Depending on where you are dwelling, you may need to do some extra things to your car to prepare for winter driving. During extreme winter weather, you will have some issues that could arise. If you have a newer car, it may not mean much but you should still be cautious. When you follow a few of the tips in this article, you may be able to save a bit of money.
Check Tire Pressure
Tire pressure may drop significantly during the cold months of winter because of the cold. If you happen to monitor faithfully, you will have better gas mileage minimizing your chances of a flat tire. Make sure that your gas tank is definitely more than a quarter full. With older cars, the gasoline lines would freeze if the tank was not at least a quarter full though newer cars don’t have this problem. But you must always have enough fuel to head off being stranded. Along with that, you should carry an emergency pack, which has cold weather gear such as gloves and hats. The package should also have flares, flashlight, jumper cables plus some tools.
Car Fluids
Since some fluids are going to be affected by the cold, be sure that you have all of them checked before winter hits. You definitely need to check your air conditioning, especially when residing in a place the temperatures get below freezing. Generally most of the expensive engine breakdowns originate from cooling system failures. Examine the antifreeze amount routinely throughout the winter. While doing so keep your windshield washer fluid having a liquid that will not freeze. It’s adviseable to have your battery pack checked to determine if it can last through the winter. You’ll want to remove any corrosion you may have on the battery terminal so your car can properly start. The life-span of a battery is reduced with severe cold weather. Never fail to make sure that you have got jumper cables in your car in the event your battery dies.
Experts recommend to have your oil changed before winter even when it is not time yet. With regard to an older car or truck, you may want to use a light weight oil to keep parts lubricated in the cold weather. Newer cars generally use lighter weight oil just about all year-long. They just don’t always go on that long during extremely cold winters, but you can still start off with new wiper blades. The new blades will be more effective in wiping off the ice and slush that collects. You might already have to put snow tires on your car before the snow starts coming. At least utilize a superior all season radial tire.
Be sure you get this accomplished before the winter weather hits. If you put it off too long you may get stuck in an early winter storm. You’ll want to prepare yourself and start taking care of it now.