=During winter, or if you’re living in a place with frigid climate all your round, there are some extra precautions you have to take to keep your car operational and ensure your (and your family’s) safety when driving it. As such, we’ll be exploring a simple checklist of what you should be wary about before driving your car in cold weather:
Get Winter Tires
Before winter arrives, it’s a good idea to invest in winter or snow tires, and have them installed once winter comes. Snow and ice can make the roads a lot more slippery than usual and makes it hard for your vehicle to gain traction and make you lose control when driving. Winter or snow tires are specially designed to be driven in lower temperatures and have groves and gaps that are intended to increase traction and make it easier to drive through both ice and snow. If you’re living in an area that’s frigid or snowing all throughout the year, you can get an all-season snow tire which has an M+S (Mud and Snow) rating that can work on clear roads and on ice and snow (but not as well as dedicated snow tires).
Battery Check
Batteries don’t work that well in the cold. In fact, cold temperature can greatly reduce its power by up to half. You can check the battery’s performance with a volt test or do a visual check to observe the fluid level. If you don’t know how to check your battery, it’s best to have it inspected at by a mechanic. The bottom line is that if your battery can’t produce enough power due to the cold, you may end up with a car that wouldn’t start, and get stuck in a parking lot or at the middle of the road.
Keep Your Radiator Running
The liquid inside your radiator can freeze, leak, and cause the transmission to fail. As such, it’s important that your radiator has enough antifreeze to prevent these issues from occurring.
Windshield Wiper Repair and Replacement
Windshield wipers can keep you safe on the road by removing snow, ice, rain, or dust from covering your windshield and obscuring your view. However, windshield wipers only last for roughly a year, and you’d want to make sure that you have a functional windshield wiper before the winter comes. You’d also want to make sure that your windshield wiper washer fluid contains an antifreeze agent so it wouldn’t freeze up during extremely cold weather.
Oil Check
Even when it isn’t winter, it’s best to inspect your oil levels and consistency. Ensure that you’re using the right type and amount of oil in order to keep your car performing well during the winter.
Heater Maintenance
Failing to maintain your heater before the winter hits are just like staying outside your home without your winter clothes. Not only does your heater keep you warm, but it also acts as a defrosting mechanism for your windshield to help maintain visibility during the cold. So have your heater checked before the winter, or regularly when you’re living in a place with cold climate.
Conclusion
Keeping your car in top condition, especially during winter or when you’re colder climates, is integral in its performance and, more importantly, your safety. As such, it would be a good idea to keep this list handy when winter comes or when the cold starts to set in. If you’re not that savvy with regards to cars and their maintenance, it would be best to check with an auto service shop or centreto do preliminary checks and maintain your vehicle for you. You can even ask the auto service technicians to teach you how to perform basic maintenance procedures and what to watch out for especially during winter or in frigid climates.
