I'd like some tips from people who live in cold states about how to keep my Fit healthy. I'm moving from Texas to Wyoming (Cheyenne) this month (September). Other than oil, I'm not really sure what I can do to get my car "winter ready".

The other thing is my car needs a new battery. I was thinking of just replacing it myself, but I wondered if there was anything specific I needed to do? (Do I need to reset any computer settings or something?) I was thinking of getting the Duralast Gold (151R-DLG) or Super Start Premium (151R72) battery since those are what I can find at the local parts places.

(My Fit is a 2009 Sport + Navi model)

 

No issues with replacing the battery as far as I know. Usually you can lose radio settings, and clock settings...but that should be it. Go buy a 1 gallon Honda coolant container...drain and use the new coolant. One gallon will do the job. Put a good coat of Armor-All on the door seals...to prevent them from sticking during the winter.

 

The new battery is money well spent before winter. Other things to look at:

• Tires—get decent all-seasons if you aren't going to buy snow tires. Snow tires make a big difference, though, so give that some thought. They're probably easier to get in Wyoming than Texas.
• Windshield washer fluid—there's fluid that's good to 32°, and there's fluid that's good to -20°. You'll want to use the sub-freezing kind, and you'll want to have the warm-weather kind as used up from your system as possible before refilling.
• A decent waxing before snow hits is a good idea, to help protect from road salt (and it's pretty hard to wax well during the winter)
• The usual odds and ends, like light bulbs, heater operation, rear window defogger operation, etc.
• Accessories like an ice scraper, snow brush, little shovel, floor mats, jumper cables, flashlight, etc.; they will probably be more readily available after you move.

 

see if you can cram a 51R battery in there instead of a 151R. It WILL go in a 2008--not sure about the 2009 and up (there are some threads on here specifically about that battery). the 51R will give you more CCAs. the 51R i got from advance auto puts out 500 cca--if i remember, the 151R is rated at 325 cca.

Also--when it does snow in Cheyenne, stay off I-25 if the wind is blowing (and it is ALWAYS blowing!)

 

Thanks for the suggestions guys! I'll try to do them all before the end of the week, Cheyenne is suppose to get snow fall over the weekend. (The joys of moving between a hot and a cold place, I only have half the winter gear I need to survive, lol!)

 

I suggest changing all fluids as well.

 

In addition to the car, don't forget a warm blanket, a fully charged cell phone and perhaps some flares should you get stranded. But we all know the Fit would never do that to us.

 

Possibly some sand in a sealed bucket of some kind just enough to get you out of a "stuck on ice" situation.

 

I had a little Chevy prism in Chicago for two years. It ran just fine with a few liquid adjustments like those listed above.

If you live in an urban area then you don't have to worry much about snow as things will usually be plowed - or there won't be too much on the road.

You will have to learn to deal with driving on ice and salt slush. The slush on the windshield while driving can be a pill. Someone mentioned the low temp washer fluid above- its mainly what they sell at that time of year in cold areas anyway.

*keep an extra gallon of fluid in the back of the car! It runs out quickly and I have had to pull over to out more in. Plus, it's good to keep a little weight in the back.

The salt on he bottom of your shoes can be a pain on the floor carpet so get some good mats with deep grooves for the melting snow off your shoe. Kick the door entry a bit when you put each foot in to get some off first.

 

In Winterpeg, Manitoba we get down to -30/40 degrees in winter.
I switch from summer bug windshield washer fluid to winter rated -40C
in the fall.

Last week my rear washer froze up but no alert to tank being empty.

I now find out that summer and winter washer fluid DO NOT mix.

I filled a clear plastic bottle with 3 diff. brands of washer fluid and they
all separated into diff levels, one on top of the other.
Even after shaking they returned to separate levels.

When I added winter fluid this fall it sank to the bottom and was used up first.
That left the pink summer fluid above it and that was what froze
last week.

Solution; Use winter fluid all year long!