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Winter is coming!

Discussion in 'Tips and Tricks' started by bannock, Oct 23, 2012.

  1. bannock

    bannock Member

    Well its getting close to that fun time of year called winter! What are the things you do to get your mini ready for it?
    Last year i had very little problems, minus the week or 2 that it got realllly cold, but id like to make sure she'll start every day.
     
  2. Daner

    Daner Member

    Well I would start by finding a "slave" to pump the gas pedal every morning.;) Then add a block or oil pan heater. Also make sure the battery is up to snuff and the antifreeze is still good.
     
  3. serge

    serge Member

    in line antifreeze heater wire helps, also a cardboard to put in fromt of the rediator on those very cold days when hwy driving will help
     
  4. rst277

    rst277 Member

    Hey fellow Winnipegger! I installed a Polar Pad on the oil pan. You can get them at Canadian Tire and they rock! I purchased the 125 watt size and it heats up the truck in an hour. I always put cardboard in front of the rad on all my vehicles. Be sure to check antifreeze strength. Fall is a good time to flush the rad and refill, as well as check battery output and electrical connections. With the stock tiny battery I used an electric battery blanket also. Yesterday I moved the windshield washer fluid line to contact the heater hose in an effort to heat the fluid - works pretty well! Lastly, keep the tank filled and add gasline antifreeze. My truck froze up on Monday at the corner store! Keep warm - Ralph.
     
  5. Jim Nelson

    Jim Nelson Active Member

    I fixed that in 1986..I moved from Colorado to Southern California.Now instead of being knee deep in snow I'm neck deep in government stupidity.
     
    Terry270 and Sickboy774 like this.
  6. TamiPaulus

    TamiPaulus Member

    This is the common issue for trucks in winter, but I do not face this problem every day, sometime it hurts a lot and I keep trying and suddenly she starts. I do not think there is much we can do for this. I have tried many things, but all are waste.
     
  7. El Ventu

    El Ventu Member

    My 993cc injected Hijet (Piaggio Porter) starts without problems even with -15°C temperatures, without any heater.

    Four snow tires and go.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  8. Deanclean

    Deanclean Member

    This is more of a maintenance thing, but I get mine oil sprayed before winter.
     
  9. muddy moose

    muddy moose Member

    Be very careful using an oil pan heater and battery blanket. I've made a lot of money due to the use of both of those items. They work great don't get me wrong. They just have to be monitored when plugged in. I've seen battery blankets boil batteries as well as oil pan heaters boil the oil in the pan. The oil pan heater is the worst by far. It can cause all sorts of internal engine problems over the course of time. I have an in line heater that goes in the lower radiator hose. I plug it in for 15 minutes at 40 below and have heat before starting the engine. I've scrapped too much nasty gunk out of oil pans to use a heater on mine. I also use a COLDER thermostat in winter. Makes it easier for the engine to maintain the temp. Also be careful using HEAT in your fuel. Their is a yellow bottle as well as a red bottle. Not sure which one to use in the mini trucks. I personally use LUCAS fuel additive. That's the only additive I use. But I put it in the engine, fuel, tranny, t case, and diff's. They make good stuff. Hope I had usable info for ya
     
  10. Wedge

    Wedge Member

    Good old cardboard in front of rad, inline rad heater and cab heater unit, thinner oil. If you use a bloc or pan heater on your mini put it on a timer 1hrs or 2 before you leave or on a switch like those for remote christmas lights thing and when you need to leave clic on it while you prepare to leave and remove the snow from the truck it can give you 30 to 45 min of heating wich for a pan heater is enough.

    my 2 cents.
     
  11. muddy moose

    muddy moose Member

    Another thought is to add a toggle switch to the electric fan. Serves dual purpose. Helps keep her warm in winter as well as when crossing water you can be sure the fan won't come on. I don't know where you are or how cold it gets there but last winter when we hit negative 50 I disabled my electric fan on our Durango. The heater fan blew enough to keep the engine from getting too Hot and allowed us to get warm. I've since added a toggle switch.
     
  12. Daner

    Daner Member

    I have added a switch as well because the heat sensor that controls it normally crapped out lol. It does help when it's cold.
     
  13. muddy moose

    muddy moose Member

    Another thing I do to my rigs up here........when I install the block heaters or in line heaters I add a metal junction box. The square box that you mount in the wall in a building or house that you wire your plug ins to. Any way.......I mount one under the hood and plug the heaters into it. Then I make a cord that runs from it into the cab of my vehicle. Also a cord out the front of the rig so I can plug the extension cord into it. The cord in the cab is for a small heater like you would use under a desk. 4x4x6 inches or so. Make sure it has a thermostat and not just on and off or hi and low. Then I set the thermostat in the middle and run the heater in the hi setting. This way when I plug in the truck........the inside is warmed up by the small heater as well as the engine. My wife lobes hers!!! No scraping ice. No running the rig for an hour to get the seats warm. Plug it in and its all good!!! I'm working on finding a block heater that fits the 660. The freeze plug heaters are best. Can plug it in and let it run all day and night if ya want. Just have to remove a freeze plug to put it in. I'll try to get pics loaded in the next day or so of how my junction box and extension cords are set up. I've installed about 500 of them up here in my shop for customers
     
  14. mwood

    mwood New Member

    Hi Mr Muddy Moose.
    Hows that truck project coming along. Go any pics

    Mike
    Palmer, Ak.
     
  15. muddy moose

    muddy moose Member

    Yes sir!! Got a couple albums going. I think I need ya to email me again. Yahoo lost all my contacts when they updated. I'll be posting a couple pics in this thread soon as I van get em to load again hahaha. How was your trip?
     
  16. EddieJoe

    EddieJoe New Member

    I always consider it difficult to drive in winter season because i love summer and driving in winter is quite difficult for me and even for many people. Even 4 wheeler drive is also a tough one for me in snow.
     
    Last edited: Apr 23, 2015
  17. Ryan M. Stacks

    Ryan M. Stacks New Member

    Hi.. i start to look up a man who always on my geazer ...
     

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