Emergency Equipment
     Many people in this world fail to plan for emergencies.  True, most of the time nothing severe usually happens, but once in a while bad luck strikes.  That is why I recommend the following list of items you should store in your trunk for the winter season:

• Small plastic snow shovel.  This one should seem obvious, but many people go without one.  Nothing is worse than getting to your car and finding a foot of snow has covered it completely.
• Jumper cables.  Batteries get weak in cold weather (see below).  It's very likely that an already weak battery may have trouble starting your car.
• Snow chains.  Most people won't have to use them, but it's better than being stranded somewhere you'd rather not be.
• First Aid / Emergency Toolkit.  We sell a large selection of these in our Accessories section.  Everything from flares, band aids, and tools.
• Working flashlight and extra batteries.  I can't stress this one enough.  All of the tools and equipment in the world are useless if you can't see what you're doing.
• Bottle of windshield washer fluid.  Windshield washer fluid is designed not to freeze, and spraying it on a snowy or icy windshield will help it melt and clear the window.
• Ice scrapper.  Tip: in a pinch, one of your credit cards from your wallet makes an excellent ice scrapper.
• Kitty litter / sand / rock salt.  Sometimes you might need a little extra traction to get out of a ditch.  Kitty litter is an excellent choice, and usually comes in an easy-to-tote container as well.
• Warm clothing.  If you're out driving in snow, it's common sense that you would be dressed warmly.  Still, it's smart to have an extra jacket or gloves in the trunk, just in case you need them.
• Signal flares.  I'm not a huge fan of flares, but lots of people recommend them, so I added them to the list.

     Cell phones can really mean the difference between an annoying break down and a life-threatening situation. There's a little secret about cell phones that most people don’t realize this (and most cell phone companies won’t tell you this either).

Most cell phones are required to connect to emergency services (911) even if they have been disconnected!

So, don’t toss out that old cell phone that you no longer use. Keep it as a spare in the trunk of your car, or give it to a friend or loved one to use, just in case. One important note about disconnected cell phones though: if you call 911 from a disconnected phone, the emergency dispatcher will not be able to call you back if you’re disconnected, so make sure that you let them know you’re calling on a cell phone that is currently disconnected from service.

Oil and Anti-Freeze
     I could write pages and pages on oil and the affects it has on your engine (actually, in some of my books, I already have).  But the one thing that cold-weather drivers really need to know is how the temperature affects the oil viscosity.  In simple terms, viscosity refers to how easily something flows.  Water has a relatively low viscosity - it flows very easily.  Honey has a rather high viscosity - it's difficult and slow to pour.  The viscosity of liquids falls when the temperature increases and rises when the temperature decreases.  What does this mean for your car?  Basically, in cold temperatures, the oil inside your engine will flow like honey.  When the engine heats up, it will flow more like water.

     How does this affect your engine?  When the engine is started very cold, the oil is dense and thick.  Oil pressure in your engine tends to be very high when starting in cold weather because of this increased thickness.  As a result, this thicker oil offers more resistance in the engine, and can actually blow out seals and other components if the oil pressure gets too high.  At very cold temperatures (let's say -40º or so), the oil can flow like molasses, and the internal oil pressure regulation devices may fail to work.

     What can be done to reduce this problem?  Well, first of all, you should be running a light-weight oil in colder climates.  Oils come in various weights that are tailored to the outside environments they will be operated in.  Most oils these days are multi-viscosity (10W-40), which allows them to be used when the engine is both cold and hot.  These oils are formulated with special polymers that change characteristics as the temperature of the oil increases.  For example, a 20W-50 oil is a 20 weight oil that will not thin out more than a 50 weight oil would when the engine is hot.

     Which oil should you use?  This is subject to a lot of interpretation from many "experts."  However, the rule of thumb is that you should use a lighter-weight oil in the winter when you need the oil to be thin at cold temperatures, and a heavier weight oil in the summer when you want the oil to be thicker when the temperature is hot.  I recommend using 5W-30 weight oils in very cold climates, as this oil will flow freely when the temperature is below freezing.

     What about synthetics?  Consumer Reports (CR) performed an analysis of motor oils in 1996 (see here for more details) that found the wear characteristics of synthetics to be very similar to those of regular motor oil.  However, CR also found that the synthetics they tested uniformly flowed better at very low temperatures.  Based on these independent test results, you may want to consider using synthetic oil if it gets very cold outside, as they seem to flow better at sub-zero temperatures.

     The name anti-freeze basically speaks for itself.  The cooling system of your car is very important, and I covered its operation and maintenance in a few previous newsletters.  Click here for our past newsletters that detail the proper maintenance of your cooling system.

Car Batteries
     Your car battery is a both a vital component of your car's electrical system, and perhaps the most weakest.  Batteries do not last forever - they are designed to have a useful serviceable life.  Unfortunately, most people only replace their batteries when they fail - which means that they get stranded somewhere when their car doesn't start.  Battery technology has improved significantly over the past few years, and most batteries these days are "maintenance free."  However, you should still be aware of how to best protect your battery in cold weather.

     Your car battery is a chemical device, and the chemical reactions that occur internal to the battery are slowed down considerably by the cold weather.

Exhaust Systems
     You should always check out your exhaust system prior to the start of the cold weather season.  Cold, snowy locations tend to use lots of salt on the ground which accelerate rust.  Exhaust components are often poorly coated due to their high heat, and are typically one of the first systems on the car to deteriorate from rust.  In addition, their relatively unprotected location with respect to the road means that corrosive salt and water collects on the pipes, mufflers, and catalytic converters located on the underside of the car.  I remember one trip I took in up-state New York where my friend's Porsche 914 exhaust system was so rusted out that it literally fell off in the middle of the road while driving it!

     The point that is important to remember here is that holes in your exhaust system can be dangerous.  Although newer cars run very clean compared to older ones, there's still the potential for a leaky exhaust pipe to release harmful emissions into the passenger compartment of the car.  I recommend that you inspect your exhaust system carefully, prior to each winter driving season.  Look for extensive areas of rust, cracks, or holes in any of your exhaust pipes.  If you find any potential problems, take the car to a muffler shop (drive it with the windows open), and have them either patch the pipes, or replace them with new ones.

Fuel System
     You should make sure that you keep your fuel tank as full as possible at all times.  The cold weather increases the condensation of water vapor in the air, and inside your fuel tank.  Keeping the tank full reduces the amount of water that will condense in your tank.  Occasionally add gasoline anti-freeze, or gas dryer to your gas tank in really cold climates.  This will help to reduce the amount of water vapor in the gasoline and also prevent the gas lines from freezing.

Well, that's all for this week, stay tuned for Part II, where I discuss winter driving, snow tires, and the effect of salt on your car's chassis.

Got questions? You can email me at wayne@drivewerks.com or ask a question in our How-To Forums.