The first real snowfall in the Chicago area usually shows up sometime between Thanksgiving and early December, and somehow it always catches people off guard. If your winter machines sat all summer, now's the time to wake them up, before you need them at 6 a.m. with a foot of snow in the driveway.
Snowblowers
- Fresh fuel. Summer gas left in the tank is the number one reason snowblowers won't start. If there's old fuel in there, drain it and start fresh. Add a fuel stabilizer to keep it good through the winter.
- Change the oil. Most snowblower engines are four-strokes and need an oil change once a season. Check the manual for the viscosity; many call for 5W-30 for cold-weather starting. A synthetic small engine oil flows well in cold weather.
- Shear pins. Make sure you have spares. They're designed to break if the auger hits something hard, and they always break during a storm.
- Auger gearbox. Some machines have a gearbox that needs its lubricant checked. Look in your manual.
- Test run. Start it now, on a dry day, so any problems show up before the snow does.
ATVs and UTVs with plows
- Engine oil. ATV and UTV engines often share oil with the transmission and clutch, so use an oil made for them. AMSOIL makes ATV and UTV oils for exactly this.
- Winch and cable. Check the cable or rope for fraying and make sure the winch works smoothly.
- Plow mounts and pins. Check for wear and grease the pivot points.
- Battery. Plowing with lights and a winch draws a lot, and cold weakens batteries. Charge it or replace it if it's tired.
Snowmobiles
If you're heading to Wisconsin or the U.P. this winter:
- Two-stroke oil. Make sure the injection oil tank is full of an oil that meets your sled's requirements. A 2-stroke oil or snowmobile oil built for cold starts and clean burning makes a real difference.
- Chaincase oil. Change it if you didn't last spring.
- Track tension and carbides. Check them against your manual.
- Fuel system. If the fuel wasn't stabilized last spring, drain it and start fresh.
Not sure what fits?
Look up your machine with AMSOIL's snowmobile lookup, ATV lookup or small engine lookup. Or send me what you've got and I'll make you a list.
Questions about your vehicle or equipment?
Send Byron the year, make and model and he'll point you to the right products.