Winter driving conditions can be hazardous because of snow and ice on the road. Follow the recommendations below before the winter season to make sure your car can handle winter road conditions.
1. Switch to Winter Tires
If you live in a place that experiences frigid winter temperatures, it is recommended that you install winter tires when winterizing your car. Winter tires have special rubber compounds and tread designs that allow them to maintain grip in snowy weather conditions.
2. Prepare Your Car For Winter
Check your battery, get a thorough inspection of your brakes. Have your belts, hoses, spark plugs, wires, and cables checked.
3. Keep The Gas Tank at Least Half Full
A full tank can help keep the gas line from freezing up. Also, you may have to warm up your car in the winter, so having a full tank ensures that the engine can run as long as it needs to.
4. Make Sure Rear Window Defroster Works
You want to be sure that you can defrost the rear window so that you can see everything behind you.
5. Install Winter Windshield Wipers
These wipers are made with rubber that keeps ice from collecting on the blades.
6. Keep an Emergency Kit in the Car
Every car should have one. It looks different depending on where you live, but they usually contain bottled water, flashlight, snacks, maybe road flares, and a blanket. A winter emergency kit should include a snow brush, ice scraper, gloves, boots, blankets, a shovel, sand or kitty litter, tow strap, extra batteries for the flashlight, jumper cables, a battery-operated radio, a portable battery charger, and a car cell phone charger.
7. Flush Your Coolant
Some cars need an anti-freeze flush every winter, and others don’t. Check with your mechanic to see what works best for your vehicle.
8. Check all interior and exterior lights.
Make sure your headlights are working. The sun goes down early in the winter months, and if you are driving in a snowstorm, you need to be sure that you can see.
9. Consider Switching to Synthetic Oil
Synthetic oil can withstand the extreme temperature lows of the wintertime. The oil is less likely to freeze up and allows the engine to work better in lower temperatures.
10. Use Winter Windshield Wiper Fluid
Winter wiper fluid is designed for winter weather and won’t freeze on your windshield, and it can help loosen ice and snow from your vehicle’s windshield. Ordinary fluid may not be able to do that.
Here are a few hacks you can also use this winter to protect your car, according to Buzz Feed:
- Put gallon-sized plastic bags over your mirrors at night to prevent them from freezing over.
- Raise your wipers at night and cover them with socks to prevent them from freezing to your window.
- Clean your lights with toothpaste for extra brightness.
If you live in an area that experiences low temperatures, ice, and snow, then be sure to follow these cold-weather car tips. Be prepared and winterize your vehicle before winter gets here.
