Winter can be a great season, but it’s one of the most dangerous times for you if you decide to go on the road. It’s more important than ever to give your car more attention than you would during the summer and spring. When you have a clean and organized car, it’s easier to find things when needed, and there are fewer opportunities for damage or breakage. Not to mention that it will be safer for you to drive during icy weather. So here are some tips on how to winterize your car:
Winterize the tires
In addition to sandbags, tire chains, and snow tires, winterizing your tires is another way to ensure you’ll have a smooth ride through the coldest months of the year. Winterizing your tires involves adding a ” stabilizer ” product to your air pressure and keeping the pressure at this level all winter.
Stabilizer helps prevent oxidation in your tires, which would otherwise lead to them losing flexibility in cold temperatures. Unfortunately, this can cause several problems: they might not grip the road or even blow out.
Winterizing your tires can be done at any time before winter sets in—and after that point as well if you like—but it’s best if you do it before winter starts so that you can drive all season safely long with no worries about blowing out your tires.
Check your lights
Winter’s coming, so your car will spend more time in the garage than on the road. So what’s the best way to get your car ready for winter? You guessed it: by doing some preventative maintenance!
And one of the first things you should do is check your lights. During a particularly cold winter, your lights may freeze, making them look ugly and causing them to short out or stop working altogether. So it’s recommended that you check your lights before leaving them in storage for a few months.
Top up the antifreeze
Antifreeze is a key ingredient in your car’s cooling system. It keeps your engine from freezing as you drive and helps prevent corrosion and other damage.
When you top off antifreeze, you’re ensuring it doesn’t run out, which is important for keeping your engine running smoothly. For example, if you don’t add enough antifreeze to the coolant system during a cold snap, the water from the radiator could freeze and crack the radiator—leaving your car without an efficient way to dissipate heat. Not only would this be a major inconvenience for you, but it could also lead to serious damage if left unchecked for too long.
Check your glass
Check your glass for cracks or chips that could prove dangerous in bad weather conditions. Use a glass cleaner to remove dirt and grime from the windshield, side windows, and back window if you have one. If you don’t have a rear wiper, consider getting one installed!
Then check your windscreen wipers are working properly—if they’re not clearing water from the screen effectively, have them replaced before winter hits so you don’t risk being stranded in snow-covered streets with no visibility.
If you find a chip or crack in your window or if something is wrong with your windscreen wipers, get in touch with an auto glass repair service to check it out.
Clean out your car
Cleaning out your car is important because winter weather can cause ice and snow to collect around the exterior of your car. This can cause damage to your paint job if not properly removed. In addition, if you leave items in your car (such as trash), they could easily be crushed by snow or ice.
Hopefully, these tips will help to ensure that your car is in good working order and ready for when the winter gets colder, so you can be safe on the roads.