[keving33]

Hello Everyone,

I am an E90 325xi owner as of April of this year. I live in the North so the snow is coming soon enough. My car is not garaged during the winter either and wanted to see if anyone could give me some tips for keeping my car in good shape and running well through the cold season. Also, I wanted to see what some of the general rules for keeping up with maintenance such as oil changes and anything else!

Thanks in advance,
Kevin

[runningdoc]

First thing that comes to mind is Snow tires. If running winter rims that are not steel (most are alloy), consider applying antisieze to the rim before applying the rim to the wheel - otherwise, dissimilar metals may mate and the rims may be hard to break free in the spring; it is never fun to try to break free the rim while on a jack (not to mention the safety aspect of same). Consider new wiper blades (if not new), radiator flush if not done in last 3 years and inspect the hoses, battery check (if not done recently). Air filter would not be unreasonable if not done in last couple of years. Agree with oil change. Check power steering fluid as well. Hope this helps!

[keving33]

Thank you runningdoc, just what I was hoping to hear. Any idea about buying a cover for my car for overnight? Just a thought.

Kevin

[runningdoc]

Not sure the value of a car cover over a good wax job. Zymol does wonders... Good luck!

Some would argue it is better for a car with respect to corrosion to store it outdoors rather than subject it to freezing and thawing by placing a car indoors, which accelerates the corrosion process. In terms of anti-corrosion, you might want to consider to putting it up in the air, and waxing everything (including underneath the car, under the hood, the rocker panels, etc.). BMW suggests a wax-based, not peteroleum-based covering to limit corrosion. If there's rust, consider a sanding and painting of any rust underneath - generally the worst area for this on your model is the rear end at the center jack point...