Winterizing

[ecw40]

I am trying to relocate back North, getting out of Florida. I think my car is built for the northern climate as I have traction control and heated seats. I have a 1.8 liter turbo 2000 Passat Wagon that has been chipped. My question is what do you recommend I do for winterizing the car?
I have applied to jobs in Minnesota, North Dakota, Massachusetts, NH, Maine, and RI. So far I have come up with 3 ideas: Full blown coolant flush and refill. Get BF Goodrich Traction TA, H Rated, radials and get the highest cca battery I can put in. Any other ideas? By the way, will I lose my chipping if the battery is changed on my car? Do I have to go to the dealership for a new battery or can I get it anyplace? What brand-any preference? I appreciate your comments and thoughts. Florida is a lot different then being up North-especially places like Minnesota or North Dakota. Thank you for your time and interest.

Elliot

 

[scottramsey]

The 1.8T is fine in the cold, you'll love how strong the turbo is on a cold day!

I run 0W-40 mobil-1, have had no problems with starts even at -25 to -30 F (yes it gets that cold in MA). A fresh battery is a good idea, I don't think you need to go to the dealer for one.

I suggest getting snow-specific tires vs. all-seasons, I found a "practically free" set of 15" steel rims online and mounted up a set with used OEM hub-caps...I can just swap them out in the garage myself, and it keeps the salt off of the alloys.

Otherwise, as far as "winterizing" I just get a couple of heavy coats of wax on the car, install cheap floor mats, and pump out my summer washer fluid and replace with a low temp/ice-melt blend.

The 4-motion is alot of fun in the snow espcecially in 5-speed manual form And the FWD Passats go pretty good as well, especially with snow tires fitted.

 

[ecw40]

Hi scott. Thank you for your comments. I wonder how Amsoil matches up against your mobil oil. I dont do anything that supports Exxon. The environmentalist in me wont let me. Well time will tell where I wind up. At this point I dont care as long as it is not in Florida. Happy motoring and try to keep the speeding tickets down.

Elliot

 

[Turbo Bora]

Elliot,

Amsoil is perfect for your car as it has an extended drain interval of 25,000 miles (Less used oil being discarded into the envioronment).

The 5W-40 European Car Formula meets the VW specs of 502.00, 505.00, and 503.01 for your car perfectly. You can order with me if you wish as I am also a T-1 Certified Amsoil Dealer, or you can go to www.amsoil.com and sign up to be a dealer yourself for $30.00 per year. You can contact me using the information below.

 

[ecw40]

Thank you for the information. I dont have a place where I can do my own oil changes but when I do I will keep you in mind. 25000 miles?! My german mechanic says every 6 thousand miles. Is that too low? Last thing I need is a blown turbo. I had one already which cost me dearly. Can't afford another hit like that. I am happy to say my mileage is coming up after running two cans of injector cleaner through the motor. I figured Amsoil would be perfect for the northern climate such as MA, MN, ND etc. Thank you for your time and interest on my behalf. I will keep you in mind when I do my next oil change which is in about 3k if I hold to the 6000 mile oil change intervals. Elliot