How to Prepare Your Car for Extreme Cold

What do you do when your kid decides to move the arctic circle to pursue his passion? Well, if you are like me, you build a car suitable for the conditions. Meaning extreme cold extreme environment and everything else in the extremes regarding the weather so to say.

Suitable Car To The Arctic Circle

We searched first for a suitable car to modify and build. He wanted to get an older Subaru Forester or Outback.  Finally we found a  decent Outback, with a standard transmission and the modifications began.

Step one: Applied heavy undercoating everywhere to lock out moisture as these cars are prone to rust. We added a charge port to the front for the block heater, a battery warmer and additionally a extreme cold weather approved CTEK battery tender.

Lightweight Synthetic Transmission Fluid

Then we replaced all the fluids with lightweight synthetic gear, transmission fluid, synthetic power steering fluid, new spark plugs and all the filters. Also replaced the serpentine belt, the engine coolant adjusted to -50 C.

Check the next photos out for more. To return to this page you have to click on your browser back button.

Synthetic Motor Oil

Performed an oil change on the engine too, with lightweight 0/20 w synthetic motor oil. New wipers approved for cold weather by Bosch. Then we cut the battery tray and squeezed in the largest possible battery in there. The battery replaced a 560 CCA to an 850 CCA AGM battery with a blanket battery warmer to prevent a no start condition in -40 Celsius or below.

Yokohama Winter Tires

Replaced all the light bulbs with Sylvania LED lights for maximum lumens at nighttime driving. Installed a set of  Yokohama ig52 winter tires to cope with snow and icy road conditions. Checked serviced the brakes with a brake fluid flush to prevent brake fluid icing.

He is a pilot and stationed in Pickle Lake Ontario, which is literally the farthest place you can drive to North in Ontario on all season roads. The distance from Techmax Auto Repair Inc. is 2300 kilometers, to the northwest.

The airport website states it:  Pickle Lake is “WHERE ALL ROADS BEGIN”.

He had to make this move to accumulate the required hours of flight time required by most airlines or the like.

Unusual times require an unusual approach. I think his ride will perform exceptionally well in the coming years in the arctic circle.

Any questions, how may we help? Contact us for more at:
(1) 905.795.0419

Related:

Battery service.

When is a brake fluid flush recommended?

Oil, lube and filter service for your European Import Cars.

 

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Which part is the most important component of your car?

Tires and brakes are the most important and literally the most neglected component of any automobile.

Why this two most vital components are the most neglected on the majority of the cars around us?

Tires and brakes get the least amount of respect despite they are the most important, the most used and abused components on any car. Tires are all black and round and they all look the same. Sorry nothing could be further from the truth.

Tire carcass the structure the material consisting the way it is woven and the belt and materials chosen with the secret recipe of the compound makes it some really complicated piece of engineering.

BMW i8BMW i8 with Winter Tire on

Look no further than F1 or Le Mans or pretty much any high end motorsport where tire choice will determine of the outcome of any race.  Furthermore without perfectly performing brakes the whole effort is wasted by the entire team.

Braking control and vehicle performance relies on proper traction. Your tires are your only contact between your car and the road so tire choice is the out most importance.

Tire choice should be not decided by on price only it should be guided by a knowledgeable technician an expert in the field wit decades of experience to guide you thru a very important decision with choices based on know how rather than price and or appearance or perhaps by brand recognition only.

Yokohama winter tireProbably you realized too, winter is just around the corner.  The temperature drops and we might get some snow at anytime. This time of the year driving on bald tires has it’s consequences, in most cases sudden, expensive or tragic at worst.

Bald or slick tires belong on a race track only,  please keep in mind race tires are compound specific to maximize traction at all times, which brings us to the point as the current weather in November quite unpredictable we need to optimize traction by installing winter tires.

Winter tires as said above are specific compound to stay soft and pliable in cold temperatures.  The benchmark is 7 Celsius,  at 7 Celsius summer or three season tires will turn into hard rubber like a hockey puck.

Literally any modern winter tire is superior to any 3 season tire commonly called “all season” tires in the late fall and in the winter season. To optimize tire wear and traction, tire pressures should be checked at least once a month and alignment should be checked at least once a year.

Winter tires for European Import Cars

Related: What tire companies say about winter tires.

Hydroplaning decrease. Winter tires’ tread pattern has a high drainage level in order to prevent hydroplaning.  Continue reading….

Winter tires are designed to perform better in a wide range of wintry conditions such as wet roads, snow and ice. They also improve your vehicle’s grip and performance in these conditions and they shorten your braking distances for better safety.

Any questions we are here to help . Our phone number: 905.795.0419

Winter Tires for European Import Cars

The wet and cold weather just arrived. It is almost winter tire time. Staying safe on the road starts with the highest quality tires, special at winter time in Canada. We at Techmax know tires. We can assist you to get the right tires – Winter Tires for your European Import car  or SUV.

winter tireContinental Winter Tires at left

We provide our customers with list 3 competitive brand name tires quotas (Michelin, Yokohama, Continental).

For the budget minded we offer basic  winter tire package too.

We not just sell tires, we install them in our shop. Also, for small charge we offer safe and convenient tire storage  for our customers’ off season tires, in our heated storage facility.

If we storage your tires, than you have first in the line status for seasonal tire changes.

Please call us for more details. Our phone number is:  905.795.0419

Related:

Do you really need winter tires?