To continue with the Winter Vehicles Tips series I will share some more tips I have gathered about the actually driving your vehicle in Yellowknife’s winter conditions.
- Warming up: Once your vehicle has been plugged in for the suggested amount of time from the last set of tips, you should let your vehicle idol for at least a couple minutes. There has been controversy about how long a vehicle needs to idle, but setting aside personal opinions and whether or not it is warm inside your vehicle, it is probably a good idea to let it idle for 5 minutes. Why, because all the liquids need a chance to warm up and get moved around inside the engine to properly do their jobs. Think of it this way, if you start your vehicle and then scrape all your windows, by the time you are done your vehicle should be good to go.
- Tire Wear: With all-season tires, ensure the tread will still give traction on slippery roads, and having studs on all four tires is also excellent for traction. If not, then snow tires become your best choice. For front wheel drive vehicles, your ’snows’ should be on the front. And always store your ’summer’ tires on their sides as opposed to on their tread, which can cause flat spots and cause them to become unbalanced. Letting a slight bit of air out of your tires can help with traction, but can be a pain when your tire are frozen from sitting all night.
- Winter Front: Having a winter front is a good idea for not only your vehicle, but for your benefit as well. Having one on your vehicle can speed up with time your heater will blow warm air.
- Twist your Wheel: A good tip I learned from a a car dealership is about loosening up your power steering. By turning your steering wheel lightly from side to side before you start driving can help loosen the fluid and get it moving for when you are driving. The prevent those pesky blown lines.
- Driving the Street: In Yellowknife the hard packed snow on the roads can be as slippery as ice at -30. It is a good idea to keep a little more distance from the vehicle in front of you and begin starting to stop sooner. Remember braking distance is increasingly further. Make sure to be more cautious of your surrounding.
Many tips and tricks can be formed for safe driving and as they are complied we may do a part 3 of this series. If you have any of your own remember to share them.
Always keep a set of several candles inside your car when driving during the winter… if you have an accident while driving (especially between NWT communities) burining one at a time will keep you from freezing to death.
HI. Thanks for the winter tips. Really helpful.