How to Winterize Your Car in 10 Easy Steps
The freezing temperatures in winter months can be hard on
you and your car. Here a few quick tips to keep you safe on the road this
winter. How to prep your car for winter.
Emergency Kit
Make sure you have some kind of an emergency kit in your
car. Something to help you out if you end up on the side of the road. The smallest things can help the most in the
middle of a winter storm or on the side of the road. Here are a few simple things to keep with
you.
- Blanket
- Extra Water and Food
- Hand warmers or extra pair of gloves
- Ice Scraper
- Small Shovel and Kitty Litter (Sand and Kitty
Litter help with traction)
- Ice Scraper
- Flashlight
- Flare
- Jumper Cables
Belts & Hoses
Be sure to look over all of your belts and hoses for cracks
or splits. The Rubber and weaved
material are strong, but when they are up against freezing temperatures and
frozen stiff the smallest things can be a cause for trouble.
Locked out?
Glycerine works as a great way to quickly de-ice your
vehicle. Vehicles can become frozen shut and even worse, if you don’t have
keyless entry it could be impossible to turn your key in a frozen door lock. It
is sold at most automotive retailers and hardware stores and can be purchased
in small tubes and easily stored in a work desk, purse or backpack. Be sure to
keep it somewhere accessible, as a glove box may not be to helpful if you are
locked out.
Protect that
Windshield
A lack of visibility is an accident waiting to happen. Snow, Slush and Salt come from all directions
when on the road and can easily dirty up that windshield. Make sure you have
plenty of antifreeze style windshield washer fluid under the hood and in the
car. Along with washer-fluid, make sure you have fairly new windshield wipers.
$30 bucks can be the difference from a clear windshield and a smashed car.
Sometimes it’s just not worth the risk to hold off.
Snow Tires
Good tires make or break traction in a winter snow flurry or
even when trying to get out of a parking spot. Winter snow tires should be a
must if your vehicle doesn’t have All Wheel Drive capabilities. It may seem like a big investment, but it’s
worth it even for those few times you’re trying to make it up the hill to
Grandma’s house for Sunday dinner. Snow tires can last several years as well,
they are only used for a few months and then stored away until next season.
Battery Capacity
Being stranded at 6 o’ clock after work is not fun. Car
batteries can be stubborn in winter, the cold weather affects its charge
capacity. Be sure to check the fluid
level in your battery, this can be inspected by popping off the refill caps or
may even have an indicator on the side of the battery. If the fluid is low,
refill it with Distilled Water to prevent corrosion inside of the battery. Be sure to check the voltage, many stores will
do this for free. If you are in the need
of buying a new battery, be sure to check the date on the new one in the store,
don’t buy one that is older than 4 months.
A good Scraping
Be sure to buy a reliable ice scraper, if you choose to go
cheap you may end up with something that merely streaks your windshield with
lines. A stronger, longer scraper is
great for removing frozen snow in tire wells, under bumpers and in your
suspension. All of these can lead to small issues over time.
Pressurize
The air in the tires drops 1psi (Pounds per Square Inch)
every 10 degrees in temperature change, warmer or colder. This can lead to poor
gas mileage, abnormal wear on the tires. Something so small and so easy can
lead to a hefty price tag. Newer cars
will shine the bright orange light in your face when your vehicle’s tire
pressure is off.
Engine Cooling
The coolant running through your engine is a big deal in
extremely cold temperatures. This fluid helps keep your cars internals from
corroding and free of rust. The mixture
should be up to par as well, for the winter it should be closer to 60%
Antifreeze and 40% water. If there is too much water, the car’s radiator will
actually freeze up and the vehicle will overheat. This can be costly.
Spare a Spare
Be sure to keep the spare tire in your trunk, or under your
car filled with air. The spare can deflate a bit in the winter and if the time
ever comes that this is needed, you don’t want to find out you now have two
flat tires!
