I Need Your Advice

I am not an expert, but snow chains and good tires are a must. My Dad said sometimes they had to use a snow mobile because the roads were bad.

i absolutely loved my remote starter.. make sure you get a check up and get your car winterized.. good luck!

Park the car and take a cab...lol. That comes from someone who has no idea since I live in Sunny Florida. Not much help huh. Although I am considering moving up North somewhere to get away from all of this junk down here. Good luck on your venture to find out.

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make sure you have antifreeze in your radiator and not just water.

sorry cant help you out! i live in SC, no snow here!

WE have some really cold winters here in Mich. winter wiper blades, new antifreeze. I keep an emergency bag in my van(jumper cables, a smaller blanket, flash light, a hoodie a piece for the boys, and a small bottle of water)

I don't think I would be much help, I'm in Georgia, when it snows here everything comes to a complete stop till it melts.

I lived in the Cheboygan for a year. It's gonna suck. The snow is beautiful at first but then gets gray and ugly and stays forever. Get chains and lots of people buy those plugin car warmers. Good Luck! Oh I'm new and collecting friends can i get an ad?

I live in NH and the winters here can be harsh. My friends love their remote car starters...I am jealous and want one! Some of my friends put "snow tires" on their cars if they don't have 4 wheel drive vehicles.

From Nebraska-
Change oil, snow tires, chains, antifreeze.
Keep a blanket, flashlight, some snaking food.
Maybe candles and matches.
Depends on how far you have to go in the
country where you aren't close to help.
Keep your cell phone charged.
Drive carefully and you won't have any
problems.

Chains aren't legal in Michigan, nor are they necessary, unless you are in the upper peninsula. Nichole has the right idea. You need a heavy duty snow brush/ice scraper too. If you have a remote starter they are nice.

Some places offer winterizing packages. Remote starters are awesome.

I work at UPS and some of the guys use remote starters to get their personal vehicles warmed up after being in a parking lot for 9-11 hours during our Wisconsin winters. They seem to really like them. A nice warm car/truck to get into at the end of a hard day.

I don't personally have one...my car has been very reliable at starting and warming up. I'm able to just go out and start it up, turn up the defrost full blast and run back inside for 5 minutes. I live less than 10 minutes away from my work...so that plays into this whole issue, too. I've heard that the vehicle doesn't need to run that long (but it's sure nice to have it warm in there!). And visibiltiy is EVERYTHING.

I'm a huge believer in spraying that ice melting stuff on the windshield so I suggest that you keep a can of that in your vehicle. It's especially helpful when you get that freezing rain type stuff on the windshield and it's too thick and bumpy to scrape. Snow is easy to remove...just have one of those long reaching brushes.

I often had trouble with one side of my car being so frozen that I couldn't open the door or get my key in the lock...so I'd get in on the other side and grab my can of de-icer to help in those situations.

Sometimes a credit card works just as good as a fancy snow scraper....for when the INSIDE of the windows get frosted up especially. Also, I like the de-icing windshield wiper fluid and to replace my blades with a heavy duty set...pretty low cost.

Take your car in for a pre-winter tune-up...the mechanics can fill you in on other cold weather pointers!

antifreeze in the radiator, good tires, keep gas tank fuel so it doesn't freeze

As an escapee from Western NY I know what we had to do yrs ago. Get some graphite for your car door locks if the car stays outside. We kept blocks or sandbags in the trunk for traction, extra jackets, gloves, carpet scraps and some rocksalt ..........in case we got stuck, A garage is a BIG plus but back in the days before remote starters .....we ran an electric blanket on an extention cord and laid it over the engine compartment. Anti icing solution is a MUST for windshield and if you don't have a rear window defroster. Decent tires and chains if ya drive on hills.
Memories are still fresh after 30 years away from those winter woes altho the awful rain here is almost as hard to drive in!

Donna's right. Make sure your battery is in top shape. Also, find an appropriate place to practice so that when the snow falls, you can try stopping, turning with and without using the brakes, accelerating and see how your car behaves. If your car has antilock brakes, try stopping by holding the brake pedal down. Many people who were accustomed to pre-antilock brakes, would pump their brakes and wonder why they couldn't stop. When in doubt, slow down. I would also recommend a good set of jumper cables but be certain you know what you're doing before using them!

Remote starters freak me out a little.
As long as you are getting an oil change you should get a winter tune up. Have them top off your anti freeze and have them check to make sure it's winer worthy. Also, if you think you need a new battery, get one now.
Welcome to Michigan!

