bad_408_vert

iTrader: (6)

Is there anything to be done to prep a car for winter driving besides the usual:

plugs,wires, fuel filter, air filter?, fresh fluids and winter tires.

I always seem to have issues with my car when its cold.

Electrical issues mostly.

Is there a particular reason why some problems mostly come up in the winter?

Thanks

fleetmgr

Cold weather will highlight any issues you have with your battery, starting or charging system. If for no other reason than the colder it gets the lower your battery's normal capacity will be, even if it's brand new. Add any little problem into the mix, and it's automatically 10x worse. That's just a fact of lead/acid battery life.

Why would you tune the car just for winter? If it's running good, it's running good. If your plugs have lots of miles on them, then there may be some benefit...same with wires. But outside of lots of miles, there won't be any benefit to be had.
Same with various filters...assuming you're doing normal routine maintenance, there won't be any particular benefit in changing things (and short cycling a recommended interval) just because it gets cold. Now, with all that said, it's normally a whole bunch more comfortable for you to change things while it's still warm out. I don't know many people with a heated garage.

When you say fresh fluids, what are you talking about?

Johnny-LT1-runner

iTrader: (15)

I just replaced my battery in anticipation of it, granted the old one was 5 years old.
I believe he means a complete fluid change; oil, trans fluid, radiator, rear end, brake fluid, power steering fluid, and any filters involved would be good too.

bad_408_vert

iTrader: (6)

I changed the plugs & wires(AC Delco), pcv valve,fuel and air filters this past summer because I bought the car and didn't know about its maintenance and upkeep.

So i went ahead and put some effort into for a piece of mind.

I replaced the battery because the car had lot of hard starts, eventually battery did die.

2 Ignition control modules failed on me within a year, both times replaced with AC Delco.
crank and cam sensor failed twice within a 1.5 years as well.

I am not sure what is causing this and how can i avoid it again.

The car stalled on the highway because the crank and cam sensor's failed while i was driving.

Basically its a death trap now because I don't know when they will fail again.

Yep This. I work at a parts store and have access to a lift, so i figured why not.

fleetmgr

Sounds like you just got some dud parts. There is no way to predict this, and there really isn't a way to prevent it all else being equal. Quality control on run of the mill parts is a thing of the past.

As to changing all your fluids, if you want to throw money at the car, or you're bored then go for it. Other than that, "just because" isn't going to gain you anything, or prevent wear or anything like that in most cases. The only exception might be flushing the brakes, as brake fluid is intensely hygroscopic, and it should be flushed every 30k miles or so to prevent corrosion in the brake system. Outside of that, just use the manufacturers recommended intervals.

bad_408_vert

iTrader: (6)

Dud parts seem like only logical answers.

Thanks

slayerized6

iTrader: (12)

just keep up with regular maintenance and you should be fine.

- get a pair or all seasons tires if you dont have any
- lower tire psi if ice or snow is in the forecast
- keep an ice scraper and brush. keep it in the back seat
- always let your engine warm up properly. piston slap is an issue for most ls1's during cold starts in the winter