Winterising your gsx / gst

[B-lackGSX99]

I am extremely new to this forum, but it is pretty well the same as any i've used in the past. Please inform me if I have mis-posted. I am the new owner of a 99 GSX, and am wondering if anyone can let me know if there is anything I should do to winterise this vehicle for the upcoming months. I am in Edmonton AB, so it will definitely be chilly out there! As of yet, I will definitely be throwing on a set of winter tires, and putting a remote start into the vehicle with a turbo timer. Will probably also swap out the engine oil for some winter stuff (any recommendations?). I appreciate any suggestions, or perhaps even stories of past winter driving experiences that might help me keep my car in as good condition as possible without having to store it.

Regards,
Mike

 

[Defiant]

Block heater, if it's not already equipped.

 

[B-lackGSX99]

Thank you Defiant, I hadn't thought of that at all. If i'm thinking of getting a remote start that has the option on it of starting your car every couple hours for a little bit to keep it from getting too cold...do you still think the block heater is necessary? In the past, I never really liked the idea of my car starting every couple hours...it can often get to 30 below zero, and the engine will freeze between the two hour intervals...basically it would just be hard starting itself way more times per day than i'd like. But then again, these are assumptions, maybe the engine can't cool that quickly...

 

[robs90tsi]

the engine can cool pretty quickly, especially in -30F, i second the block heater

 

[Defiant]

Wow. I can't even imagine that weather, but last July's 120º here wasn't much fun, either.
Check with your locals: there are heaters made for either the oil or the coolant. See which they prefer. There are models as simple as either a dipstick, or a sump patch, or for the coolant there are elements that replace a core plug or replace a section of the lower radiator hose.
Then again, Seattle sounds like a very nice town....

 

[daren_p]

I would imagine he's talking Deg C for our American friend . So do you see those temps on a regular bassis, we see temps like that here on rare ocations but we are a good amount south in Toronto compared to Edmonton. Defently make sure to get a good thin weight oil, synthetic is the best (recommend Moble 1) but if you don't want to spend the extra on synthetic probably a good idea to get a winter blend for those kinds of temps. Another thing is to get that antifreeze tested to make sure it will be able to go low enough without freezing. Something else to think about may be the trans & diff oil, make sure your not running some "super duty" extra thick fluid.

 

[B-lackGSX99]

Good call, I have already swapped the engine oil out (with a full flush) for some 5w30, Amsoil...for whatever reason, i've always used Amsoil. I'm going to look into the block heater options...to get an actual block heater installed costs in the $400 range...so I'm thinking of just going with something simple like a coolant/dipstick oil heater. I will definitely see what my coolant looks like, as it is probably not for cold weather. Have had a lot of fun with the car so far, although it is in need of a good tune. Thank you for your help.