimes overcome most windshield fluids/defroster/wiper actions, blah, blah. We in Alaska generally go for the stuff good to minus 6o degrees, blah, blah. Highest percentage Isopropyl alcohol, as mentioned previously, is handy to have to which you can upgrade the 'warmer' brands of windshield wiper fluid.., should you find yourself facing some storm.

The areas in which you wish to go you will find many places sell little yellow plastic bottles of a popular brand of gas tank dryer stuff, called 'Heet'. I'd get that to put in my tank during fill-up in those areas you wish to go. (I use acetone instead, as I just buy a gallon, using a 'turkey-baster', inserting a couple of ounces during fill-up, and it's way cheaper in the long winter run).

Remember; Even though you have 4X4, you will usually never be able to stop fast enough.., keep a 'safer' distance behind anyone in snowy/icy road conditions, and watch out for deer, etc., or you might have further bad complications from any collision with said.

Happy Trails...

The mention of kitty litter reminds me: Don't buy sand at the local home center thinking you will use that in case you need the traction aid. There is too much moisture in the home center sand. It will be a frozen solid block when you get to where you might need it. DAMHIKT.