I'll be driving to NW Indiana Monday. Luckily, it appears (as of now) I will miss the big snow NW of Chicago. Tuesday evening, I'll be driving to Lisle. The low that night will be 12 degrees F. I have a bone stock '12 Camry that has never experienced that type of cold. The battery is good, but I believe is about five years old. I do have one of those battery jumper boxes. Should I bring it, just in case? Of course, with my luck, I'll forget about it and leave it in the trunk the night before I need it. TIA.
If you don't ever use the heater/defroster I'd try all that out beforehand. Just in case a vent door or control is stuck from not being used.
IMO if you're travelling snowy highways at night you can't go wrong with a fully charged jumper battery pack and a bunch of in-date flares. Also a quick check your spare is inflated and all your tools are where they should be. Cheap insurance and the difference between a slight delay you can fix yourself and something else, especially with a 5 year old battery.
No driving at night, tires are almost brand new, spare has good inflation. Defroster front and rear are fine, as is the cabin heater. A local from the area in IL where I will be PM'd me his cell, to use if I have any issues. Once again, the WERA community is good to me. Thanks everyone.
Bring it. Better safe than sorry. I'd consider replacing a 5 year old battery just because it's not a bad idea to begin with. You could bring a new one along to swap out in the event of a failure if you're experiencing doubt. Also, when's the last time your coolant was flushed and filled? Are you sure that it's a 50/50 anti-freeze & water mix good to -40 degrees F? Tires properly inflated, good tread, and your windshield washer fluid filled with a de-icing washer fluid? Bring a blanket, a case of bottled water, and some high-calorie foods like your favorite protein or candy bar type foods. (This part is overkill for the most part, but even if it provides you peace of mind, it's worth it.) Scariest winter drive I ever had was from Janesville, WI to Minneapolis in early April 1996. I was headed to visit my parents before I left for my Osan overseas tour. 150 miles..figured it would take me two hours. I had seen clear roads all day. Just west of Janesville, I-94 was like a hockey rink. Trucks and cars in the ditch everywhere. Took me over 8 hours to get to my friends house in Eden Prairie just outside Minneapolis.
Blanket, drinks, snacks, and flashlights already in car. I will have four or five spare batteries with me for my cell phone. I've got a coolant tester and will check the radiator fluid tomorrow. Windshield fluid is good to zero degrees F; wipers are in good shape.
Cheese and rice. It’s still November. You guys are acting like he’s going to be driving through a blizzard! All he needs is a fully charged cell phone to call for help if an emergency occurs and a full tank of gas. That’s it. Nothing more. The world ain’t ending during this road trip.
Don't forget appropriate clothing, hat, gloves, warm jacket and footwear. Add a bit of isopropyl alcohol to your windshield washer fluid, it will decrease the freezing temperature, as wind chill is always colder and washer fluid stats are rarely accurate, in my experience with Michigan winters.
A 5 year old battery is pretty much at the end of it's life, just sayin'. The boys have it covered though.
Meh- don't poke fun at the guy for being prepared. Because you'd damn sure hate to NOT be prepared if something went pear-shaped. To the above mentioned box of cold weather stranded gear, I'd add a butane lighter & a few tapered candles. You'd be surprised how much heat they'll put off in a car. And replace that battery now. SRSLY
150 miles from Janesville to the twin cities? Or do your parents live 150 mile from the twin cities? Last time I drove from Janesville to Minneapolis it was 4 hrs in the summer to go the 270 miles. You from Janes-vegas?
It is going to freeze if you leave it in the car. I had a can of Diet Pepsi go off like a brown slushy bomb one time. The marks are still on the ceiling.
Tent, propane stove, rations. Lol he is not making an expedition to the Artic Circle. Make sure your wiper fluid has antifreeze in it. The stuff in the southern states does not.
Throw the jump box in the trunk, it takes no space and chicks will dig it. Blanket if you want (don't cost nothing) and head on out. If you we were talking late December ~ Early February you could throw more in but you're only going to outside of Chicago. I'd consider changing out the battery when you get home. Once again, $125 for a battery is cheaper than getting stuck.