MN Car Prep Questions

My daughter is a student at UMinn in Minneapolis and will be bringing her car up from Texas this year. Besides changing the coolant and washer fluid to the Minnesota formulations what else needs to be done to the car to help it get through winter? Will she need winter tires?

Sorry for the dumb questions but we've never lived anywhere with real winters.

Any advice is appreciated. Thanks.

 

I live another 150 miles north of the twin cities and we get a lot more snow than down there. Some here go with snow tires, but I have never done that and a good all season tire usually gets the job done.

One thing that comes in really handy is a block heater. Most cars/trucks sold here come with them. If she has to park in some big parking lot on campus it wont help since there wont be any place to plug it in but if she lives off campus it will be handy when it gets to -20

All our assisted living vans/vehicles carry a basic survival kit, candles, flash light, tow strap, jumper cables, blanket maybe some non perishable food. Sounds kind of overkill, but those things come in real handy when you really need them

 

I live in Green Bay. Have for 40+ years. I equip my wife & daughters with the following:

AAA
Window snow scraper - long handle. (May need to get that up here)
Extra set of heavy gloves & hat that stay in the car
Blanket
Hand warmers (again, may have to buy them here)
Jumper cables (know how to use them too)
Good flashlight (it is dark here alot during the winter)
Cell phone charging cable

A good all season tire is fine for winters in the cities. Both of the Lexus's have Michelins and they work fine.

I drop winter tires n my truck in November for anything that gets out of hand.

It is not too bad in the city. Snow is not the primary concern. Yes, it is a headache, but you just stay in until the plows have cleared the streets.

The cold is what is dangerous. Imagine the car stalled out somewhere and plan for a period to stay warm until the AAA guy shows up.

Winters around these parts are the price you pay to have spectacular spring, summer & fall weather.

 

Is the car a Ferrari? I would not drive it in the winter.

 

Never drive, never, without outerwear suitable for several hours in the anticipated temps. If traveling rural, plan on 12+ hours. Because of what is said above. Because you're her dad.

 

Thanks for all the good feedback and no the car isn't a Ferrari it's a Mazda 3. Any other ideas?

I had thought about a Styrofoam ice chest to put some bottled water in so it might not freeze (to go along with the non-perishable food suggestion above).

 

A Mazda 3 is a pretty ideal car for a U of M student. Fresh fluids, good battery and brakes oughta do it. I hope she has an off-street parking space. Snow emergencies are a regular occurrence in Winter and they will tag and tow every car that gets left on the streets around campus after a snowfall. She doesn't want that misery, trust me.

 

She won the parking lottery at school and has a parking space in a designated lot near her dorm.

 

An auto starter is also a nice accessory as you can warm the car up before heading out into the cold. Never even heard of one until I moved to the Tubdra.

 

Make sure the windshield washer fluid is good to -20F or -30F. If she's just in the city's the formers probably good enough until mid-Winter and maybe all winter.

the bottled water will eventually freeze if the cars being parked outside. The styrofoam cooler will be useful making sure grocerys don't freeze though.

kitty litter and shovel.

 

Don't put water in a car in MN winter.

 

hahaha. It's not THAT bad up here!

I am getting images of the south pole running through my head!

She'll be fine. Just have the safety items I mentioned at hand. As with any situation, a charged cell phone is a valuable tool.