Wintertime. The season of snow, ice, and bone-chilling temperatures. Ready or not, it’s here again. But is your car ready for winter? It’s worth making sure. Because while getting stranded on the roadside is bad at any time of the year, it’s particularly bad during winter. Could even be hazardous to your health.
So here are a few quick tips for assuring that your car is up to the rigors of Mother Nature’s wintertime fury:
- Make sure that your antifreeze is really anti-freeze capable. As antifreeze ages, it can loose it’s ability to protect your car’s engine from freeze damage – damage that can leave you stranded, and that can be extremely expensive to repair. Checking your antifreeze is quick and easy. Buy an antifreeze tester and check it yourself, or have it checked at a shop.
- Replace your window-washer fluid with a mixture that is freeze-proof. A window-washer system that malfunctions because of ice blockages can be a safety hazard in slushy road conditions.
- Check your tires. Be sure that you have the proper type of tires installed for the expected wintertime road conditions in your area. Make certain that your tires are in good shape, with plenty of tread. And be sure to keep your tires properly inflated during the winter (colder temperatures can cause tire pressures to drop).
- Keep the gas tank full. A full tank can provide insurance against unplanned delays. In extreme situations, a full tank may even make the difference between life and death by providing a source of heat if you become stranded. And a full tank will also help to prevent the formation of ice blockages in the fuel system.
Simple, Yet Important Tips
The tips above are simple and easy. Even inexpensive. But each one of them offers you the potential of saving you a world of hurt. And after all, winter is tough enough as is without adding car troubles to your worries!