This has been very handy and I'm grateful to you guys. One thing I read in an 'emigrate to Canada' book - take a candle in a tin holder - one candle will help to keep the car warm inside if all else fails.

Now where did I keep the matches?!!

About the car heaters.... all new cars come with them, they are called engine block heaters, and even if it is -40 as long as your car is out of the wind, it will be fine without it. Infact Nissans and Honda never need block heater cause they just start in very cold weather regardless, I live in Winnipeg and drive a 97 honda civic, never had a block heater for the first 2 years in winnipeg and it does get down to -40 on many occasions, for the first 2 years i never pluged my car in and it always started, i don't know why nissans and honda are like this and the other cars arn't but really who cares, forget about the block heater and get an interior car warmer, its like being handed a warm towl after you get out of the bath , keep in mind though that if you are renting or staying in a condo complex, they usually only allow you to plug in either a block heater or car warmer, not both cause it will blow the breaker if everyone draws that much power.

Your engine will thank you if on the really cold mornings you do as I suggested and use a timer to switch on the block heater about 4 hours before you leave for work.
The block heater also warms the oil slightly and NEVER run the engine on cold days for long perods before you get into it. 30 seconds is enough.

Don't know about Winnipeg but a colleague from Alberta said they did in Edmonton sometimes.

Aha - caught you. I knew there'd be more Winnipegeans out there somewhere! I signed on this forum a year ago and couldn't find a single person in Manitoba - now there's a fair few so I don't feel so lonely now! We're heading there next April so I reckon us Brits ought to get together one time for a good ol' knees up!

Driving round my loacl Walmart parking lot taught me alot about winter driving too. Highly recomended.

Good tip if driving an automatic and you are going too fast and think you may skid. Gradually shift dow through the gears from D, 3, 2, this will instantly slow the car down enough so you can brake easier.

As with skidding it's good to practice somewhere car free to get the idea what it feels like first.

I have rear wheel drive car which can be a pain in the winter so and usually carry a bag of cat litter in the back during incase I get stuck. Sprinkle it around the wheels and hey presto.

Cat litter is a great idea! Getting some traction is often all you need to avoid a tow fee. I drive an old Grand Cherokee and while the four wheel drive is great usually you do suffer from a very light back end - I left two bags of salt in it the last time I bought some for the water sofetner (laziness, nothing else - they're bl#@dy heavy!) the extra 100lbs makes a huge difference and the salt might come in useful too.

On the subject of Jeeps... the transfer box is marked up as Part Time 4WD (orange) and Full Time (green) My first winter driving it, I misunderstood the settings - in Part Time the axles (difs) are locked meaning the wheels are on a fixed axle - this is for short, straight line only driving. It will cause a skid or spin if you leave it in this setting on the road, green (FullTime) is the setting for general winter driving if there is a risk of slipping. If you are driving on a snow covered road and you start to lose traction the 4wd cuts in automatically - no worries. Of course you can do what I did and park it in the ditch... A learning experience, he said in a positive manner! If you are not sure, ask a dealer to talk you through the 4wd options on your car if you have them - they are not all the same.

Drive safely y'all and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Chris

we are having such severe temps in winnipeg that you must use your engine heater, the car will not start in the morning if the heater has not been on, beieve me we found out when we forgot to plug in, dead is the word for the engine. everyone does, they are a great asset to have and you find all cars here have them.

Just remember, 4WD is great for getting going, but doesnt help at all when it comes to stopping! I have a Subaru, so i dont have to think about it any more(used to have a Cherokee). Most canadains I know are happy with 2WD, its just us chicken expats with our 4x4s who are intimidated by the winter driving. My (canadian) wifes opinion is that if it is bad enough to need 4WD, then you had better think long and hard whether you need to make the trip.

I have heard that ashes or grit/sand are a lot better than kitty litter for traction, as kitty litter can turn to mush. Maybe it depends if it is clumping or non clumping, not sure.

Still waiting for some real snow in my bit of Ontario to get out in the carpark and practice skid control, a green christmas was a great dissapointment for all. On the plus side no shovelling yet, but on the down side no skiing either!

Iain

I have been told that even if your car will start without plugging in the block heater - its very hard on the car and your car will last longer if you plug it in. My son has a Honda Civic and it does start without plugging in but he doesnt want to wear his car out or take the chance that it might not start.

By warming the oil and block you reduce the strain on the starter and allow the oil to do its job much sooner than starting from cold. I usuallly plug mine in if it is forecast to be much below -10C in the morning, any higher than that and the oil (5W30) should be pretty fluid anyway. Below -10 the oil is a bit more viscous and does not protect the engine from metal to metal contact until it warms up.

Pluging in the block heater certainly wont do any harm (unless you drive away without unpluging it!)

Iain

Does anyone out there live in rented accomodation where a garage is not available? Do they still provide electricity outlets outside to allow plugging in the engine heater? We're looking to stay at a condo or housing co-op and I've found none so far that offer garages.

there is outside power supplies on nearly all properties

I do.

Yes. It will probably be a little pole with plug sockets that sticks out of the ground at the foot of the parking space. In my condo complex they only turn on the electricity for these things at -15c.

re: the Edmonton/Winnipeg leaving the car running overnight stories. Urban myth. Perhaps 40 years ago, not today. There may be the odd crazy that does, but certainly not a normal thing to do.

Yes, I'm replying to my own post. I have given false information: there are cars running overnight, in my own apartment bulding's parking lot. Seems like it wasn't just my block heater that's not up to the job.

I couldn't get my car going this morning but finally managed it this afternoon after installing an electric battery warmer (kind of like an electric blanket for the battery) and giving it a boost. It's a new battery and a relatively new car but it's not coping with -36 very well.

Strange really, my previous car which was much older didn't ever fail on me.