Having lived in Toronto for the last 10 years, I can tell you, the amount of snow you're going to see on the roads is minimal. If it's like the past few years, you won't see snow until just before Christmas. Before I got my Rubicon, I drove smaller front wheel drive cars with all season tires year round, and never had a problem.

What will do you more good than winter tires and block heaters (I think I've plugged mine in once that I can remember), is find a nice big parking lot where they haven't plowed yet and go play. Figure out how your jeep handles in the snow, when the traction control is going to kick in, and what you need to do to put your jeep where you want it. The more you practice, the easier it'll be.

Just as a side note, last winter, there was only one day where there was enough snow to worry about. Out in the suburbs, the roads are clear 99% of the time. Down town where they have more snow storage issues, you have more of a problem with narrow lanes and finding places to park, but it's really not bad at all...

Just my two cents...

 

A block heater is an electric heater that heats the engine of a car to ease starting in cold weather. They are connected to normal AC power overnight or before driving, via regular power plugs that are fed through a vehicle's grille. This allows easier starting in cold temperatures, by keeping the coolant warm. Heaters are also available for motor oil so that warm oil can quickly circulate and warm the engine during startup. The rapid heat circulation caused by block heaters also aids the initial vaporization of fuel in the engine; because of this effect, block heaters reduce pollution, as poor fuel vaporization causes much higher emissions.

It's a cheap investment over time...especially if you are planning on travelling West into MB, SK & AB and some area's in BC or happen to have a long cold spell and have to park your vehicle outside.

Just check your build specs or pop open your hood and there should be an electrical male end plug on our Passenger side near your grill.

Just google 3M Clear bra Toronto Installers...should have a few hits to help you locate one locally.

 

Thanks. Do you run a soft top or hard?

 

I'd suggest a set of WINTER tires, not all seasons. All season tires may be all season in the south, but up north, they are really 3 season tires. Try to find something with the 'mountain/snowflake' logo on them (Goodyear Duratrac!)

And don't worry too much about the snow, if it gets bad, Toronto tends to call in the army!

 

Block heater. Acutally an Engine Block Heater ... a thick heating element that is inserted into the block (there actually is knockouts built into engine blocks for this) and tied to thick guage wires. You end up with an electrical plug coming out through the front grill that allows you to plug in your JK and this keeps your engine coolant (more commonly called anti-freeze here ) just warm enough that your engine is easier to start. Coolant can actually freeze into a slush ... same for engine oil .... but that is a the more extreme temps. ... and yes, it does use electricity ..so a timer is nice to reduce cost.

Cold temps is more a prob for older vehicules ..or vehicules that are not well maintained. Replace/top-up anti-freeze, thinner oils, replace batteries when they start getting some age to them, etc ... and your vehicule will start in the coldest temps you'll see in Toronto. Good maintenance is key ... because a vehicule that doesn't start .. cost a lot more money than maintenance....

Toronto isn't the coldest place in Canada ..but it occasionnaly gets some pretty cold temps sometimes. I've seen temps in Goose Bay Labrador where engine blocks literally cracked open .... and some places where running engines stopped due to the cold.

Oh ..get CAA ... our equivalent to AAA ... or good friends at least.

...and keep spares toque, gloves and wool socks in your vehicule ... nice to have ... basic survival gear. When its 40 below C ... a 2 km walk can become a survival situation really quick.

 

A block heater's a cheap install though I doubt you'd need it more than five or six times throughout an entire Toronto winter.

Hard-top's up to you. It's completely possible to go year round in a soft-top in Canada. I wouldn't but Winnipeg gets a hell of a lot colder and stays that way for a hell of a lot longer than Toronto.

Here's a good site for Canadian winter driving safety. The survival kit's a definite must if you'll on remote highways, even once in a while.

www .mto.gov.on.ca/english/safety/winterdrive/winterdrive.shtml

(take out the space between www and .mto then cut/paste the link.

 

ouch dude...i thought we already lived that one down...mel lastman's fault!...not ours!

oh yeah, and to the OP, buy a snowbrush. a big one!

 

hmmm, (according to this other thread) say goodbye to your life-time powertrain warranty... if you have one...

https://www.jk-forum.com/forums/jk-talk-26/whats-life-time-warrenty-you-all-speak-93021/

 

Nope, you'll never live that one down! At least not from us Montrealers... Lol...

Good old Mel Lastman... NOOOOOOOBOOOODDDDY!!! Lol, those ads always crack me up....

 

Didn't see slush mats mentioned yet. Necessary to keep the salt off the interior trim and carpets.