I'm not sure if this thread will take off or not but we've already had snow on the ground. I'm looking for input on positive and negative products specifically for winter. I will start out by saying my Silverstar lightbulbs are HORRIBLE in blowing snow. I do like them for the NON! winter months, but in blowing snow or fog they make it very dangerous. So, I'm looking for a replacement bulb(amber?) or lights for this winter. I can also say that I hate the performance of my windshield wipers, which I bought from the dealer last fall. Others said they had good luck, I did not! Any suggestions?

 

Best is easily;
-carstarter
-block heater
- -40deg celcius wiper fluid
- telescopic snow brush!

 

I like the philips weathervision bulbs for rain snow or fog. They are slightly yellow and I think they work well. For wiper blades I like the piaa silicon. They are expensive but I have never had another blade last through 2 years. I run a 20" drivers and an 18" on the pass sife on my 97.
This summer I tried the bosch icon blade because I was having a problem with the wipers lifting at highway speeds. They work ok and I think they might make a decent winter blade due to their design.

 

Move to Tucson.

 

I have the Silverstars and like them but, you are correct, they are NOT a foul weather lamp and are NOT intended to be. I have the OEM fog lights but replaced the standard H3 bulbs with Hella Yellowstars. The Yellowstars have a light output frequency towards the yellow end of the light spectrum which reduces glare. When conditions get poor (darkness with fog and/or rain), I kick the fog lights on. If the glare from the headlights is STILL bad, I'll turn the headlights down to their DRL level. It works for me.

As far as wipers, I use standard ANCO's and typically don't have problems with the exception of ice buildup when it's too stinkin' cold to be out. Be sure you have a good windshield washer mix. Once the car heats up, it's not too difficult to maintain the whindshield clear and wipers free of too much ice.

 

We don't get much snow down here...but I am with Rick F. I put in yellow bulbs in my driving lights and love it in bad weather.

 

Rick is right about the Silverstars in bad weather and I'm doing what he did by getting the Hella Yellowstar bulbs for my fogs to help out the situation.

I've also had good luck with the PIAA wiper blades lasting a while and probably will get a new set soon.
I also like to put a fresh coat of Rain-X on all the glass as it seems to allow for easier scraping of frost and ice.

 

So,what's the cheapest place for the Yellowstars?

I did find PIAA wiper refills for under $20 shipped on ebay.

 

I have come to the conclusion that I am better off just replacing wiper blades frequently. I have tried just about all of them and they break down/deteriorate after a while. It is a function of so many variables; precip, temps, amount of use, amount of dust, other foreign objects on the windshield like leaves, sticks and sap. Now, I just always have a spare set in the back ready to change when I stop for gas one day.

Rain-X helps....

 

I bought my Yellowstars from Susquehanna Motor Sports via http://www.rallylights.com/ . I don't know if they're the cheapest but they seemed reasonable to me. If I recall, I bought a spare set... That's what happens with old age...

 

Under $6 a bulb is really cheap considering the PIAAs ranged from $50-$90 and another high end company Luminics or something like that was $150 for a pair from Japan.

I'll be putting in an order shortly,thanks.

 

Ive had pretty good luck with rain-x windshield wipers, seem to last pretty long, etc.

rainx on the windows works wonders, especially for your side windows that dont have wipers. the anti fog product they make is also pretty sweet, keeps the fog off of the interior of the windows so youre not blasting the air conditioning when its raining and 40 degrees...

i think every one agrees on the husky liners being the best floor mats, but im sure you can source cheep walmart ones.

ill post later when the prof. isnt yelling at me to get off...

ok we are on a 10 min break now.

during the winter months here, we get frequent flash flood warnings. i usually carry a poncho in the car just incase i get stranded, that way i have SOMETHING to protect me. things like the foil emergency blankets can keep you warm for a very long time if you need them.

if you have mud tires on your truck, may want to get rid of them during the winter if you get alot of snow and ice.

of course, our winters here are not near as severe as yours!!!

 

I have one of these: http://www.snorake.com/

great for snow removal, and won't scratch the paint.

 

Bridgestone Winter Dueler snow tires. These are the best compromise between a true winter tire with ice biting sipes (which they are rated as), and an all terrain tire.

 

I'm in Cali, what's winter?

 

1986 VW Cabriolet, Sucks in the rain, snow and cold temperatures, The heater sucks, the wipers suck, the vinyl top sucks, the summer performance tires suck... But atleast its good on gas!

Cant wait for my truck to be on the road.

 

Lights - stick with the regular headlights and get some good glasses. I like Smith's rose lenses; Plus with the Slider series you get several other options.
Wipers - I've stayed away from the high-priced ones. I've had decent performance out of Anco and NAPA winter blades. I use them year-round.
Rain-X - Always. Amazing stuff. Just be sure to buff the glass very well after it dries - otherwise you'll get streaking.
Other - carry a real shovel in snow-country. Also - sleeping bag, food, water, hat and gloves.

 

Anybody else use that spray-can windshield de-icer? I highly recommend it unless you enjoy scraping your windows at 0 degrees first thing every morning. Also, those snow-pusher things are nice, too.

 

Seriously...it's like 75 outside, and it's supposed to be 80 tomorrow....but anyway:

As for "winter" products, the worst that I have to do is usually just scraping ice off my windshield. I'm in Northern Cali, and it gets pretty chilly sometimes....well, if you're not used to it, 20 degrees feels damn cold.

 

I would tuck some small amber lights away at the bottom of your bumper somewhere to use as fog lights when it gets really nasty. I drive over the pass here in Oregon every other week to visit my girlfriend and sometimes it gets to be absolutely blinding with snow and sleet and ice, it may not be legal to run ambers on the road but when its that bad outside nobody cares...