Looking to buy a used snowmobile? E3 Spark Plugs offers some buyers-beware tips.

If the pristine, powdered landscape has you aching to throw some snow into the air, it just might be time to pony up some change for a sled. If you’re eyeing a used snowmobile, E3 Spark Plugs has 10 top tips for choosing a sled that’ll keep you riding the slopes for years.

1. Resist the temptation to buy the first shiny sled you see. Study up on the models and features you want before you venture out on your shopping spree and be sure to bring a flashlight and a friend so you can see all the dark crannies and get a second, and likely more objective opinion.
2. Start ‘er up. If you’re considering a sled being sold by a private owner, ask that it not be “warmed up” prior to your visit. You’ll want to know how well the engine does with a cold start.
3. Check for clues that the snowmobile has been crashed. A few tell-tale signs are deep scratches on the running boards and plastic; a non-standard paint job; cracks in the body work (remove or run your fingers over any stickers, as they’re often used to hide cracks; twisted, bent, toed-in or toed-out skis; handlebars that are cracked, bent or appear to have been replaced.
4. Check for clues it’s been raced. Racing or aggressive riding put some real stress on machinery, but then again, racing sleds often are the best maintained you’ll find. Look for holes drilled through the bolt heads; cracks or welds in the frame, around the engine mounts and in the front cowling brackets. If the sled has been raced, ask for maintenance records and make sure it’s priced accordingly.
5. Look for tears or cracks in the vinyl seat cover. Cracked or torn seat covers retain water and the resulting cold, wet spot on your butt will make for quite the uncomfortable ride. If you love the rest of the sled, know that new upholstery will cost you upwards of $150.
6. Inspect the track. Look for cracking, dry-rot and excessive rust – all of which can leave you and your snowmobile stranded. Not fun. Especially if you also have a wet butt.
7. Check the brakes, brake pads and brake fluid.
8. Peek inside the gas tank. If it’s discolored or has rust, sediment or a milky white paint-like coating, expect to pay for a thorough fuel system cleaning.
9. Make sure all the electric features work. These include the headlights, signaling and instrument-cluster lights and kill switches.
10. Ask how often the suspension was serviced. The answer should be at least once a year.

When you get your new sled home, be sure to outfit it with a new set of E3 snowmobile spark plugs for a cleaner, stronger burn. Be safe and keep the shiny side up.

This year marks the third year for the Team Lucas-E3 Spark Plugs partnership with Illinois-based Probst Motorsports, featuring longtime racer Kevin Probst, a 30-year veteran of the sport. Probst will spend the 2010 season behind the wheel of a newly built Chevrolet Uweld Unlimited 2 chassis, specially designed for the Lucas series and assembled in just over six weeks, which debuted earlier this month at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway’s new off-road race facility.

Probst Motorsports is a family-owned-and-operated off-road racing company led by Kevin Probst and nephew Jon Probst, who began racing in 2006 and is quickly becoming a favored name on the off road truck racing scene.

Based in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL E3 Spark Plugs manufactures and markets patented spark plugs for everything from chain saws to champion powersports vehicles. Developed to help customers increase power, improve fuel efficiency and reduce engine emissions that contribute to global warming, E3 spark plugs are engineered to completely and more efficiently burn the fuel/air mixture in the spark plug cylinder.

Lucas Oil, a leading manufacturer of high-quality automotive oil and additives, is based in Corona, CA with offices in Taiwan, Korea, Australia, Poland and the United Kingdom. The company has been involved in off-road racing as well as NASCAR, NHRA and the Indy Racing League for years and each year creates new and improved automotive products via its state-of-the-art laboratories.

To be eligible for cash prizes, drivers must maintain perfect attendance throughout the season, mention the E3 Spark Plugs Challenge during television interviews at each event and display E3 Spark Plugs decals throughout the season. It’s designed to give those perfect-attendance drivers incentives to perform well throughout the season and help promote E3 Spark Plugs as the “Official Spark Plug” of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series. The driver who racks up the most points by season’s end lands a cash award of $2,500, and one runner-up gets $1,500 at the series’ year-end awards banquet at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, IN.

Keep your eyes peeled for televised series events at:

• East Bay Raceway Park – Tampa, FL 2/4/10
• East Bay Raceway Park – Tampa, FL 2/6/10
• Paducah International Raceway – Paducah, KY 5/1/10
• Lucas Oil Speedway – Wheatland, MO 5/28-29/10
• Florence Speedway – Florence, KY 6/1/10
• Columbus Speedway – Columbus, MS 7/9-10/10
• Tri-City Speedway – Pontoon Beach, IL 7/16/10
• Batesville Speedway – Batesville, AR 8/20-21/10
• Lawrenceburg Speedway – Lawrenceburg, IN 8/27/10
• Portsmouth Raceway Park – Portsmouth, OH 9/3-4/10
• Brownstown Speedway – Brownstown, IN 9/24-25/10
• Dixie Speedway – Woodstock, GA 10/9/10

E3 Spark Plugs is a longtime partner of “Team Lucas,” a group of sponsoring entities including General Tire, Rockstar Energy Drink, R&L Carriers, Sunoco Race Fuels and Dart. Available online and via more than 14,000 vendors nationwide, E3 Spark Plugs offers spark plugs developed by environmentally conscious researchers from leading universities. Our spark plugs can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help stave off global warming by reducing fuel consumption. Drivers enjoy increased gas mileage while getting a horse power boost. We make spark plugs for professional race cars, power sports vehicles, everyday cars and even lawnmowers. Learn more by visiting our website today.