Moving to Fairbanks Alaska so looking for tips.
What did you do?
Just a block heater?
Does the coolant need to be changed?
what about a oil pan heating pad?
I know I need full synthetic oil.
Anything else?

 

we only run block heaters here - all fluids are stock. the temp goes down to -40.We'll see if the powerboost has any issues.

will you be parking inside or outside? maybe a battery blanket would be worthwhile but i've never run one, just make sure the block heater is plugged in for the really cold stuff

 

Dang, Fairbanks! A friend of mine was stationed there for a year while in the A.F. - He frequently talks about how cold it gets there after all these years.

I'd be grateful if you updated us after this winter on any issues w/ the PB

 

inside, I’ve lived up there before from 2000-2006 and I go up there 5 or 6 times a year. I was just curious if any of the powerboost guys up there did anything different.

 

Well, I lived there 13 years, long before the powerboost. While -40 was no big deal with a block heater (most newer rigs start at -40 without a block heater too), oil pan heaters and battery pads definitely helped as a low cost additional measure. I'm sure the hybrid battery won't do much at those temps.

Be sure to use a timer. Run heaters for a few hours before you drive off in the morning.

Definitely fun stuff at those temps. Tires take a minute to get back to round. Manual transmission cars drive in neutral- the gear oil is so thick it can transmit power. Everything is so stiff that you'll need to give it gas to go downhill that in the summer requires significant braking.

 

Modern HEV's work surprisingly well in brutal northern winters. I live in an area where it can be -40 consecutive weeks at a time and was a bit concerned about the PowerBoost until reading through Lincoln Aviator and Ford Explorer HEV forums and talking to local owners. Those other Ford models have been on the market a bit longer, use very similar tech and perform pretty well up north. Still, the cold will be a S.O.B. to deal with. The fabric in the seats crunch and feel like a paper garbage bag if you don't have a long remote start setup. So maybe consider some heated seat covers if you don't have heated seats. It's not uncommon to see trucks running in idle for several hours a day and I'm still a bit skeptical of how the stop start cycling of the Powerboost will affect components in the extreme cold after a few years. I went with the EcoBoost, but I think you'll be fine as is and learn from your first winter. There's a surprising amount of old Toyota Prius still going strong as city cabs in the dead of winter here too.

I recommend getting a pair of cheap battery heated socks from Amazon though, because when it's so cold outside that your boot still freezes to the gas pedal after a 5 hour drive they'll pay for themselves.

My winter prep is usually just a set of winter tires, a snow brush and making sure I have -40 windshield washer fluid in the tank.
An emergency roadside kit, blanket, radio and MREs are highly recommend if you'll be driving frequently through remote areas.

Watch out for moose and good luck.