Christmas is over. You can relax and think of other things besides the holidays, like Being Prepared for Winter Driving. Buzzkill?
Whatevs. You need to know this stuff and Blitzify, Kungs and I are here to help. Winter is officially here and it is essential that you prepare your car, truck, or SUV for the winter months ahead. Only traveling through cold weather? Then you need to keep reading too. You don’t want to pay the price of not being prepared just because the temperatures drop, do you? I didn’t think so.
1. Get your battery checked
There is nothing worse than being stranded. It is important to get your vehicle’s battery checked, especially if it is over three years old. An expert will check for any corrosion around the battery’s connection points and if it is up to the task of keeping your car going during winter.
2. Antifreeze
Your vehicle should have a 50-50 antifreeze and water mixture inside its radiator. Antifreeze may “look healthy” but still needs to be replaced. The antifreeze’s important additives could be worn out, which means it won’t protect your vehicle.
Experts say you should replace the antifreeze every two years, which should prevent any problems. It is always best to get your antifreeze checked when you get an oil change. Then, it can be replaced as soon as any signs of breakdown are identified and you can avoid any larger problems.
3. Tire pressure
When snow and ice hit the ground, it is difficult to get good traction on roads and highways. Having the correct tire pressure allows your vehicle to have the best possible traction in snow and ice.
With colder weather comes a drop in the air pressure of your tires. Look in the owner’s manual of your vehicle to see what the correct pressure is and make sure you top it up.
4. Oil change
It is important to make sure your car has the right oil for colder months and getting it replaced as the seasons change is important. Certain types of oil perform better in certain conditions. Your mechanic can let you know if a change is recommended. You need the correct thickness of oil as colder weather makes oil run thicker. Your vehicle’s life-blood can’t work properly if it is too thick, so make sure you get it changed if you are due.
5. Wiper blades
It seems simple enough, but if you can’t see the road or vehicles in front of you, there’s a great risk of an accident. The more it rains, snows, and sleets, the more use your wipers will get. Extreme weather situations make it increasingly important to have wipers that have a significant amount of life left. Wiper blades should be replaced after just one year. So, make sure you have new ones ready to go.
Just a few steps can keep you safe during the winter months. It may cost a little bit of money up front, but it will save you much more in the long run.
You need supplies for your car in the winter and I’m not just talking about an ice scraper. We just for the winter but do we get our car decked out for the cold months? You need to WINTERIZE YOUR CAR.
Source: Kungs Tele-Is Snow Brush and Scraper. My all-time favorite product by them.
That means creating an emergency kit, winter tires and doing the steps above. You also need a snow brush and durable ice scraper on hand-and be sure your ice scraper can de-ice windshield wipers. I recommend grabbing Kungs ice scrapers and snow brushes, which are available at Sears Auto Centers across the Northeast.
