Winterize your car
If winter arrives and you and your car are not prepared you may
have a very bad experience. This can be learned the hard way or from the
experience of others. For the most part, a well maintained car in a mild winter
will have no problems, but a car that is deficient in critical areas may not
start or fail while driving.
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The first area of concern is that the tires have sufficient
tread for snow. Most cars nowadays run all-season tires and are front wheel
drive. Your tires should have at least 6/32” of tread. The front tires that do
the steering and braking should have more than the rear; rotate the tires as
needed. Also check that the air pressure is up to what it should be. If the
tire pressure has not been checked in a while they could be low as cooler
weather reduces the pressure in the tires. If in doubt have a tire shop check
the tires for you. If you plan on keeping your car for several years, and you
are considering snow tires, also consider another set of rims for your snow
tires. Remounting tires every year is hard on the tire’s bead area and damage
may result. Also the cost of mounting and balancing every year will exceed the
cost of the rims. And consider that you will always be prepared for snow by
having mounted snow tires when the weather turns cold, if you can change the
tires yourself you don’t have to battle the lineups at the tire shop when the
snowflakes begin to fall.
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You should carry a plastic snow shovel and gloves in your
truck. A small bag of sand can help when you are caught on an icy patch and no
one is around to give you a push.
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Under the hood you should have the coolant checked to see if
the anti-freeze is sufficient for your area. If you have gone more that 5 years
on your coolant you may want to consider a coolant flush. Have the complete
cooling system checked for leaks and thermostat checked for proper operation.
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Ensure that your engine is in good tune, especially the
spark plugs. Worn spark plugs may not be sufficient to ignite the fuel mixture.
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You should be sure that the windshield washer fluid is the
type needed for cold weather; this is the blue type. Check that they spray on
the windshield properly. Have your wipers checked and replaced if needed.
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Check that your heater is working properly and that the
windshield defrost is also working.
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Have your battery check as cold weather greatly reduces the
batteries efficiency. A battery that is not 100% may not be enough to start a
cold engine.
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Have the charging system checked as you will be driving with
your headlights, wipers, heater and rear window defogger now. Also a cold
battery requires much more effort on the part of your alternator, and if it’s
not up to the job you may find yourself with a near dead battery one morning.
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Your car manufacturer may recommend a lighter viscosity oil
for the climate you are in; check the owner’s manual or call your dealer.
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If you live or plan to operate your vehicle in
temperatures below freezing, you may want to consider a block heater and
battery warming blanket. Having a timer turn on your block heater a few hours
before you plan to start your car can not only make starting easier, but also
provide you with heat and clear windows sooner. It also uses less fuel and
produces less pollution. A battery blanket can provide a needed boost to that
early morning start by giving the battery every advantage possible.
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