cold weather tuning

[mk2jakethesnake]

hey guys, i'm getting ready for a move to chicago, and i'm taking my mk3 vr with me. not a lot done to it, mostly stock minus intake, exhaust, 70c thermo, and suspension. so my question is this: besides the thermostat obviously, what else should i do to her to get ready for the freeze? and i'm talking oil, trans fluid, anything that might be different than what i'm running now which is 5w30 full synthetic and i just changed the tranny fluid(during a tranny replacement) with the stock 75w90(i think). i might sound like an idiot for even asking this stuff, but hey, better safe than sorry. thanks in advance

[IfYouSeeKay]

bump.

[mk2jakethesnake]

bump.
thanks bump

[mike]

Well, I would just do a full service and swap out everything for synthetic in the motor and trans, and get rid of that junk T-stat, cold motors wear worse, make sure your coolant mixture is right, and don't forget the washer fluid, lube your door seals and lock cylinder too. Owners manual has a lot of good stuff in it. Don't want to jinx you, how is your heater core?

[mk2jakethesnake]

i think the heater core is good, never had a problem with the heat. someone also told me today that the coolant mixture is different. right now it's 50/50, is it different? i guess i should've looked in the bentley too, i'll check that out tonight

[Bierbau]

You will be needing some of this.
http://us.st12.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/rodi_2003_19394600

I would also recommend changing your winshield washer fluid to the kind that doesn't freeze. You will need plenty of windshield washer fluid too, I recommend keeping an extra bottle in the trunk.

Cold weather is also hard on batteries, so make sure your battery is good.

[mario]

(I live in Michigan, formerly Irvine)

you will be fine. you won't need to do anything. a set of M+S rated all-season tires will help you. aside from that, have fun in chicago.

[mk2jakethesnake]

yeah, i'm looking forward to freezing my balls off. hopefully i can find some dubbers out there to hang with. it seems my car and me have an unspoken bond that requires me to work on her at least once or twice a month. it makes it a little funner when there's someone else there

[mario]

yeah, i'm looking forward to freezing my balls off. hopefully i can find some dubbers out there to hang with. it seems my car and me have an unspoken bond that requires me to work on her at least once or twice a month. it makes it a little funner when there's someone else there

it's not that bad. people make too much of it. it's cold, yes. but it's not that bad. especially in the cities.