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Winterizing my car?

Discussion in 'Generation 1 Prius Discussion' started by aengleson, Nov 2, 2010.

  1. aengleson

    aengleson New Member

    Joined:
    Nov 2, 2010
    2
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    Location:
    Duluth, MN
    Vehicle:
    2001 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    I have a 2001 Prius that will be seeing snow for the first time this year (it used to live in Texas). I am in Northern MN, so we get lots of snow and ice. I am planning on having the car rustproofed because we use a lot of salt on the roads, but is there anything else I should do? I am a little concerned about it being too cold to start up in the mornings, but I am not sure if that is much of an issue with hybrid cars. For background, the battery is less than 6 months old, so it would hopefully be in good shape.
     
    #1 aengleson, Nov 2, 2010
  2. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2008
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    Location:
    Green Valley, AZ
    Vehicle:
    2015 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    1. Buy winter tires

    2. Do all of the normal maintenance before the cold season starts (engine oil/oil filter change, check cabin and engine air filters, replace engine and inverter coolant if needed (30K mile intervals if you use red Toyota LLC coolant), verify serpentine belt condition, etc.) Clean throttle body interior and throttle plate, change iridium spark plugs if needed.

    3. If you haven't had the engine ECU updated to the latest version you may have cold start problems in very cold weather. (This is why I suggested getting current on all routine maintenance including throttle body cleaning and spark plug replacement.) If this happens despite your performing this service, then you can buy a replacement engine ECU from a salvage yard. I've previously posted the TSB which shows applicable ECU part numbers to check.
     
    #2 Patrick Wong, Nov 2, 2010
    1 person likes this.
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