How does one deal with their car in winter in Saint Paul, Minnesota?

Question

My daughter has just moved to Saint Paul (a lovely city, I find) and this will be her first winter there. The car (1998 Toyota) has a battery with 550 charging amps, and the anti-freeze is good until 35 below zero.

As I live in California, I've never experienced winters like they have, and neither has she.

How does one even get the key into the car door when it's frozen? She will not be parking in a garage, but outdoors. I read somewhere that vinegar & water in a spray bottle, sprayed onto car windows, will keep ice and frost from forming. Can this be true?

I'd appreciate any hints on how to open the car door (somehow a big worry of mine) and/or how to keep the car doing okay during winter.

Thanks so much.

Answer 1

I used to have to park my car outside in Minneapolis. I've never heard of the vinegar trick, but here are a few tips I've used:

Get a bottle of lock de-icer. It is cheap and available at any general store like WalMart, Kmart or Target. There are probably only 3 days a winter you will have to worry about your door freezing up due to ice, but this will help you get in. Most of the winter precipitation will be light fluffy snow.

Because of the snow, get a long handled brush to sweep the stuff off your windows. Make sure the other end is an ice scraper. A long handle will make it easier to reach the whole windshield.

If possible, get an engine block heater for those really cold days. The engine oil tends to thicken up when the temps drop way below freezing and this is the cause of most cars not starting. Unfortunately a block heater needs to be plugged in so you need to park near an electrical outlet for this to work.

Think about installing a remote car starter. This way she could possible start the car from her house instead of going out there in the cold. Then when she is ready to go the car will have had a chance to warm up.

Don't let the gas tank get below half a tank. Once it starts to get low, water can condensate in there and cause the car t not start. There are products to combat this, like Heet. They are only about a dollar a bottle, so keep a few on hand and add them to the gas tank once a week.

Also don't forget to keep an emergency kit in the car - flashlight, extra gloves, hat, blanket, candles, candy bars, jumper cables, small shovel, etc.

Another handy tool is a battery charger. The second most common reason for a car not starting in the cold is a dead battery. Get the battery tested. There are portable chargers that clamp onto the battery terminals and help give the battery an extra boost of power if needed.

That's all I can think of for now, but I hope that helps, and good luck to your daughter!

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Answer 2

Unless you have been dumb enough to wash your car and park it wet, you open the door in winter the same as in summer. As far as frost goes, nothing really keeps the windows from frosting except a cover. Whoopee-ding, you start the car then scrape the windows. DON'T spray vinegar and water, it will freeze on the windshield, and she will smell vinegar in the car as the glass defrosts and the vinegar is drawn into the vents. If she is taking a California car there, she takes it to a shop for a tune-up, and has a block heater installed to keep the engine from freezing up when the temperature is below approx 0 on the Fahrenheit scale. I have lived in Edmonton, Saskatoon, and Winnipeg, driving for 42 years, I know winter pretty good.

If she has touring tires on her car, those need to come off or she will be stuck with the first snow flake. If she has no experience with winter driving, she would be well-advised to get winter tires. At the least, she needs all-season tires with the M&S mark on them, and no less than 4/32 of tread left, or again she will be stuck on the first snowflake.

Answer 3

I'd tell her to invest in a good remote start system...you can start the car before going to work or coming home and prewarm it for 5-10 minutes---longer if it's icy. They run a couple hundred or so installed and some come with alarms and remote entry also. Or start the car with a spare key and lock the door while it's warming up. Leave the heater temp on hot and blower on high --defrost mode to clear ice or frost from the windshield. Keep an ice scraper and snow brush handy. Get some special windshield washer fluid that's also a de-icer at a parts store. Make sure the battery and charging system are checked and in good working order---I usually get the strongest battery I can fit in the battery box---no substitute for cranking amps when it's 10 below....550 CRANKING amps should be ok. Make sure the tires and brakes are good also especially front tires and brakes on a front wheel drive car. Buy winter wiper blades at a parts store and have them installed....they have a rubber sheathing that keeps them from getting clogged with snow and ice. There are products you can buy that contain alchohol to squirt into frozen locks to dethaw them or use a hair dryer on the lock cylinder works too...need an extension cord. Holding the key over a lighter flame for 15-20 seconds can heat it up enough to thaw a frozen lock. Spray WD-40 into the locks before the cold weather hits to help lube them and keep them ice-free. There are spray type windshield de-icers with alchohol also available at parts stores for times when ice is really thick and hard to scrape off. Make sure to get all the snow and ice off windows before driving. I leave a window cracked open a little to keep from frosting up at night. Drive slow when it's snowing and slippery and anticipate your stops. Keep a warm blanket, large candle, matches or lighter, spare snow boots, gloves, hat, scarf, flashlight, snack foods or energy bars in the back seat---not in the trunk-- in case of getting stuck somewhere, you don't have to get out of the car. Jumper cables in the trunk are a good idea too. And a cell phone charging cable for a 12 volt outlet.

Answer 4

The answers above are great for preparing for cold winters. You also might want to check her tires to make sure they have plenty of good tread left if not investing in a good set of all season tires. A block heater is a great investment in cold weather if an plug outlet is available. Most importantly is when driving leave early and let the car warm up so you do not have the window fog when driving. My wife had to go though the same thing as your daughter having to learn to drive in snow and ice. It will take some time to get used to it and will take time to calm the nerves.

Answer 5

If your daughter has limited experience driving on snow I would get her a full (4 Wheel ) set of winter tires, they are amazing in snow and ice, I would never drive a winter without them.

Answer 6

Here's a list I pulled from eHow.com it shows steps to winterize your car.