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since its October now in the chicagoland area and its gettinig pretty cold so thats telling me winter is right around the corner so i wanted to know what tips can i use to get my bonne prepared for this ugly winter that is approaching

howdy neighbor

check your coolant
change your oil
check your tire pressures, and tread condition
make sure your heater,blower, defroster are all working fine

i know im forgetting A LOT

i know the rear defroster isnt working and i think i found the problem

Have your battery tested if you dont know how old it is.

Put some blankets, gloves, stocking cap in the trunk

Try to never go below a 1/4 tank of gas.

wake wrote:howdy neighbor

Ditto^
As far as winter is concerned, just make sure to be up on basic maintenance to avoid being stranded somewhere, throw a set of jumper cables in the trunk for good measure, and also a cigarette lighter powered charger for your cell phone couldn't hurt either if you drive a lot...In addition to what your other neighbors said above...
They're saying this winter's gunna be a bad one, but it's Chicago...we can take it...

Look at the Portal in about a day, the "Fall" tips should be up by then...

From willwren:

EDIT: Sorry Ed, I had seen it somewhere and being my typical self couldn't find it again. Bill was kind enough to send it to me and just took it for granted, well you know how that goes - lol. I'm sure there are lots of other things I have missed too. These lists like this I have no doubt take a lot of time and thought to put together - BC


Old Man Winter is approaching!!!
For most of us, winter comes way too early and lasts way too long. Here are a few simple tips to keep you and your car safe this winter.

1.) Check your cooling system. A simple float gauge will tell you whether your coolant will be able to handle extreme cold this winter, as well as allow you to be able to inspect for particulates and the color.

2.) Give your tires a good inspection, and check the pressure! Good tires are a must once the snow starts flying, as they’re the only things keeping you on the road and out of the ditch. If they have less than 2/32nd of an inch, replace them before you end up stranded. If you have snow tires, they should be installed once the daily high is below 45°F. No matter what tires you have, checking the pressure every 2 weeks, especially as the temperature drops will help keep optimal fuel mileage, handling and safety.

3.) Inspect the car’s electrical system. Nothing is worse than having a car that won’t start on the coldest day of the year. Clean any corrosion from the battery cable ends and the battery terminals, and inspect all grounding points. Also check the date on the battery and the warranty. If the battery is older than 6 years, it might time to replace it.

4.) Stock your car up now. Having a snow-brush/ice scraper, jumper cables, hat, gloves, collapsible shovel, reflective triangles, a basic first aid kit and a basic tool kit in your car now will allow you to get through most winter situations safely.

5.) Make sure your hazards, headlights and taillights work. Being able to see and be seen by others is extremely important in poor weather. Polishing hazy headlights and replacing dim bulbs can greatly reduce the chance of an accident by making sure you’re visible, and you can see others.
How to Replace Bulbs
Polishing Headlights

6.) Keep your glass clean. Making sure you scrape all snow and ice off, don’t force your wipers to clean it off. Doing so can damage wiper blades, motors and linkages. Keeping de-icer fluid in the reservoir, good clean wipers and a clean, Rain-X’d windshield will make sure you can see as well as possible in inclement conditions.

7.) Keep your car clean. A good wash and wax will help protect your paint now, and continual washes throughout the winter (never wash a car below 20°F ambient temp, however) will help keep rust at bay, and your car looking great for years to come.

The time to make sure your car is running great is now, not when it’s -15° and snowing. Any other questions will be more than welcome in the proper section on the forum. Thanks for reading!

FWIW, I wrote that one last winter, LOL. The one going up is very similar.

Looks like they got the mechanics covered, as a detailer... wash, claybar, and wax, and I swear by winter wiper blades... I also like to clean up my carpet before the snow flies, and I also swear by rubber mats lol.

If you plan to keep your car long term, consider oil spray rustproofing. Find someone local to you who does something similar to this Canadian chain:

http://www.krown.com/#process/

When it comes to older cars rolling around in the salt belt, you can always tell which cars were rustproofed and which cars weren't. It makes your car an oily mess for a few weeks, but the long term gains are more than worth it. My GXP was never oil sprayed until I got it. I did it the first week I got the car.

thanks guys seems like u covered everything i need and it doesnt sound so costly. Im going to install me some new rotors in the back i think i need some not sure. But the only thing thats getting to me is that rear defroster. When i hit the switch i hear a click on the right side of the car where the fuse go. So im going to replace and see if that does it. If it dont idk what im going to do!!!

Winter tires would definitely seem like a good idea in your area if you don't have them already.

Definitely check tread depth.

my supercharger is makeing alot of noise lately.. looking to replace it or rebuild. an advise or a point in the right direction to get good parts would help alot.

trafics76 wrote:my supercharger is makeing alot of noise lately.. looking to replace it or rebuild. an advise or a point in the right direction to get good parts would help alot.

This is way off topic. Please post a NEW topic in the Forced Induction section of the Forum.