The practice part is especially important if you're driving a rear wheel drive vehicle.

Also, if you are living in MI I would suggest getting some of the deer whistlers, they really do work.

Good point John, I hate rear wheel drive in the snow! Yikes! My little front wheel drive car does so much better than my rear wheel drive truck ever did in the snow.

I love my remote starter. It can start the defrosters and warm the car before you go out the scrape the snow and ice. I have very extreme Reynaud's syndrome, so my hands get cold and numb quickly. The remote starter is fairly simple to install, but also not very expensive to have installed.

Other things you'll need are a scraper and brush for ice and snow, a bag of sand or kitty litter for traction on ice, DEFINITELY ANTIFREEZE, a collapsible shovel is helpful, a blanket, and a flashlight is always a good idea.
Chains and studded snow tires are illegal in Michigan, but regular snow tires are a good idea. Change your wiper blades and fill the washer fluid. Keep the gallon jug in your trunk for refilling.

Give yourself extra time to clear the snow off the car and be sure to clear every bit, including the lights and license plate, or you may get a ticket. Drive carefully and if it's icy, stay home or take a bus.

Donna C...what's with the "snaking food"? ha ha...Nebraska must have some pretty scary winters if you have to worry about keeping the car snakes fed...just kidding ya. Isn't that Florida....huge pythons often found under the hoods...yikes.

Not sure, but I would make sure you have snow tires or at least all season tires. Good wiper blades and windshield wiper fluid that is formulated for cold weather. I don't have a remote starter, but those I know with them, think they are great.

You've gotten some good advise above. Good luck.

no idea...something I won't ever afford

sorry i'm clueless

Regina mentions wiper blades. I really like winter blades. Some types of snow can foul the blade so you have to stop frequently and bang the ice off in order for them to work. The winter blades are shielded so this is less of a problem. Of course you carry a good flashlight year around but it's especially important in winter because more of the 24 hour day is in the dark in winter.

I have also been told to carry snow shovel, kitty litter or sand for traction, and a large piece of cardboard. That was my mother's suggestion to avoid being stuck in a snow bank.

The blanket, flashlight, food, cell phone, and road hazard kit are good ideas for any time. I am sure you will do fine.

make sure the radiator has antifreeze

Notes from Toronto, just across the border: though I was born here, I came up from Arkansas a few years ago so I'm still getting used to winters again.
I am about to take my car in to "Canadian Tire" for a winter tune-up. I bought two snow tires last year and plan on getting the other two this year (especially if you're not used to driving in icy conditions, they can save your life). In the city I've never had to use ice or sand, but it's a good idea if you're going in more rural areas. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE AN ICE SCRAPER!!! Sounds silly, but last year I forgot until I had to chip off the snow (though we've already had frost.) I do not use a remote starter; as far as I can tell they are just a waste of gas and contribute to greenhouse gases.

Go to Les Schwab and buy some cables. If you don't use them, you can take them back for a return! They have no problem with it.

Put a bag of rock salt in your trunk. If you stuch, it will assist melting and providing traction. As it melts, pockets form to hellp with friction.

Get AAA.

he he...stuch should have been...get stuck :)

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Best advice: get a job.

Make sure you have plenty of antifreeze!!!!

I carry two waterproof 25 lb. bags of salt and place them in the trunk over the rear wheels. You need to keep the salt dry until you need it. Then spread it in front and behind all four tires when you need extra traction. Once you get wherever you are going get rid of the open bag of salt because if it gets wet it will eat through the trunk.

I suppose moving south for the winter is out of the question here.

Sorry I dont do cold well so ....

I want one,, yet been told any warenty you may have if install starter, then all of the warrenty will nulled

Michigan???
well ... I haven't spent a winter in Michigan, but I have lived all my life in the mountains - Rockies and Sierras. Here's what I recommend for cold snowy climates:
go one lighter weight on your engine oil for the winter
go 50/50 mix on anti-freeze in the radiator
use winter mix wiper fluid that has an anti-freeze additive
put in a block heater
buy a good snow brush/ice scraper
buy snow tires
keep a bag of kitty litter in the trunk to spread around tires if you need a little extra traction to get out of an icy spot
buy a set of chains
buy jumper cables
keep a stash of energy bars
keep a sleeping bag or "Space Blanket" in the trunk

oh yeah, I'd pass on the remote starter, buy a good warm jacket and just let your car idle for 1-2 minutes to get all the juices flowing before taking off. It will warm up just fine while you're brushing off the snow and scraping the windows.

