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well its my civic's first winter, i've heard i need to take off my aftermarket wheels, change oil, keep the car inside, etc. any one can tell me why i need to do all those stuff? i dont have a garage so my car is parked outside and i dont have oem tires, all i have is my 17s. whats some of the bad things about leaving my aftermarket stuff on and leaving my car outside

 
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Well, keeping it indoors means your car won't suffer the elements nearly as bad, but there isn't enough room in the garage for my car, so mine's outside all winter as well. Second, leaving your 17's on is cool, depending on what they're made of. Chrome doesn't do as well in the winter, or so I've heard. Also, the type of winter is a factor, like if there's a LOT of snow, like where I live, then you'll want decent tires. I've been sliding around the past couple days, just 'cause my Kumho's aren't designed for snow.
I'd say check your fluids, make sure everything's alright like washer fluid, brake fluid, stuff like that. Also, if you have an auto (it might work for a manual as well) the 2nd gear is a huge asset. You can start off without spinning tires, and dropping into second slows the car down really well. Just something I've found really helpful. Anyways hope this helps man ..

Peace

 
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yo it helped alot, can u explain why the chrome wont do well cause i do have the chrome 17s. i'm glad in seattle they dont snow

 
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Chrome hates road salt. Possible they will corrode a bit. Probably depends on how well the coating is though.

 
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bignutter: I see you are in Columbus. I am here and will be here for the winter. I have aftermarket wheels and I won't be able to change them. Will I be alright for the winter or should I be worried? Any Columbus specific advice?

 
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I live in northern jersey and the snow isn't that bad but if you got chrome rims yes that them off, the snow itself won't do the damage but the salt from the salt trunks will do major damage to them. but if there regular aluminum then your cool. I keep my rims on all year round..and i park it out doors too. and my rims are fine

 
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Ok, first - doesn't snow in Seattle? How long have you lived there? It can get pretty nasty man ..

But like he said, the salt they use to melt snow on the roads is terible on chrome, but it'll be alright if you constantly clean them. Montana has some of the worst winters ever, so I'll be taking off my 17's in the next couple weeks. Anyways, good luck man - and drive safe

Peace

 
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i've been livin here for 8 years, i'm not saying it doesn't snow at all but compare to other cities, snow alot less. sometimes its really big but only for short amount of time

 
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Hey I never thought about it, but has anyone gone about getting 17" snow tires for their rims? I'm curious to know how well they handle, and I mean in SERIOUS winter conditions, none o' that California winter crap - no offense guys, but that's not winter.

Thanks in advance ...

 
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im worried about slippin and slidin, right into a curb or somthing - id much rather do it to the stock wheels and not my 17s also be sure you dont have the summer/dry only tires cause youll crash. the other day it snowed (its gone for now tho [des moines IA]) and i was hydroplaning only going like 20, 25-30 on a stright 35.

i also had a question -
i remember someone saying that it isnt so much important that you wait for the factory temp gauge to get up, but its the oil pressure or somthign that you need to watch before you drive off. does anybody know what Im talking about? if so what is it that I need to wait for while warming my car?

 
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well i'm pretty sure with those snow tires for our 17s18s will still slip a bit, and kinda sux if they slide and curb the rims, better put those oem back on if you have them and curb the hub caps

 
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In terms of protecting the paint and stuff, is there anything that is recommended so that the car will still look beautiful next spring/summer? I don't have a garage to park in anymore either, and this is the first winter without one so I don't know what to do with it!

 
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Put several coats of wax on the paint so it protects it from the salt and dirt etc......

Also protect your tires too. You don't want them to turn all brown do you?

BTW yes take off your rims it looks ghetto to see nice rims get ruined in the winter time

 
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I had my Civic for some of the snow last winter. Before that I was driving a Ford V8 RWD (Police)...maybe it was cause I'm so used to RWD, but I swear it handled better in snow than the Civic did.

 
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ok, I'm in college so does it matter that my car probably won't be driven much on the snow and ice? we do get snow and ice here but not as much as other places, do I need to be concerned? my car probably will spend most of its time sitting outdoors, and then its on the highway usually about once every week to every two weeks

 
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Best advice...let the car warm up a bit before revving it up.

 
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Are you sure about this? To my farthest knowledge RWD vehicles handle worse in the snow, because they have little control on the direction of the vehicle. If you read the IS300 forum (the IS is RWD), too many owners complain about it's snow handling. My close friend who owns an IS would slip around in snow if even going at a moderate speed.

Either way, that's what I think is correct...I could be wrong though.

 
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True, most people feel that FWD is better in snow. I've grown up with RWD though. It's predictable when a RWD car will lose it's handling, therefore you can learn to control it. When a FWD vehicle loses it's handling (less likely) it tends to be unexpected and much harder to recover. Just my opinion though.

 
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I've only had RWD before my civic. Gonna be my first winter FWD. I've always heard point and shoot is better too, waiting to see.

I can say that RWD is definitely more fun in snow and bad conditions. Donuts parking lots rules![IMG]i/expressions/laugh2.gif[/IMG] And once you get used to it, you can control the fishtail around turns.[IMG]i/expressions/laugh2.gif[/IMG]

 
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[QUOTE]Quote
[hr]Originally posted by: WTFBjTCH
DUde - what's wrong with ghetto? Some of my best friends live in the ghetto ...

Oh, and it's probably common knowledge, but DON'T USE THE E-BRAKE TO STOP in the winter. I found this out the hard way. Funny story actually, last winter I saw a car in the ditch and went to pull over, slid, popped the e-brake, and slid right into them. Ended up doing more damage then anything. THe funny part is it turned out to be a brand new 2k1 civic coupe. *sigh* Just thought others might benefit from my stupidity ...

Peace