Check and Change Your Fluids
A major part of keeping your car in great shape throughout the winter involves checking its fluids regularly. Low fluid levels can have a catastrophic effect on your vehicle’s performance, longevity, and safety. If you want to keep your car running strong, then keep these fluid-related tips in mind:
- Check your engine oil, coolant, and other fluids regularly. Make sure they’re at the proper levels and top them off if needed.
- If you haven’t changed your fluids yet, do so. Clean, fresh fluids perform better under winter conditions than oil, dirty fluids.
- Watch out for leaks. If you see any puddles on your driveway or notice abnormally low fluid levels after a recent check, then have a professional take a closer look.
- Always use the recommended fluids for your vehicle. Using other fluids outside of what your vehicle calls for could result in performance or safety issues.
Inspect and Test Your Battery
Cold temperatures can take a serious toll on your car battery’s longevity and performance. Weak batteries have a much harder time starting your vehicle in the cold, which is why inspection and testing are so important.
Regardless of your battery’s age, always perform a visual inspection at the start of the winter season. Check for and clean up any corrosion you see on the battery terminals and connectors. Check the casing for any signs of damage, including cracks, bulges, and visible leaks.
Afterward, have a trusted professional test your battery to ensure it not only has enough cold cranking amps available to start your vehicle reliably but is also capable of holding a steady charge. If your current battery is more than five years old, have it replaced regardless of its condition. If you’re buying another battery, make sure it has at least 600 CCA of starting power or more.
Switch to Winter Tires
Snowy and icy roads can be a challenge even for vehicles equipped with all-wheel-drive.
Winter tires make dealing with these conditions a bit easier thanks to their notable advantages:
- Winter tires feature a softer rubber compound that doesn’t harden up in cold temperatures
- Unique tread designs with deeper grooves, larger blocks, and more sipes help cut through the snow for added traction.
- Some winter tires even feature metal studs to help deal with icy or snow-packed roads.
In all, these features give your vehicle more traction compared to your typical all-season tires. If you plan on driving under heavy snow conditions regularly, then consider switching to winter tires for the winter months. Afterward, you can swap back to your summer or all-season tires.
Monitor Tire Pressures Closely
The colder outdoor temperatures get, the more likely you are to lose tire pressure. Your tires may lose 1 to 2 PSI for every 10-degree drop in temperature. With that in mind, you should check your tire pressures on a regular basis and add more air as needed. You should also have a portable tire inflator on hand just in case.
Keep Your Fuel Tank Half-Full
A half-full tank does more than prevent worries about running out of fuel. It also prevents your fuel pump from overheating and picking up sediment and debris at the bottom of your fuel tank. You can also throw in a bottle of fuel stabilizer to reduce the likelihood of your fuel going bad, especially if you don’t drive your vehicle that often during the winter months.
Switch to Winterized Windshield Wiper Fluid
chances are the washer fluid you’ve been using throughout the summer and fall wasn’t designed with cold temperatures in mind. To keep your washer fluid from freezing up this winter, consider switching to a winterized blend. Such blends perform better in low temperatures thanks to their deicing capabilities.
Also, don’t forget to replace your windshield wipers this winter. Chances are you’re already overdue for replacement, plus there are plenty of winter-ready varieties you can use to clear snow and slush from your windshield more effectively.