I just moved to Alaska after 27 years in MI. You really don't need to do all that much. Change the oil, antifreeze it, get a heavy duty snow brush and emergency kit, remote start is nice but not needed. Just make sure you start the car about 5-10 mins early and let it warm. I never had chains, studs, remote starter, plugins anything like that in MI. I also usually drove with all weather tires although if you can I would put snow tires on it. They do help a lil. Also make sure you park your car the right way when you park. I lived in a house with a hill and the worst mistake people made was how they pulled in our driveway. If you have front wheel drive pull in so your front wheels are pushing not pulling your car. back wheel drive do the same back wheels should push not pull. Also giving it more gas on ice and snow won't help to get you anywhere faster. Slow and steady amount of gas works better. I know that last couple of things sound silly but I know a lot of people who had lived in MI for years and would still get stuck!

The very first thing you should do is go get your battery checked. Quite a few places will do this for free. The cold weather is famous for killing off weakened batteries.

Tire chains are a big no-no in Michigan.

Cell phone- If you don't have one, get one. Even the prepaid kind are great. Just keep it with you for an emergancy. Trust me it sucks getting stuck in snow and having to sit there and wait for someone to happen to drive by and notice you.

Everyone pretty much told you what to do for winter; when you take your car in for a oil change, tell you want to winterize your car. Be ready for new tires! They always want to sell tires. Remote control will be great in the winter. Just drive slow and careful, there is someone out there that loves you and wants you to come home to them.

Ahhhh, Michigan. 9 months of winter and 3 months of road construction. How I miss it! :-D
Seriously - the usual: clean out your car. Put in all your winter stuff: ice scraper, a bottle/jar of rock salt/kitty litter for when you're stuck on the icy patches, possibly a collapsible shovel for getting out of drifts, and some toasty warm gloves (you'll always be stuck in a snowstorm when you forget your gloves! Ask me how I know!)
As for the engine compartment/outside of the car: new wiper blades; flush the radiator and refill with 100% anti-freeze (ethylene glycol), fill the washer reservoir (it melts/dissolves those icy patches on your windshield), change the oil, and make sure your spark plugs and distributor cap are nice and clean. Also clean the points of your battery, and put jumper cables in the back of your car.
30 Minutes of work will save you many hours of frustration in January!

I lived up-state in NY, and always had an ice-scraper and a snow shovel in the car. I also carried a lighter with me to heat the key up if the slot for it was full of ice. Leave for work a half hour earlier than normal, and you might want to pick up a friendly looking hitch-hiker along the way... hey, somebody has to push when you get stuck, LOL.
Oh, and kick out any snow build-up behind the tires in the wheel wells before leaving. Otherwise you may find the wheels don't have enough room to turn right or left by the time you get where you are going... a bit scary when it happens. That and how to make emergency right turns at a red light when the car starts to slide into the intersection, ha ha.
I could go on.... live and learn, good luck... ;-)

LoL.. my words of advice are GOOD LUCK! ;)

A remote starter is a great idea. It gets coooooooooold.

Ice scraper, lock de-icer, warm gloves, and some of that stuff you put in your gas tank so your fuel lines don't freeze.

Connie had a great post on this just this past week, I think. You should look for that.

My husband bought me a remote starter for my car the Christmas after my son was born. I liked the concept, and when leaving the mall or work, it was nice. However, in the mornings I had the diaper bag, a breast pump and my lunch...so I always loaded that up, then still had to go back inside for the baby carrier.

Mine did shut itself off after so long, which often defeated the purpose. It was also much easier to lock the keys in the car with it...I had it happen twice. I also kicked the toggle by my feet (which is installed to shut it off during routine car repairs), and would forget to switch it back on, so there were many times I couldn't even use it!

Just reading this to see how the other half lives. I do keep a blanket and extra antifreeze and oil here for just in case I or anyone else need them. It's good to be prepared.

as a lifetime Michigan resident, I say definitely get the remote starter....just be sure you lock the doors while it's running and have extra keys!

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move to AZ

I'm a 30 year seasoned vet at the whole Michigan Winters thing. I support the move to AZ idea. Michigan winters blow. Get good boots, thick socks, 2 pairs of nice gloves, hat, and scarf, plus a nice winter coat, and use them.

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Good night babe.