As the winter months start to approach, you can expect the environment to not only get a chill in the air but the snow and ice will be coming also.
Make sure you go over your winter car maintenance checklist before the season approaches and be winter-ready.
Prep your Tires
Because you will be driving on icy roads with the winter weather, the safest thing you can do is make sure you have a set of snow tires put on your car in the coming weeks. They are designed to maintain your grip on the highway with solid tread all the way through.
You also need to adjust the pressure in these tires, since tires naturally drop their weight when the weather cools down. Monitor the pressure and make sure it is staying at its recommended weight so that you are not stuck with a flat tire on the winter roads.
Replace Your Lights
Because the days are shorter in the winter, you will find yourself driving more frequently at night. With wildlife and other cars on the highway, you need to be able to see properly and maintain your safety. An important winter car care tip is to have all of your turn signals, headlights, rear lights, and brake lights replaced as a precaution. You need to be able to see others and they need to be able to see you.
Check Your Coolant Levels
Antifreeze is critical to protect your engine when the temperatures drop to severely cold numbers. Without the proper amount of antifreeze, your car engine will lock up and will not crank, forcing you to spend thousands on a new motor. Just topping off the antifreeze can be the difference in whether you are driving your car this winter.
While you are changing the coolant, check other fluid levels and make sure they are all topped off so that you are not running out of what you need. Having to wait beside the highway in the winter could be scary and even life-threatening when the temperatures are low enough.
Change Your Oil
Before it gets too cold, have your car serviced with a fresh oil change that will last you through the winter. If you are within 1500 miles of your next oil change, it is a good winter car care tip to go ahead and have it changed so that you are not having to worry about it when it is too cold to get out or schedule the appointment.
Pull Your Windshield Wipers Back
While some of us may have an enclosed garage for our cars, others are forced to park outside, directly exposing our car to the winter weather. If your car is going to be out in the snow, rain,and ice, you need to make sure that you have a new set of windshield wipers first before the winter begins as a good winter car care tip. Once you replace them, you want to protect them by making sure they are raised off of your windshield at night to keep them from freezing to windshield.
Test The Battery
Cold weather has a way of taking a weak battery and wearing it down. Because colder weather already has an adverse effect on your car, if your battery is losing power because of its age, then the winter may just take the entire battery out. Save yourself a tow and chilly wait by having your battery tested and replaced if it is not powering properly.
If your battery is still pretty new and has some juice left, consider adding a battery blanket around it so that it has insulation and is protected from the approaching temperatures that could keep it from starting early one morning.
Pack For Emergencies
Finally, one of the best winter care care tip that you will receive is to back an emergency bag in case you are left stranded on the highway. It could take a while to have your vehicle towed if you run off of the road or experience car trouble. This emergency back should have a warming blanket, water, hand and foot warmers, and wool socks to keep your body warm until help arrives.
Let Sam The Man Assist You Today
If you want to prepare your car for winter, contact our team at Sam the Man Mobile Carwash & Detailing today to have your car prepped for winter and assist with any additional services you may need. We look forward to hearing from you soon.