Winterize Your Car
Just as it’s necessary for us to put a coat, hat and gloves on in cold weather, our cars need similar attention to function properly in the cold. Climate changes can certainly affect your vehicle, and with another severe winter predicted for us here in Ohio, we’ve compiled some tips on winterizing your car.
- Keep an emergency kit inside your car. Keep a few essential supplies and tools with you as you drive. Flashlights and flares, blankets and extra boots can be useful if you find yourself stuck in the snow. Other items to keep on hand include extra engine oil, washer fluid, coolant, and an extra ice scraper.
- Check your car’s belts and hoses. Cold temperatures can weaken belts and hoses. Have a mechanic take a look at how everything is holding up around your engine.
- Check and/or replace windshield wipers and fluid. Low visibility can make driving in the snow dangerous, so it’s important to make sure your wiper blades are up to par. Keeping your wiper fluid filled can also assist in breaking up snow and ice on the windshield.
- Check your de-frost and heat. Before winter hits, make sure your heat, which probably hasn’t been used for a year, is still in working condition. It would be better to find out now than the first below freezing morning of the year.
- Keep your fuel tank full. Cold and constantly shifting temperatures can cause condensation to form on the walls of a gas tank in the red. This water can drip down into the gas, possibly finding its way into the fuel lines where there’s a chance of freezing, blocking the flow of gas.
- Check your oil. The oil in your engine changes depending on how hot or cold the engine is running. Outside temperatures influence the internal temperature of your engine and you need to make sure you’re using the proper oil for the conditions.
- Check your battery. Winter weather is tough on batteries, it causes your engine to work harder, putting more pressure on the battery, which can cause them to die.
- Check your tire pressure. Cold air can affect tire air pressure, and if not properly inflated can decrease traction, increasing the likelihood of sliding on icy patches.
Add Convenience to Your Winterizing Check-List
While it’s important to check the items listed above, there are also aftermarket products that can be installed on your vehicle to make winter driving a bit more bearable.
- Start your car from anywhere with a remote start. With the push of a button your car can start warming up and de-frosting while you sit in the comfort of your warm living room each morning.
- Warm up quicker with seat heaters. You might have your vehicle’s heat on full blast, but those seats will be cold. Adding seat heaters can help warm up you and the car much quicker.
- Melt ice and snow with heated windshield wiper fluid. A small unit installed under your hood can heat up your washer fluid, making scraping much easier or sometimes not even needed.
Contact us today to find out more about preparing your vehicle for the winter. Our experts can help you choose the right products to get you through the cold winter months.