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As you all know I have a 2002 Pontiac Sunfire 2.2 OHV engine, about 170K on it. I recently aquired a decent job, it’s a little of a travel for me, and before winter hits, I want to do a “home” inspection on my car to ensure it’s going to make it through the winter.. however I’m not sure what all is checked with that. Can someone give me a list with what is checked and how to know what needs replaced?? Or even post a link to a video someone has that gives instructions on inspecting a car?
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1. Buy fuel anytime the gauge reads half a tank or less. This helps keep water out of the fuel. It also allows you to run the engine and keep warm if you get stuck or stranded.
2. If you drive on snow and can afford snow tires get snow tires. Mud & snow tires or all season tires are not as good as snow tires. Snow tires have thousands of small slits called sipes that grip packed snow.
3. Check or have someone check the antifreeze concentration. This will prevent the coolant from freezing and breaking the engine.
4. If the battery is weak fall is a good time to get it replaced.
5. Carry a good ice scraper. By good I mean one strong enough that it won’t break when used on thick ice.
6. In winter most of the driving is in the dark. Check that all of your lights are working.
7. When it gets cold tire pressure goes down. So, once the winter cold snap hits, reinflate your tires. Don’t forget the spare.
Winter tip: Synthetic oil freezes at a lower temp than conventional oil. If you’re near time for an oil change put full synthetic in. I did last winter and my car started when it was -30 degrees celcius outside (I live in Canada) and it hadn’t been plugged in.
Also, check your car has the right kind of coolant in it. My old car had generic coolant in it when it really should have had HOAT coolant in it. This is a special type for some chrysler vehicles.
[quote=”Feasle” post=115434]Winter tip: Synthetic oil freezes at a lower temp than conventional oil. If you’re near time for an oil change put full synthetic in. I did last winter and my car started when it was -30 degrees celcius outside (I live in Canada) and it hadn’t been plugged in.
Also, check your car has the right kind of coolant in it. My old car had generic coolant in it when it really should have had HOAT coolant in it. This is a special type for some chrysler vehicles.[/quote]
You said Synthetic oil freezes at lower temperatures, so why did you say to put fully synthetic oil in?? Just curious… not fully understanding that.Never mind. I re read that and understand. Synthetic oil freezes at a lower temp than conv, so use fully… sorry about that xD
Wiper fluid with a low freezing point is available; but is hard to find in areas that don’t get that cold. It is good to have the washer working when the winter funk is flying.
All that plus, if you have a free day –
Get under the car and check the CV boots, ball joints, tie rods, Make sure no wiring is dangling, inspect the fuel and brake lines, the brakes themselves, all that junk… I mean why not? Better to know if any of it needs attention before some crappy winter day. Maybe change out the washer fluid with de-icer washer fluid. Do the wipers need replaced? Does the battery need water?Most important than the car, YOU want to make it safe through the winter in your car. So here are some more things to consider –
Cell phone charger, make sure the cigarette lighter outlet works (so you can plug in charger), maybe have a can of fix-a-flat and check that the spare is good, the jack is in good shape, lugnut wrench is good (or just buy a breaker and a socket to keep in the trunk, lugnut wrenches are often junky. Test yours instead of thinking, “It should be OK”) Heavy winter coat or other gear as you see fit… Though fix-a-flat is kind of frowned upon, if you need it, getting home that night is gonna be more important than “is this stuff good for tires?”OOHH and also – check with your insurance about roadside assistance. It will add maybe $2 a month to your policy. If you use it ONE time in a year, it will pay for itself many times over but there may be towing limits. Get on that like Yesterday.
I know this seems real precautious. However, nothing sucks worse than breaking down in the winter and not having something you need. Your car will probably be fine but a winter storm is NOTHING to mess around with.
During summer, I would say have a tank top, shorts, lawn chair, shades, sun screen, good music, and a few cold bottles of lemonade in case you get stranded.
Ok, so now that you bought the car here are some things to do for sure…head on down to your local parts store and purchase a set of WINTER wiper blades, have them installed for free while you are there, next have them do a free battery/ charging and coolant test. I’m not sure what places you have by you but most are happy to do those in hopes of more sales. After addressing the above I would do an oil and filter change, plugs, air filter and PVC valve. Normal oil should suffice but add some type of friction reducer, preferably with boron in it (due to mileage). Next I would suggest removing the lug nuts and giving them a light coat of oil, the time to find out the last owner cranked them with a nuclear powered impact gun is not on the side of an icy road with a flat. Next proceed to check the jack and give the “screw” part a light coat of oil, now is also a good time for checking the brakes and paying special attention to the slides, making sure they are free and the pads are wearing evenly. Eric has some great videos on this. Because the car is new to you, I would park it in a clean area and check for any drips that appear over the course of a week, better to address problems now then in a blizzard. I would consider changing the brake fluid too (Eric has a good video) As others have mentioned, winter tires are a good idea and affordable premounted packages are a good idea. Finally I would do a complete glass cleaning, inside and out, clean windows help with winter glare and ice will not stick as well to a properly treated window. We get a ton of snow and ice here and I do the following to all our windows (including the plow trucks) First I wash the vehicle as normal and when still wet I use a single edge razor to shave the windows, you will be amazed at the microscopic gunk you will feel being removed. Next I wipe down the window using a quality glass cleaner and dry microfiber towel and follow this up with glass polish and RainEx, sometimes I skip the RainEx and just use car wax. The razor will not scratch if you wash the car first and do it wet.
I’ve always been under the impression that lug nuts should be installed, and torqued to spec DRY with no lubrication.
However, removing the lug nuts to be certain that they aren’t seized on there tighter than tight is a good idea. So is removing the wheel to be sure it isn’t seized to the hub. If it is stuck, cleaning the hub area with a wire brush, and applying a bit of anti seize to the hub flange before reinstalling the wheel will help keep that from happening again.
While the wheel is off, you have a fantastic opportunity to properly inspect upper, and lower ball joints, outer tie rod end, CV boot, and the brakes.
Also check the condition of your belts (look for significant cracking or glazing on the side that contacts the pulley) and hoses (squeeze them, feeling for soft, mushy areas. The hoses should be firm, and should spring back to shape quickly when you release them) and replace anything that is suspect.
Have a free charging system / battery test done, and also check, and clean / tighten as necessary, the battery terminals.
Oil or don’t oil/grease/anti seize the way that allows you to sleep at night but the most important thing on lug nuts is a soft stop to proper torque and proper tightening pattern. Eric has a great video on this.
Actually my used car inspection series has quite a few good tips on inspections.
http://www.ericthecarguy.com/faq/what-to-look-for-in-a-used-car-purchase
As for a mechanical inspection, there’s information here you might find helpful.
http://www.ericthecarguy.com/faq/solving-automotive-performance-issues
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