This will be my very first winter with the 8. And i have pretty much everything done. But im having a bit of doubt whther im missing something. So far ive done:

• Winter tire swap
• Windshield Washer Fluid
• New windshield wipers
• Zainoed the whole car
• Rubber Matts

Is there anything im missing. Do we have to add anything to the coolant ??

Also i havent really added the windshield washer fluid yet cause my tank is 3/4 full of the old ****. Can you mix the 2 ?? Also is there a fast way to remove the old stuff in so that i can put in more of the winter one ??

Sorry for the noob post.

 

get some black roofing tar in a can and a paint brush. Apply this stuff in the back wheel wells of the car. Make sure to put it very deep inside the metal lip of the wheel well on the inside and a bit on the outside.

This will prevent your back wheel wells from chipping paint and rusting .


You can get this stuff from Canadian Tire. Make sure to wear gloves cause this stuff is very sticky and hard to get of your hands after.

 

Are you using any particular rubber mat or something generic? I need to get some for myself as well.

 

Im using Rx8 ones. The car didnt come with them when i bought it. I got almost brand new rx8 matts all for 50 bucks. Crazy bargain. And they even smell new lol.

 

btw there is an old link for you ....check it out !!!and see the pics of what could happen to your 8 after a year of winter.

https://www.rx8club.com/showthread.p...ght=wheel+rust

 

Would it be helpful to change the oil to something a big heavier for the cold? Or anything else under the hood?

I've been seeing some pretty sluggish startups in the cold, and it's only gotten down to about -1C so far. What's gonna happen when we get to -30?! XD

Maybe a block heater? Or one of those oilpan-heater things?

 

Oil pan heater is a good precaution; it will get your oil temp up a little.
Use oil that will flow well in the cold; most wear occurs at start-up.
You could consider a battery warmer blanket.

Oh yes... Monitor your oil temp!
You'll be surprised how low it is in winter.
You may want to block off air flow to your oil coolers

Or do what I do now.... Park it and drive something else

 

quick question. What type of windshield wipers you guys using ?? Can you use OEM ones which are the ones i beileve i have on. Is it necessary to switch blades for winter?? If so what brands you guys using ??

 

I am using the OEM ones... They are all season blades and are pretty good for winter. I was using them last winter and they worked well...

Oh, and the best part is they are just $10 each at Mazda Dealers =D

 

I'm running the Rain-x or Reflex blades. They aren't affected by ice buildup because they do not have mechanical pivot points

 

I've been researcing a bit and by the looks of it. The very best blades are PIAA Silicon or Bosch Icon. When I have the money I will get myself a pair and replace my oems. My oems seem kind of wobbly. They don't seem solid

 

What wipers do you use? I bought new ones at Canadian Tire that were the same as the dealers I guess and they suck ****...lol...

You can under body spray your car for rust proofing if you never got that feature when it was first bought...

Just read all the wiper questions...who has the best ones out there? Darkbrew???

 

All wipers suck in winter. Even the reflex. Just because there are no metal parts doesn't mean the rubber won't deform under pressure from ice buildups and cold temps. Ran them last year. You still get all the problems.

Running RainX this year, we'll see how they hold up but I'm expecting the same thing as the reflex.

 

You can get the Rain-x wipers at crappy tire
Buy an 18" and a 20"
Follow directions and you're good to go

The only real difference is that the hinge less blades get fewer ice jams. You still have to scrape your windows of course...

 

Ok I will try those. These wipers are new and haven't even been through a winter yet and they still don't clean and miss 1/2 my windshield. Thanks.

 

It's a good idea to wipe (scrub) your wiper blades with wet wipes or a wet paper towel once in a while to clean them. They'll work much better.

 

wipers deteriorate overtime regardless.. so to keep them working well, you can try using fine sandpaper and scrub the rubber blades to remove contamination. Don't worry about the so called "silicone coating" they market.

Also, one thing very important that people forget to do... you have to CLAY BAR YOUR WINDOWS too once in awhile.. There are things on your windshield that no wiper can remove and it contributes to the smeared look. Just look at NVX's windshield.

Clay bar + invisible glass follow up.

 

My winter check list:

1. Wash car every weekend
2. Have SARX mod day once a month
3. Have Canyon Runs When it's not raining
4. Visit Track When Possible

 

Do you wash the car at one of the manual washes or something ?


oh wait ... you are in tx ... damn you and your non-winter winters

 

South Texas FTW!

 

Where can you get that under body spray done?

Also is it a good idea to flush the coolant before winter or should I just get it checked at one of the auto stores?

 

Most dealer ships do it and auto body repair shops. Just google it. I had that electronic rust proof thingy put onto my car when I bought it so I don't do mine. Although it wouldn't help to do it and have extra protection.

I'd say do your coolant now so its nice and ready for the cold. I did mine and my rear dif.... What year is your car or what is the mileage? Maybe the guyz can help you out on this one.

 

Would the underbody rust proofing be something that is usually done? I bought my 8 new in may, it wasn't something I asked for, and not something they mentioned, but i didn't know if it was "standard" with a new car.

In any case, is the spray a once-a-year thing?

 

Its offered as an extra add on...lol...along with the paint protection and all that crap. I took the package deal on all my new cars and have never had rust problems.

My first car I had for 13 or so odd years and it was perfect. That time they only had the spray technique.

I'd just ask around about it and search for the best price. Some services will guarantee it for like 10 years or so.

If you do a single treatment then I'd say it should be done yearly depending on your weather conditions or every 2 years.

I'll crack out my rust proofing stuff later and tell you what they used on my car.

 

I hope you fall off a cliff