Newbie to RWD and Ice/Snow, any suggestions??

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by flyboy

@Guru just the sound of the name makes you want to get them, Hakkapeliitta means light cavalry men. I guess it will be the Nokians.

Didn't knew studs were not allowed in Canada! Thanks for all the advise though guys. I hope I can find the steelies, but it shouldn't be a problem 1 out of every 2 cars is a Subaru in Anchorage!!

They are allowed in most of the north but not the southern parts. Ontario is pretty much split in half with the northern section allowing them and the southern part banning them.

[flyboy]

@Guru cool pic

@Overdrive you mean like the Deltran Battery Tender right

[humfrz]

Originally Posted by Overdrive

Not talking from a personal experience there, just something I know can happen, and according to the OP he deals with much lower temps on the regular than I do, and below freezing at that. Why take a chance? Plug it in when you park it on that last day of driving, and never worry about the car being dead.

Well, I agree that in Anchorage, if a vehicle is not being run for a while, it would be advisable to hook it up to a battery tender, especially if it is a weak (low on charge) battery.

However, just for the OP's information, the lowest recorded temperature in Anchorage was -42 degrees F. It's my understanding that a fully charged, lead acid battery, won't freeze unless the temperature gets below -76 degrees F.

My brother has lived in Anchorage for the past 20 years an never has hooked up any of his vehicles to a battery tender.

DANG! This 2 hour late start school day is giving me waaaaay too much free time .....


humfrz

[arrow34]

Bad snow cleanup early this morning in Michigan. Got to really test out how well my FRS handled in higher snow with older winter tires... I slipped and slid a fair amount. But only used the snow setting in my sub, otherwise just regular AT. Creeped to work at 30mph... just have to be careful.

[Overdrive]

Originally Posted by flyboy

@Overdrive you mean like the Deltran Battery Tender right

Yep, I mean exactly something like that.

[Overdrive]

Originally Posted by humfrz

Well, I agree that in Anchorage, if a vehicle is not being run for a while, it would be advisable to hook it up to a battery tender, especially if it is a weak (low on charge) battery.

However, just for the OP's information, the lowest recorded temperature in Anchorage was -42 degrees F. It's my understanding that a fully charged, lead acid battery, won't freeze unless the temperature gets below -76 degrees F.

My brother has lived in Anchorage for the past 20 years an never has hooked up any of his vehicles to a battery tender.

DANG! This 2 hour late start school day is giving me waaaaay too much free time .....


humfrz

Key thing here being a fully charged battery. I'd imagine that situation changes if the battery is allowed to die from sitting. Not trying to put unnecessary scares on anyone, just figure why tempt fate when you live in a particularly cold place? Just plug 'er in while she's in the garage for the part(s) of the month it's not being driven, and the battery's guaranteed fresh next time you go to drive it.

[Razgriz]

I live in Anchorage too. I daily my FRS and haven't had any problems with it at all in the snow/ice. Traction control does seem to come on a lot and it is jarring. I driven with it off and it's fine too. But with such conditions the main thing is just to be careful, slow down when needed and not drive stupidly. I swear every other day on my drive to/from work I was seeing a car in the center divide or on the side of the road while I was just cruising along.

I know there are a bunch of other guys who daily their 86s in the winter too cause I see them here and there and talked with a couple of them after seeing each other. Anyways I use the Hakka 8 studded tires on my car since Blizzaks weren't that much cheaper while the Nokians seem to be highly regarded.

[humfrz]

Originally Posted by Overdrive

Key thing here being a fully charged battery. I'd imagine that situation changes if the battery is allowed to die from sitting. Not trying to put unnecessary scares on anyone, just figure why tempt fate when you live in a particularly cold place? Just plug 'er in while she's in the garage for the part(s) of the month it's not being driven, and the battery's guaranteed fresh next time you go to drive it.

Well, all I know is that I lived on a farm in Ohio for 18 years and we never used a battery tender on any of our vehicles. I lived in Columbus, OH, where my car sat outside, for 5 years and never hooked up the battery.

As a battalion motor officer (an additional duty) for a mechanized infantry battalion in Germany for 2 years, never hooked any of the 100+ vehicles to a tender.

Do you know ( @Tcoat knows), how strong a battery it takes to turn over a M-60 tank engine, when it's 0 degree F outside ..... ?? And where would we have plugged in the battery tender ..... ??

I lived in CT and MO for 14 years ..... no battery tender needed.

Maybe they just don't make-em (batteries) like they used to .....

However, a battery tender sure won't hurt anything ......


humfrz

[Overdrive]

http://www.6speedonline.com/forums/9...tely-dead.html

This is why I bother. No, it's not a concern across all cars, obviously, just a very poor engineering decision on the part of Porsche (and even worse in the mid to late 90s (my vehicle's era) because those did not have a positive post in the fuse box), so if the battery goes completely dead and you don't have something like the lighter adapter on a battery maintainer to backfeed some power into the car, you're not getting at your battery to jump start it, much less replace it if it's toast. Until owning that car, never had to deal with batteries dying in the winter or any other time of year, either, other than when they've just finally had it and croak naturally. Now I just don't take a chance with letting any of my vehicles sit for long periods of time without getting some charging attention, especially that one. Some caution really can't hurt anything but your electric bill, maybe.

[flyboy]

Originally Posted by humfrz

Well, all I know is that I lived on a farm in Ohio for 18 years and we never used a battery tender on any of our vehicles. I lived in Columbus, OH, where my car sat outside, for 5 years and never hooked up the battery.

As a battalion motor officer (an additional duty) for a mechanized infantry battalion in Germany for 2 years, never hooked any of the 100+ vehicles to a tender.

Do you know ( @Tcoat knows), how strong a battery it takes to turn over a M-60 tank engine, when it's 0 degree F outside ..... ?? And where would we have plugged in the battery tender ..... ??

I lived in CT and MO for 14 years ..... no battery tender needed.

Maybe they just don't make-em (batteries) like they used to .....

However, a battery tender sure won't hurt anything ......


humfrz

I agree with all that, but that is when you use the vehicle on a regular basis correct. The main concern is when you don't use the vehicle for 2-4 weeks straight and then drive for couple of days and then don't use it again for 2-4 weeks. That would put a strain on the battery wouldn't it.

[flyboy]

@Razgriz are you using the stock wheels? or using 16 inch steel wheels? One more thumbs up for the Hakkas! Thanks for the advise. I am new to Anchorage, so local info would be helpful.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by flyboy

I agree with all that, but that is when you use the vehicle on a regular basis correct. The main concern is when you don't use the vehicle for 2-4 weeks straight and then drive for couple of days and then don't use it again for 2-4 weeks. That would put a strain on the battery wouldn't it.

In that case I change my statement and agree to a tender. You are almost guaranteed to have a dead battery if leaving these cars sitting for a month at a time in the cold. They seem to have a lot of parasitic draw when sitting that drains the battery faster than many other vehicles. As Over said make sure you get a proper tender not a charger. They serve two different purposes.

[flyboy]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

In that case I change my statement and agree to a tender. You are almost guaranteed to have a dead battery if leaving these cars sitting for a month at a time in the cold. They seem to have a lot of parasitic draw when sitting that drains the battery faster than many other vehicles. As Over said made sure you get a proper tender not a charger. They serve two different purposes.

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[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by flyboy

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