Welcome to Epic Torque, the blog from Epic Automotive & Driveline in Saskatoon. We handle everything from routine maintenance to driveline repairs, tires, fleet service, and detailing, and this blog is where we pass along what we know so you can drive with a little more confidence. Want to see everything we offer? Check out our services page.. In our latest Epic Torque tip, we acknowledge that there is a particular kind of cold that only shows up in a Saskatchewan winter, the kind that turns a vehicle that ran perfectly fine in October into one that will not start in December. Now is your window to get ahead of it, before the temperature drops and the shop phones start ringing with dead batteries and frozen locks.
Epic Tips On Getting Your Vehicle Ready for Saskatchewan’s Winter
Start with the battery
Cold is brutal on batteries. A battery that is already a little tired can put up with mild weather just fine and then give up entirely the first morning it hits minus thirty. Batteries lose a surprising amount of their cranking power as temperatures drop, right at the moment your engine needs more power to turn over. Having it tested in November, rather than finding out the hard way in your driveway, is one of the cheapest forms of insurance you can buy for your vehicle.
Give your block heater some attention
If your vehicle has a block heater, now is the time to check the cord for cracks and make sure the plug still makes good contact. A block heater that has been ignored all year sometimes needs more than a quick glance, and there is nothing worse than plugging in overnight only to find out it was never actually working.
Check the fluids that keep things moving
- Antifreeze, to confirm it is mixed properly for extreme cold, not just topped up
- Winter rated windshield washer fluid, so it does not freeze in the reservoir
- Oil, since thicker oil struggles more in the cold and the right weight matters
Do not forget the small stuff
Door seals that stick, wiper blades that have gone hard and brittle, and tire pressure that drops with every cold snap are all easy to overlook until they become a daily annoyance. None of these take long to sort out, but they make a real difference once the deep freeze actually sets in.
Bob, Mitch and Sandy have seen every version of a Saskatoon winter breakdown over the years, and the vehicles that handle it best are almost always the ones that got a proper look over before the cold arrived, not after.
Beat the cold snap before it beats you. Book a pre-winter inspection or explore our auto service and repair options.
