Off to Alaska Soon YES in FEBRUARY

Yeti plus wrote:
Daniel
You said in an earlier post that you would need an oil change on the way North. Make sure they put in synthetic or semi synthetic oil. It doesn't get as hard as regular oil in the cold.
I needed an oil change in the Northwest Territories and all they offered was semi synthetic or full synthetic because that is what works up there.
Talked to my son who lives in Edmonton Alberta and he only uses full synthetic fluids in all his vehicles. He is a heavy equipment mechanic so has seen the results of regular oil on the equipment.He worked on some of the equipment outdoors in -40 weather(-40C =-40F)
Looking forward to your trip posts. We went to Alaska in 2016 so it will be interesting to see some of the same spots in winter.
Safe travels
Brian

I have used full synthetic in my engine from day one. (And the rear comes with it from the factory)

Here is a quick story about my first trip up the Hwy in winter...1972 I stopped in Beaver Creek for the night at what I remember as the only motel in town at that time. I plugged my car in (an ex California Highway Patrol cruiser with more than 100k on the odo), and went to bed. It was VERY VERY COLD that night and at about 2 AM I was woken up by my HORN going off.

I threw on my Parka and ran outside couldnt understand for the life of me WHY my horn suddenly started honking. I yanked up the hood and pulled the horn wires off. I stood there dumbfounded. And didnt put two and two together...I went back to bed.I was only 19 at the time.

In the morning my car was frozen solid. I pulled out the dipstick and my oil was like Vaseline it was clotted to the stick. It was then that I realized what had happened. The plug I had plugged into was not working. And what set my horn off? That was the plastic on my steering wheel contracting and pressing the contacts together.

Starting it was out of the question. It spent most of the day at the gas station next door with two huge propane heaters underneath both ends of the car to defrost it. It had to be dragged there.

Now to the best of my memory I had changed the oil to what was recommended at that time for cold weather and I did that in San Diego. Synthetics were not really widely available then if I remember correctly.

That was a learning experience for sure. Make sure the plug-in you are using is working.